415-484-9044

Relan: Upcycling Turns Trash into Treasure

Relan, a small business led by the mother-daughter team of Della Simpson and Kari Brizius, partners with large companies to showcase their commitment to sustainability through an array of upcycled products. We recently interviewed Kari to learn more about their story and their company’s commitment to building a more sustainable future.

The Little Red Stirrer

My wife Gail and I were camping for a few days about three hours north of San Francisco on the coast, overlooking the forest and the Pacific. As we were talking I happened to be holding one of those little red plastic stirrers that you often find in a hotel or anyplace serving drinks — a bar, a coffee joint. Gail asked a very simple question: “where did that little red stirrer come from?” What ensued has become one of my personal favorite stories that exemplifies the extraordinary waste in our society and is an example of our company’s collective thinking around sustainability.

The R’s of Sustainability: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle…Rot!

With the passing of AB 1826, some California companies will be required to arrange for collection of their organic waste materials such as food and landscaping waste. However, smaller companies that do not fall under this mandate, and who are looking to become more sustainable in their operations, are initiating their own organics diversion program.