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Sustainable products from unsustainable materials

Repurposing plastic waste.

  • Rethinking ways to combat climate change
  • Creates no waste in manufacturing process

Newlyweds, Brady and Angela Rogers, just finished opening their wedding gifts and new furniture when they noticed something shocking: a mountain of plastic waste staring back at them in their kitchen.

They wanted to figure out a better use for that plastic. With Angela’s passion for design, and Brady’s experience in robotic engineering, the two combined their skills to create The Rogerie.

“Basically, we recycle plastic waste into consumer products,” co-founder Brady Rogers told Kelowna10.

Their sustainable products range anywhere from smaller items like wine glasses and soap dishes, to larger pieces like flower pots and bathtub trays.

“We’re trying to help consumers really see exactly where the plastic waste goes, how it gets back, and what all is involved in that process so that they can make more educated decisions,” Rogers said.

The company sources its plastic not only from across Canada, but also locally in Kelowna. The waste can be old car parts, window frames, TV’s, or water bottles.

They then use 3D printing to create their products.

“We have about 32 [3D printers] right now for a variety of reasons. It provided an easy way to get our production up and running very quickly,” Rogers said.

Depending on the size, it can take between six hours to a full day of 3D printing to complete a product.

Rogers is also exploring different means of manufacturing such as injection moulding, which will let them use more diverse types of plastic, and produce items more quickly.

“It’s just my personality in some way. I like solving problems, I think that’s why I got into engineering,” Rogers said.

“Plastic is one of the big problems, certainly not the only one we face, not just in climate change but social issues in general. It caught my attention and it seemed like something I could actually help with on both a social level and a technical level."

Published 2021-11-25 by Keelan Bourdon

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