Building a Waste-Free World — What the Earthshot Prize Nomination Means for Redyoos (and for You)
When we learned that Redyoos was nominated for the 2025 Earthshot Prize in the category Build a Waste-Free World, it felt like a moment of both celebration and reflection.
Because this isn’t just about jewelry. It’s about rethinking the systems that create waste in the first place — and realizing that every person has the power to help build something better.
What “Building a Waste-Free World” Means
The Earthshot Prize defines this goal simply: waste is not wasted. It’s about transforming the way we design, produce, and consume — building a global economy that keeps materials in use and out of landfills. A waste-free world doesn’t mean a world without things; it means a world where things are made to last, reused endlessly, and reimagined into new forms of value.
Past Earthshot Prize winners and finalists in this category include:
- Notpla – packaging made from seaweed that naturally disappears without waste.
- Circ – technology that separates and recycles old textiles into new fibers.
- GRST – a process that makes and recycles lithium batteries using water, not toxins.
Each of these solutions turns waste into opportunity — the same mindset that fuels Redyoos.
How Redyoos Fits In
Jewelry might seem like a small category in the global waste conversation, but it represents a powerful example of untapped circular potential.
Every year, millions of pounds of precious metals sit unused in homes — while mining continues to deplete ecosystems and emit carbon. Redyoos bridges that gap by offering a free, easy mail-in jewelry recycling program, helping people transform forgotten pieces into materials for clean energy and sustainable manufacturing.
Our mission aligns perfectly with the Build a Waste-Free World vision — taking something that might otherwise be discarded and giving it a new life, responsibly and transparently.
How Earthshot Finds Nominees
Unlike traditional awards, the Earthshot Prize doesn’t accept direct applications.
Instead, it relies on a global network of over 400 official nominators — organizations, scientists, experts, and institutions from around the world — who actively search for and recommend the most promising environmental solutions.
These nominators evaluate projects based on three key qualities:
- Impact — measurable environmental results with proven outcomes.
- Innovation — a unique or breakthrough approach to solving a major challenge.
- Scalability — potential to expand globally and influence systems-level change.
Once nominated, candidates go through a rigorous review process by expert panels before the final selection by the Earthshot Prize Council — which includes global leaders, environmentalists, and activists.
For Redyoos, being identified and nominated through this process is an extraordinary honor — and a validation of the idea that even small, community-led systems can inspire global solutions.
How You Can Be Part of It
You don’t need to be a scientist or a founder to contribute to a waste-free world. You can start at home, today:
- Rethink what you throw away. Ask yourself, Can this be reused or recycled responsibly?
- Support circular brands. Choose companies committed to transparency and repair over replacement.
- Give your jewelry a second life. Order a free Redyoos Mail-In Kit and recycle your old pieces — it’s simple, traceable, and free.
- Share the story. Talk about the shift from waste to circularity. Awareness creates momentum.
Every small act builds toward a world where nothing is wasted — and everything has purpose.
Why It Matters
The Earthshot Prize exists to show that optimism and action can co-exist. It celebrates those who are proving that sustainable change is possible — and that small actions, when multiplied, can transform industries.
For Redyoos, this nomination is a reminder of why we started: to make sustainability easy for everyone, starting with something as personal as a piece of jewelry.
Together, we’re proving that what we already have is enough — we just have to use it wisely. Order one of our free mailer kits today to start your jewelry journey.
