Shaping Retail Through Sustainability Leadership - Desta Raines

Featuring Shivang Maheshwari & Desta Raines

Episode 07•August 4, 2025•

52 min 56 sec

Episode Description

On this episode of The ReCommerce Show, we’re joined by Desta Raines, a trailblazing sustainability leader who helped shape circular retail at Sephora, Apple, and Fairtrade USA. Desta shares her journey from launching the Beauty (Re)Purposed program at Sephora, which has collected over 68,000 pounds of hard-to-recycle packaging, to navigating ethical sourcing at Apple and championing labor rights globally. We dive deep into the challenges of circularity in beauty, why resale isn't a one-size-fits-all solution, and how upstream decisions impact downstream recovery.

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Full Transcript

Read the full conversation between our host and guest.

Shivang (00:07)

Today on the ReCommerce Show I'm thrilled to welcome Desta Raines. Desta is a distinguished sustainability leader with over two decades of experience shaping how some of the world's most influential companies think about sourcing, responsibility, and the circular economy. Most recently, she led sustainability strategy at North America's Sephora, where she launched the high impact program, Beauty (Re)Purposed a take back initiative that collected over 68,000 pounds of hard to recycle materials as of April 2025.

Before Sephora, Desta held critical roles at Apple and Fairtrade USA, working at the intersection of ethical sourcing, labor rights, and global supplier program on innovation. She's also the current board chair of Responsible Sourcing Network and serves as a treasurer of International Society of Sustainability Professionals. In 2023, she was named Retail Sustainability Leader of the Year by RIS News.

a testament to both her impact and her leadership. Today, she continues to shape the future of sustainable retail through board service, public speaking, and behind the scenes strategy. And we are honored to have her here. Desta, welcome to the show.

Desta Raines (01:14)

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