In this episode of Culture Uncovered, Jena Dunay sits down with Billie Wright, Chief People Officer of The Recycling Partnership, to explore what it's like to build culture at a fully remote nonprofit tackling one of the country's least glamorous but most essential infrastructure challenges.
Billie shares her own pivot into the recycling space after nearly 30 years in state and local government HR, and offers candid encouragement for anyone hesitant to switch industries. The conversation dives into the organization's recent core values refresh — narrowing nine values down to five and building a dedicated values-based interview process around them — along with onboarding buddies and monthly cultural programming that keeps a small, fully remote team genuinely connected.
The episode also covers The Recycling Partnership's standout time-off policies, including a every-other-Friday off schedule and a five-year paid "refresh" sabbatical, as well as an honest reflection on where the organization's change management could better center the people living through it.
What You'll Learn
What The Recycling Partnership actually does: legislation, community infrastructure, and recycling research
How to think about pivoting industries without fear, even without direct experience
How a "core values interview" works and why the organization recently narrowed nine values to five
Why the company closes every other Friday, and how to pilot a similar policy at your own organization
What the five-year "refresh" sabbatical and mandatory paid weeks off actually look like in practice
Why doing change "with" people, not "to" them, is critical for genuine organizational buy-in
Company Highlights
Industry: Environmental nonprofit (recycling infrastructure, legislation, and research)
Customer Base: States, municipalities, and communities working to improve recycling access and policy
Company Stage: Founded in 2014, ~80 employees across 28 states, fully remote
Culture: Mission-driven, values-based, high-retention, and intentional about employee wellness
Focus Areas: Recycling legislation and infrastructure, employee wellbeing, and organizational change management
Unique Perks & Programs
Every-Other-Friday Off: A recurring day-off policy in place since COVID, adjusted around holidays
Five-Year "Refresh" Sabbatical: Six full weeks of paid leave awarded after five years of tenure
Four Mandatory Paid Weeks Off Annually: Company-wide closures around July 4th, Thanksgiving, and the final two weeks of the year
Flexible Vacation & Parental Leave: Non-accrual flexible time off, plus paid parental leave for both mothers and fathers
$500 Annual Professional Development Stipend: Newly formalized funding for courses, books, or coaching
Onboarding Buddy Program: New hires paired with a peer for their first 30 days to support cultural integration
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