Local Economies

TheRogerieOutside

What Can You Do with Used Plastic and 3D Printers? Meet Two Pros.

Brayden and Angela Rogers figured out which plastic waste can be made into home goods, and how.

By: Marissa Tiel

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The Victoria Man with a Plan for Your Old Sofa

Meet Elwyn Thom, the 23-year-old founder of Recertified Furniture.

By: Josh Kozelj

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MomentEnergyFounders

Old but Full of Energy: Giving EV Batteries a Second Life

How Moment Energy harvests and puts to work batteries from worn-out electric cars.

By: Josh Kozelj

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ChopValue employee Ben Robert sands a board made from various chopstick tiles. Once the tiles are produced, items like cutting boards, tables and doors are made using typical woodworking practices. Photo for The Tyee by Grace Kennedy.

Got Used Chopsticks? Those Could Become a New Cutting Board

Fast-expanding ChopValue turns millions of disposable utensils into sustainable products.

By: Grace Kennedy

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Designing a Regenerative Economy Starts with Creativity. And Doughnuts.

Renegade economist Kate Raworth’s bestselling 2017 book, Doughnut Economics, ignited a global movement. A groundbreaking report last month from the California Doughnut Economics Coalition places the state as a U.S. leader for addressing social and ecological priorities.

By: Nicholas Triolo

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The Pandemic Left Her Reeling. So She Turned to Growing Flowers.

See how a frontline medical worker found new life in farming and selling pesticide-free blossoms.

By: Josh Kozelj and Quinn Kelly

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She Learned to Make Wine Without Cutting Down Trees

White oaks once ruled the now vineyard-blanketed Willamette Valley. Maggie Harrison shows they don’t have to be sacrificed to grapes.

By: Hannah Wallace

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She Changes Diapers. Into Climate-Friendly Biochar.

Billions of disposable diapers end up in North American landfills yearly. Carrie Pollak’s firm is trying better ways.

By: Andrew Engelson

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How One Tribe’s “Flower House” is Re-seeding Oregon with Native Plants

The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde is learning new ways to grow native plants for public and private lands.

By: Jamie Hale, The Oregonian / OregonLive

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LED lighting is the key to vertical farming, allowing growers to get the ‘right wavelength of light’ for optimal growing conditions ‘at pretty low energy costs.’ Photo via UP Vertical Farms.

Moving Farming Inside and Up

This BC-based vertical farm is growing fast. One reason: tariff and sovereignty threats to Canada.

By: Josh Kozelj

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