A new way of recycling
A Kelowna company that makes all of its products from locally recycled materials now allows the public to get involved.
The Rogerie grew by rescuing plastics straight from landfills and converting them into 100 percent renewable products.
However, as of Monday, the local business will start accepting clean household plastics from the public. Things like HTP (high-tech plastic) or PETG (polyethylene terephthalate glycol, a food-safe plastic) are accepted and converted into new products. All you have to do is get your washed plastics to their location at 103-460 Doyle Avenue and they will do the rest.
“We take it, wash it a second time to make sure it’s really clean, and then we grind it and use it in our injection molding machine,” said Angela Rogers, co-founder of The Rogerie.
Angela and her husband Brady currently sell products such as various planters, cups, stemless wine glasses, cups and teapots, and kitchen composters. Angela says that the idea of starting this business came true after their wedding.
“We knew we wanted to do something creative and it wasn’t until we got married that we saw the amount of plastic we’d got from gifts and moving, so we knew we wanted to do something with it. We got a little 3D printer Brady had and he designed a little planter and we took it to the farmers market. We got a lot of positive feedback and it just grew from there, ”said Angela.
Last year, the Rogerie operated a pop-up location in Orchard Park for six weeks, but has now found a permanent home in the innovation center in the city center.
Angela mentioned that they have several products in the works that they are adding the finishing touches to and that they will be on the lookout for them this summer. You can see the 3D printers in action in the store starting next week when a dozen machines are added.
