Alumna pioneers reuse revolution

This Women's Equality Day, meet Heather Watkins (BS Accountancy '08), who shares her pioneering efforts to end single-use waste, inspired by trailblazers like Bella Abzug.

Every year in the U.S., roughly 21% of recyclable household materials make it into the recycling bin while only 5-6% of plastic items are recycled.

"Our recycling system is broken," says Heather Watkins (BS Accountancy '08), co-founder and chief revenue officer of the environmental services company Bold Reuse, which is on a mission to end single-use waste. "Very little of what we create gets recycled due to its lack of value. We’re focused on building a reuse system that is easy and works for organizations and consumers since it's the best solution for our waste crisis."

Founded in 2022 by Watkins and Jocelyn Quarrell in Portland, Oregon, Bold Reuse is a full-service reuse platform for organizations looking to reduce their carbon footprint while transitioning from single-use to reusable food and cupware. The company provides all the services organizations need to implement reusable products, including inventory management, sorting services, managing product pickup and delivery, sanitation, and product packaging. Bold Reuse's data platform also tracks its clients' reuse programs from service visits to return rates to the organization's carbon footprint to be shared with internal stakeholders.

Throughout the past two years, Bold Reuse has implemented its reusable products into schools, convention centers, factories, and stadiums, including the Portland Trailblazers, Portland Timbers, Seattle Kraken, CPKC Stadium, and it recently announced a partnership with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

"The opportunity to run this business is exciting because I get to use my business skills and passion for sustainability and conservation to make the world better," says Watkins. "I get to make a real difference and impact."

In celebration of Women's Equality Day, we caught up with Watkins to learn more about how she co-founded Bold Reuse and advocates for a greener future. Her journey is a testament to the power of women in leadership roles, driving significant change in both the business and environmental sectors.

Bella Abzug: A Pioneer in equality and advocacy
Heather Watkins' story of pioneering a reuse revolution is reminiscent of the trailblazing efforts of Bella Abzug, a prominent figure in the women's rights movement. Bella Abzug, known for her bold advocacy and leadership, was a U.S. Congresswoman who co-founded the National Women's Political Caucus and fought tirelessly for gender equality, environmental justice, and social reforms.

Abzug's dedication to making systemic changes laid the groundwork for future generations of women leaders. Her efforts in passing significant legislation for women's rights and environmental policies resonate with Watkins' mission to create a sustainable future through innovative solutions.

Question: Bold Reuse has partnered with large clients, including Starbucks, Misfit Market, and several stadiums and convention centers. What was obtaining these partnerships like for the company?
Answer: What's great is that a majority of people we're selling to within sustainability are women doing anything possible to make a difference. Brittany Saulsbury, sustainability operations manager for the Portland Trail Blazers, contacted us after hearing about Bold Reuse's partnerships with Starbucks and Imperfect Foods. Brittany was a young, ambitious woman who was brand new to her job and wanted to make a dramatic impact in her organization. She saw partnering with Bold Reuse as a good opportunity, and after we launched with the Trailblazers, other companies recognized that reuse at scale was possible and the inbound interest since launch has been incredible.

Our goal is to end single-use plastic, and before we showed up, many organizations didn't think it was possible to scale a reuse system within an 18,000-person stadium. Nothing is impossible: We just needed the right stakeholders, supporters, and a lot of creativity.

Q: Are most companies interested in implementing reuse in their organizations?
A: No one feels good about waste — we all know it's a problem. For companies whose missions include a sustainability pillar, reducing waste is an effective way to lower their carbon footprint by over 95%. Many organizations are interested in becoming more sustainable for regulatory reasons because there's pressure to move away from single-use products. Also, being served an expensive beverage in a single-use cup at a nice event like a professional basketball game, concert, or symphony doesn't feel great, so many organizations come to us for an improved customer experience. It's also a sponsorship opportunity: Companies can make money off of their packaging instead of it being a cost.

For example, one of our clients was moving away from styrofoam cups but couldn't move into paper products because of material shredding and biodegradation, and plastic products wouldn't help them meet their sustainability mission. Bold Reuse offered this organization an opportunity to achieve its goals and provide a better customer experience while offering a compelling thought leadership opportunity.

Q: What's next for Bold Reuse?
A: We have some big upcoming partnerships that have yet to be announced. Our five-year goal is to reach 25 locations and be coast-to-coast in the U.S. by partnering with organizations in major cities with large hospitality industries. For example, if a fast food chain wants to implement reusable in more of its locations, it will easily be able to plug into a city where Bold Reuse infrastructure is already set up. We're trying to pre-build that infrastructure so big players can plug into our system easily.

Q: Have you always been interested in entrepreneurship?
A: I come from a long line of entrepreneurs: I'm a fourth-generation Phoenician and my family helped build most of Arizona's wastewater infrastructure. I've always been passionate about running businesses and managed marketing teams for 15 years before co-founding Bold Reuse. My goal was always to break the glass ceiling, be a leader, and make change within the industry while doing something positive and making the world a better place. I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, using my skills to make an impact. Every day is full of joy and pride.

Q: You have two children under two years old. How do you balance being a business owner with your home life?
A: That's a big question specifically for women because we have to be operating at 120% all the time. It can be hard, but I have a wonderful husband and awesome kids. When I'm with my children, I want to be as in the moment with them as possible, so I try to delegate to my team as much as possible. I really trust everyone we’ve hired which helps a lot. The people around make it happen — that and trying to show up each morning with gratitude.

Q: What's the best piece of leadership advice you've ever received?
A: Be curious and don’t be afraid of asking questions. Also, everyone is trying to figure out life just like you are and no one does it perfectly. This helps me give myself a bit of grace and helps me give grace to others when they have an off day.

Q: What advice would you give to an ASU student interested in founding a company?
A: I always recommend people read "Designing Your Life" by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans to help them envision the various paths they could create for themselves and prototype what that might be. I took that tactic with Bold Reuse: I did a lot of vision boarding, thinking about what I wanted, and talking to people about it. I threw it out there into the world that I wanted to be the co-founder of a climate technology company, specifically bringing my marketing and sales skills to the role. Meeting Jocelyn was meant to be. Many people are too scared to put their vision out into the world. You just have to do it.