Fwd: Hila the Earth Releases a Bring Your Own Anthem. Now Policy Needs to Catch Up.
Zero Waste Ithaca
ZWI
From: Zero Waste Ithaca from ZWI Newsletter <zerowas...@substack.com>
Date: Mon, Feb 16, 2026 at 8:26 AM
Subject: Hila the Earth Releases a BYO Anthem. Now Policy Needs to Catch Up.
Hila the Earth Releases a BYO Anthem. Now Policy Needs to Catch Up.77,000 Views for a Bring-Your-Own Anthem - What It Means
Hi everyone, Zero Waste Ithaca and BYO - US Reduces partnered with Hila the Earth (Instagram: @hilatheearth ) who released a Bring Your Own (BYO) music short on February 4, 2026. In just 11 days, it has reached over 77,000 views with strong comments, sharing, reposting, and saving. Reel insights as of Feb. 15: 77,799 views, 1.8K shares, 486 reposts, 364 saves. The message is clearly moving far beyond our usual circles. This response shows that BYO is not fringe. People are ready. Culture is ahead of policy. Watch her reel on Instagram below. BYO Container - by Hila the Earth
The song starts with the real everyday problem: people are tired, busy, and just trying to eat. It names the contradiction of “convenient” takeout that comes in unnecessary plastic, then pivots to health - and lands on a hook that makes BYO feel normal, practical, and doable. That health pivot is not abstract. One example raised in the song is the black takeout containers that feel “normal” in daily life. Black plastics have been documented to contain brominated flame retardants and other toxins associated with recycled electronics waste. Materials like that should not be in contact with food. Conversations continue about the necessary amendments to New York State’s BYO bill (aka Rights to Refill bill - S7408 / A8007 2025). In short: the current bill does not address the core barrier. The barrier is New York State Food Code § 271-8.3(e), which restricts BYO for takeout. We need to expand our rights to BYO to food takeouts, both at grocery store delis and restaurants. Other states, including CA, OR, and IL already allow broader BYO practices at grocery delis and restaurants. When laws rely heavily on prolonged implementation processes or open-ended rulemaking, especially where industry stakeholders shape outcomes, original intent can weaken over time. We have seen similar patterns in other environmental laws. including landfill leachate and Carpet EPR implementation fights. Getting the structure right is not about perfection - it is about making sure the solution actually works. For now, the most helpful thing you can do is simple:
Thank you to Break Free From Plastic for partial support of this collaboration, and to GAIA for ongoing support of our work. Momentum matters - and so does clarity. We’ll share more soon. In solidarity, You're currently a free subscriber to ZWI Newsletter . To support our grassroots efforts, please consider upgrading your subscription.
© 2026 Zero Waste Ithaca
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