Story by WRAL TechWire
When University of North Carolina senior Ana Soule was on a trip to South Africa she noticed something. People were using tents and sleeping bags that appeared to be made of heavy-duty vinyl.
“I was like, ‘Wow — that’s such an ingenious and innovative way to use this material,'” Soule said.
It turns out the material is what is used to make billboards. And because billboards change frequently, the vinyl left behind creates hundreds of thousands of pounds of waste each year.
She returned from South Africa with an idea. She wanted to find a way to use that material in Chapel Hill. She knew there really wasn’t a great need for sleeping bags so she decided to start making … other bags.
Read the full article by WRAL TechWire to learn how Soule was able to make her idea become a reality through a UNC entrepreneurship class. Her company “Phoenyx,” is creating durable and fashionable utility bags from recycled billboard material while addressing the issues of fair and accessible wages by providing employment opportunities for the homeless.
| UNC-CH