What started as a small effort to turn discarded plastic into useful products on St. Croix is now heading to the global stage.
RePlastic Recycle LLC, owned by Steve Chmura, Amy Bowler and Lacy Geddie, has been selected to present at the 2026 Global Sustainable Islands Summit in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands — an opportunity that will place the company’s island-built model for tackling plastic waste before world leaders and environmental experts.
The recognition comes as the company continues to expand its work at home, supported in part by a $1.5 million grant investment facilitated by the Bryan-Roach administration and managed by Chemonics International through the University of the Virgin Islands Research and Technology Park.
Albert Bryan Jr. described the milestone in a Government House press release as “a proud moment for the Virgin Islands,” pointing to RePlastic as an example of local innovation gaining global attention.
“When a company born on St. Croix earns the opportunity to stand before the world and offer a real solution to a problem that affects island communities everywhere, that is something the Virgin Islands should take pride in,” Bryan said in the release.
For the founders, the journey to that moment began long before the invitation.
Chmura and Bowler first came to St. Croix as traveling nurses, planning only a temporary stay. Instead, they found a home — and a problem that was impossible to ignore.
“We fell in love with the island and made it home,” Bowler said. “We wanted to do something that not only helps the environment but gives back to the community.”
Like many island communities, the territory faces persistent challenges with plastic waste, much of which ends up in landfills, guts and coastal waters. For RePlastic’s founders, the issue wasn’t just environmental — it was an opportunity to rethink how waste is valued.
“Plastic waste is seen as something to get rid of,” Chmura said. “We see it as something that can be turned into something useful for the community.”
In its early days, the company focused on transforming discarded plastics into art, furniture and everyday items, demonstrating that waste could be repurposed rather than discarded. That concept has since grown into a more advanced and scalable operation.
Today, RePlastic is working to convert plastic waste into construction materials such as interlocking blocks, dimensional lumber, pavers and custom tiles — products that can be used locally, reducing both waste and reliance on imported materials.
“We are presenting our business model and system design because we’ll be putting systems on other islands, and our global headquarters will be here in St. Croix,” Chmura said.
That model — designed specifically for island environments — is what drew the attention of Island Innovation, which invited the company to present at the summit. The event brings together government leaders and private-sector innovators from small island developing states to collaborate on climate and sustainability solutions.
Back home, the company is already expanding its reach.
Through a partnership with the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority, RePlastic will launch a new plastic collection initiative on St. Croix beginning April 27. Residents will be able to drop off clean plastics labeled #1, #2 and #5 at the Peter’s Rest Convenience Center, Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The emphasis on clean materials is critical, Geddie said, both for worker safety and for maintaining the quality of the final products.
All materials collected will be processed locally, part of a broader effort to build a circular economy within the territory — one where waste is reused rather than exported.
The company is also preparing to scale its operations with plans for a 10,000-square-foot facility at the William D. Roebuck Industrial Park. There, plastics will be sorted using an AI-powered robotic system and manufactured into building materials at a larger scale.
Beyond production, RePlastic is investing in people.
Plans are underway to develop a makerspace and technology hub in partnership with the Research and Technology Park, creating opportunities for students and residents to gain hands-on experience with advanced manufacturing systems.
The goal, the founders say, is to ensure that innovation doesn’t just happen in the Virgin Islands — but stays there.
“This is not recycling for recycling’s sake,” Bryan said in the release. “This is about taking a burden on our environment and turning it into something useful, marketable, and capable of helping build a stronger Virgin Islands.”
As RePlastic prepares to present its work on an international stage, its founders say the mission remains rooted in the same idea that started it all: solving local problems in ways that benefit the community.
