Raised in Vancouver, Canada, Lauren Gropper’s love of the pure world grew early on — and so did her need to assist protect it. After pursuing environmental research and geography in faculty, Gropper did a spread of labor in associated fields. Then she went on to review sustainable design in graduate college.
Picture Credit score: Courtesy of Repurpose. Lauren Gropper.
In graduate college, Gropper was in a horrible accident that reconfirmed her dedication to pursuing work that made a distinction, she says.
“Like many foreigners overseas, I used to be very interested by using mopeds and bikes,” Gropper recollects, “and I used to be within the mountains of Thailand and ended up colliding right into a bus. I broke my jaw and misplaced all my tooth. It was a life-changing, near-death expertise. It cemented my [conviction to] do one thing on the earth that made an influence.”
Gropper was decided to construct a profession with that objective in thoughts, however starting a business wasn’t on her radar to start with. She continued to achieve expertise within the inexperienced constructing house consulting for giant corporations, then moved to Los Angeles to do the identical work for design on movie and tv units.
“This was, no pun meant, not sustainable.”
Though Gropper had a hand in constructing sustainable units, she could not assist however discover the intense waste that unfolded on them as soon as filming began: Disposable plastic cutlery was the norm for each meal.
“Individuals needed to break to eat [and] eat shortly,” Gropper explains. “There was no manner round utilizing disposable objects. It is simply the character of the enterprise. Every little thing’s very momentary. It simply turned apparent to me that this was, no pun meant, not sustainable.”
Along with her design background, Gropper noticed an obvious answer to the problem: A cleaner, greener product that did not final ceaselessly in a landfill. Gropper began researching alternate options that already existed and found it was doable to make related merchandise out of plant-based, unhazardous supplies that will break down inside 90 days.
Picture Credit score: Courtesy of Repurpose
“ There was a zero-waste round answer, which embodied every part that I had studied, so I acquired actually enthusiastic about that,” Gropper says. “And it felt like enterprise can be a very useful gizmo to amplify the change. [I started to think about] how we might use enterprise for good or as a device for influence.”
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As Gropper continued her analysis into the plant-based alternate options, she discovered that some have been far more viable than others. Lots of them not solely did not work nicely but in addition got here with prohibitive prices. Gropper wanted to determine tips on how to develop a product that carried out and did not require individuals to pay considerably extra.
“[It’s] mainly taking plant starch and turning it right into a polymer that mimics plastic.”
Two massive chemical firms “create the constructing blocks” for a majority of these merchandise, that are usually constructed from a mixture of plant-based resin and agricultural waste, Gropper explains. Primarily, the method includes taking one thing that will be burnt or discarded and giving it a second life.
“[It’s] mainly taking plant starch and turning it right into a polymer that mimics plastic,” Gropper says. “That mixture is what provides you a product that may maintain as much as a traditional plastic product, however then break down in a 90-day interval and be licensed by unbiased our bodies as compostable.”
Within the U.S., merchandise should endure third-party certification, full with a soil check and microplastic and toxin hint evaluation, to obtain the “compostable” designation.
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Gropper’s analysis led her to a Taiwan-based group ”that was sort of main the cost globally in alternate options to single-use plastic.” The group had already been manufacturing merchandise that carried out nicely at a very good value level; it appeared like a chance to try client adoption at mass scale, Gropper says.
Picture Credit score: Courtesy of Repurpose
“ There was white house in all places,” Gropper says, “however what felt actually compelling was the concept of creating a brand round all these completely different merchandise, as a result of then you definately weren’t simply making one product. You were not simply making a commodity and placing it right into a system. You might be truly making a model that might lengthen into completely different product classes, that will characterize this better-for-you, better-for-the-planet model for the fashionable client.”
“ Product high quality has all the time been paramount for us.”
Gropper’s Repurpose hit the market in late 2011 and has grown significantly over the past decade-plus. Now, the model boasts eight-figure gross sales, has changed 656 million items of plastic and affords greater than 15 several types of sustainable family merchandise in 20,000 shops nationwide.
Like many founders and CEOs, Gropper acknowledges the plethora of challenges that got here with constructing her firm over time: ones that always require artistic problem-solving. There have been merchandise printed the wrong way up forward of an vital retail launch, money movement constraints that main legacy gamers do not face, conflicts to navigate amongst staff members and so many extra.
Picture Credit score: Courtesy of Repurpose
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In accordance with Gropper, being agile sufficient to beat these obstacles as they come up has been key to Repurpose’s growth and success — as has an unwavering dedication to the model’s product high quality.
“ Product high quality has all the time been paramount for us,” Gropper says. “However at a value level that is accessible. [We want this product to be] obtainable to all People. [And also] as sustainable as doable. In case you can ship on these three issues on the similar time, you may be profitable. And that’s what we have achieved.”
This text is a part of our ongoing Ladies Entrepreneur® sequence highlighting the tales, challenges and triumphs of operating a enterprise as a lady.
