Material Reuse Forum 11: Government Policies to Elevate Reuse
(December 2nd, 2025)
This webinar highlighted how U.S. state-level policies are advancing reuse. From solid waste programs to funding initiatives and action plans, taking concrete steps to embed reuse into their sustainability strategies. Hear examples from Minnesota’s Pollution Control Agency and Massachusetts’ Reduce and Reuse Action Plan that are driving innovation and investment in reuse.
Meet our Speakers:
Alison Cameron, Environmental Specialist, Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Alison Cameron is an Environmental Specialist with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, where she leads policy and planning work to advance waste reduction, reuse, and circular systems across the Twin Cities metropolitan region. She manages cross-agency initiatives translating statewide policy into county and city action, integrating procurement, permitting, grants, and community partnerships. Alison currently supports implementation of the 2022–2042 Metropolitan Solid Waste Management Policy Plan and is supporting the development of the state’s Resource Management Report, with an emphasis on practical, scalable reuse strategies and measurable outcomes.
Leah Kelleher, Regional Planner, Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
Leah Kelleher is a Regional Planner with MassDEP’s Municipal Waste Reduction Branch, where she advances reuse initiatives guided by the state’s Reduce & Reuse Action Plan. She also supports public education through Recycle Smart MA, equipping Bay Staters with information and tools to recycle right and prevent waste from the start. Through all this work, Leah seeks to strengthen systems that normalize reuse and repair and make them accessible to everyone in Massachusetts.
Emily Barker, Executive Director, Reuse Minnesota
Emily Barker (she/her) has served as the Executive Director of Reuse Minnesota since August 2021. Her role is to lead the organization, build partnerships, and support the reuse sector throughout Minnesota. Previously, she was a solid waste specialist for the City of St. Louis Park where she championed and implemented reuse-based programs from swaps to deconstruction of city-owned buildings. Emily also worked two and a half years at the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency where she focused on commercial and state agency recycling and composting. Emily is originally from Montana and has a biology degree from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington.
