Revolution in a Bottle: The Role of Student Voices in Circular Change

Revolution in a Bottle: The Role of Student Voices in Circular Change

At Revino, the Reuse Revolution is built on a foundation of community, collaboration, and co-creation, values that perfectly embody our next generation of leaders. This summer, we were incredibly fortunate to host Abigail Williams, a talented and highly driven intern through the invaluable Oregon Sea Grant OASIS program, who helped us expand accessibility and identify key sustainable operational improvements of what’s possible in a glass reuse ecosystem. 

The Internship with a Collaborative Core

Abby interned with Revino for what felt like an incredibly quick ten weeks. During those ten weeks, she had a clear mission: to expand Revino’s network of reusable glass bottles and refine our wash-chemical profile to minimize environmental impact. Her projects aligned perfectly with our core belief that sustainable solutions must be rooted in innovation and community engagement.

Her work was more than academic; it was boots-on-the-ground, data-driven, and truly collaborative, reflecting the spirit of the OASIS network. She brought fresh eyes and new solutions to environmental challenges:

• Refining Processes: Her work provided us with actionable recommendations, from refining our bottle-washing chemical profile and developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to expanding our outreach to new partners looking to reclaim their glass packaging across different verticals, including beer, kombucha, soda, and water. 

• Enhancing Sustainability: Abby’s standout contribution was a comprehensive analysis of our chemical wash systems. She proposed safer, more environmentally-friendly alternatives, including botanical and citric acid-based options, that promise to reduce aquatic toxicity while maintaining stringent sanitation standards for cleaning and reusing glass packaging. This work laid crucial groundwork for more regenerative operations at Revino.

Beyond the Project: The OASIS Community

This experience further validated the idea that successful reuse systems require collective effort. The OASIS team and community were instrumental in making this internship a success, creating a truly collaborative environment that we are proud to support, along with clearly identified goals, timelines, and community connection points. 

We deeply appreciate the support from the entire OASIS community during this process and beyond. Their mission to connect students with real-world sustainability initiatives brought significant value to the table. Abby’s insights and passion, fueled by the program’s focus on applied science and community engagement, reinforced our conviction that successful reuse requires trust, culture change, and co-creating solutions across the entire ecosystem—including seasoned producers, new businesses, informed consumers, and those just beginning their sustainability journey.