Innovative Circular Initiatives Take the Stage in Michigan

Written By Melissa Radiwon

As we continue to make the transition from a take-make-waste model to a circular model supporting material reuse and recycling, two NextCycle programs held pitch showcases featuring sustainable initiatives. The showcases, held in late October 2025, at the Graduate Hotel in East Lansing, put the spotlight on teams of entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and communities as they gave five-minute pitches, followed by five minutes of questions from a judges panel. Awards were given for best pitch, people’s choice, as well as special sponsored awards.

NEXTCYCLE MICHIGAN

The NextCycle Michigan Fall Showcase opened with a welcome address from Senator Sam Singh, who has been a champion of environmental protection and economic development. His speech reflected the fundamental goals of the NextCycle program – supporting innovation and collaboration to strengthen the circular economy, in turn building a more resilient environment, economy, and community.

The showcase was divided into two pitch sessions: public-led solutions and supply chain solutions.

PUBLIC-LED SOLUTIONS

Judges:

  • Danielle Beard, Michigan Municipal League

  • Kris Jolley, Michigan State University Recycling

  • Lindsey Walker, Emmet County Recycling

Winning Teams:

  • Best Pitch Award $5,000: Food Rescue US - Lansing – expanding a food rescue system that uses volunteers and a web-based platform to redirect perishable food to those in need.

    • Sponsored by Resource Recycling Systems (RRS)

  • People’s Choice Award $2,500: Michigan Fibershed – creating a regenerative natural fiber textile circular economy through sustainable practices using locally grown wool, flex, and hemp.

  • Innovation Award $1,000: Michigan Fibershed – creating a regenerative natural fiber textile circular economy through sustainable practices using locally grown wool, flex, and hemp.

Food Rescue US - Lansing Communities

Michigan Fibershed

SUPPLY CHAIN SOLUTIONS

Judges:

  • Brad Austin, Great Lakes Fusion

  • Jason Blumberg, Earth Foundry

  • Brian Miller, Cascade Cart Solutions

Winning Teams:

  • Best Pitch Award $5,000: Pivot Point – collecting and refurbishing household appliances to provide affordable goods to low-income individuals.

    • Sponsored by Resource Recycling Systems (RRS)

  • People’s Choice Award $2,500: Resourceful Recycling – scaling curbside compost and food waste pickup service for residents and businesses in Shiawassee County.

  • Innovation Award $1,000: Detroit Training Center – Groundbreak – teaching construction and demolition material reuse, including deconstruction techniques, salvaged concrete applications, site safety, and financial and aesthetic value ion reused materials.

  • Make it in Michigan Award $5,000 in-kind: Drury Brothers – developing a roll-off box with an internal sliding wall mechanism that eliminates the need for disposable plastic liners.

Pivot Point

Resourceful Recycling

Detroit Training Center - Groundbreak

Drury Brothers

Julie Staveland, assistant division director with the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), made a surprise announcement at the end of the event. All teams that pitched at the Fall Showcase will receive a $5,000 Harvest Grant from the state of Michigan to continue implementation of their initiatives.

Learn more about NextCycle teams in this and past cohorts at www.nextcyclemichigan.com/teams.

NEXTCYCLE/SHAPE SUSTAINABLE PACKAGING

The NextCycle Michigan Fall Showcase was co-located with the NextCycle/SHAPE Sustainable Packaging Pitch Showcase. This NextCycle program focused on innovations to tackle packaging waste in Michigan and Ohio. The program was supported by the Solutions Hub for an Alternative Packaging Ecosystem (SHAPE), in collaboration with the National Science Foundation (NSF), Michigan State University Research Foundation, Michigan State University, Ohio State University, Resource Recycling Systems (RRS), and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE).

Judges:

  • Todd Bukowski, PTIS

  • Bill Hall, RRS

  • Kyle Hart, DOW

Winning Teams:

  • Best Pitch Award $5,000: Ecourage – launching a closed-fill system for liquid product refills that reduces plastic use.

    • Sponsored by Resource Recycling Systems (RRS)

  • Innovation Award $5,000: Plastilene & Caruso – developing an all-polyethylene, PFAS-free, recyclable tray for fresh sweet corn as a replacement for EPS trays.

    • Sponsored by DOW

  • MiSpringboard Award $5,000 in-kind: Papair - introducing a recyclable, fiber-based paper alternative to bubble wrap for the U.S. market.

  • People’s Choice Award: Papair - introducing a recyclable, fiber-based paper alternative to bubble wrap for the U.S. market.

Ecourage

Plastilene & Caruso

Papair

 For more information on the NextCycle/SHAPE Sustainable Packaging Accelerator, visit www.nextcycle.co/packaging.

Melissa Radiwon
Next

E-Newsletter: JuL 2025