Tell us about your company and what inspired you to start it
Since as far back into my (Brady) childhood as I can remember, I’ve been obsessed with inventing and creating. I was lucky enough to be born into a loving family and supportive community which fostered my passion for trying new things and ultimately led me into an engineering career.
After four years working in robotic automation, I was loving my job but felt like I owed more to my community for the talents and abilities I had been given. Finally in 2019 I was about to get married, and decided if I didn’t take the leap to something bigger now, it may never happen.
I had a little experience with 3D printing and thought there was potential to do something interesting with it, so we bought one of our own and started printing flower pots in our laundry room. Not long after, 3D printing brought my attention to the issue of plastic pollution, which seemed to me like an interesting and complicated problem.
On the one hand, it’s an issue of civil and mechanical engineering, in that our recycling infrastructure is weak and disjointed and entirely insufficient to manage our plastic use. On the other hand, it’s an issue of social engineering, in that our concern for the environment is outweighed by the benefits plastic offers to our everyday lives; we’re willing to swap disposable water bottles for a reusable one, but we accept the plastic in our computers, vehicles, and homes because it’s too integral to our way of life.
This seemed to me like an area where my abilities could make a difference, and since then I’ve been building The Rogerie. Our philosophy is that recycling can work, and needs to work. Even if we reduce our plastic usage, billions of tons of it is already made and needs to be recycled, managed, and recycled again, or else it will end up in the environment.
To do that, our goal is to bring recycled plastic into as many mainstream products as we can, displacing new plastic, driving demand for recycling, and giving consumers more ways to vote with their dollars. In doing so, we expect to drive the cost of recycling down, improve the efficiency and capacity of recycling facilities, and reduce demand for new plastic. So, while it seems like our brand is fairly simple concept, our mission is much larger!
How specifically does it relate to sustainable design, production and/or consumption?
I may have answered much of this above, but to elaborate on our process, we are constantly reducing our environmental impact so that when a customer buys from us, they can be certain they are making an actually sustainable choice. No greenwashing, no clever marketing, and no hidden processes.
We source material from as close to home as possible - sometimes in our own local landfill from items like old fridges - we recycle our own waste and returned products, we use no overseas shipping, and we’re powered by renewable energy. Furthermore, we feel that efficient recycling starts in the product design phase, and for us that means using one single material for simple sorting, no adhesives or fasteners that need to (but won’t) be removed years down the road, and of course, focusing on product quality and lifespan.
What community or customer behaviours are you hoping to create or reinforce?
There’s already a growing movement away from plastic, especially single-use, and that’s great to see. However, I think the next evolution of the waste-free movement is the recognition that the most effective solution to plastic pollution is a two-sided approach: reducing use and increasing reuse.
One without the other is insufficient and leaves issues for the next generation to address. So, absolutely use less plastic whenever you can! Use solid soap and shampoo, buy bamboo alternatives, and live consciously. But also, don’t be afraid of plastic altogether! Recycling can work - it’s going to work - and there are many of us out there gaining real ground on this issue and we need all the support we can get.
What is one of the most helpful or enlightening lessons you’ve learned along the way?
It’s hard to choose. A lot about being a human, about maintaining my mental health and supporting the people around me, and about humility and accountability. But maybe the one that could be encouraging to the most people is that I’m ok and you’re ok. You’re doing fine with your life. You’re meant to be where you are; maybe to do something, maybe to learn something, or maybe for a season of growth. But it’s all for a reason, and you’ll figure it out.
What’s the biggest problem you’re currently trying to solve?
Building a new type of business is pretty tricky, especially coming into it with no experience, so we’re sort of constantly dealing with everything from material supply issues, to production, to marketing, to order fulfilment. But I suppose to be specific, we’re currently trying to navigate moving ourselves to a more suitable home to start a family while simultaneously moving our shop to a larger space :)
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