Minor annoyances and negative situations can sometimes be transformed into global solutions. Furthermore, many forward-thinking approaches and innovative concepts are derived from unlikely sources. However, the notion of these two scenarios coming together in the same space is rare, to say the least. Nevertheless, that is precisely what Recircle Brands, founded by former Air Force Captain Jack Licata, has done as he rolls out the Bagups solution.
Let’s face it, nobody loves changing the trash. It’s messy, smelly, and all-around annoying, mainly when your trash bags are in another spot in the kitchen or, worse, another room. Of course, you’re probably wondering what this minor inconvenience has to do with Jack Licata. When Licata was in the Air Force working as a nuclear missile launch officer, he was tasked one day a month with changing the trash in the office at the end of the day. Like all of us, the chore was not a source of excitement. To make the situation more annoying, Licata would have to walk down the long hall and back just to change the bags, knowing that there had to be a better way. However, since there was no better way, he took it upon himself to invent. This is where the idea for Bagups was born.
The product works like this; simply drop a box of Bagups into your garbage can, and when you pull up the trash bag to change it, the next bag is already there. No more looking under the sink for a new bag and no more shaking and fluffing out the air. It is a simple yet innovative solution to an everyday inconvenience. However, now you are likely wondering how this minor annoyance and its revolutionary solution is tackling a worldwide issue. The truth is that — just like no one wants to change the trash — no one likes plastic that sticks around the planet for thousands of years. No one loves adding to their carbon footprint. And here in America, no one likes seeing homeless, unemployed veterans struggling with disabilities alongside the seemingly never-ending loss of manufacturing jobs across the country. This is where Recircle Brands, owners of Bagups, are genuinely making a notable difference.
With Bagups, each bag is 100% biodegradable and shipped directly to your home or office via the US Post Office. The product is sent directly to you minus any extra packaging materials such as foam peanuts or bubble wrap and fully sealed in entirely recyclable cardboard containers. The materials used by Recircle Brands and their shipping methods add no additional carbon footprint. To take their conscious efforts one step further, Recircle Brands exclusively employs veterans and people with disabilities for the assembly, product picking, and packaging. Of course, every package is made right here in the USA, and Recircle Brands is also a preferred vendor for the VA hospital system. On top of all that, they have a commercial size that’s made from stone and reduces 6.52 lbs of CO2 for every 2.2 lbs of plastic used.
In all, trash is an immense problem worldwide. And while it may be reduced, plastic is an essential product that is not going away anytime soon. These truths make the need for products such as Bagups necessary for our future and the future health of our planet. The conscious efforts and the Recircle Brands name have not gone unnoticed as they have acquired such prestigious awards as the New Jersey Biz Award for Veterans and Business, New Jersey’s Best Green Product Award, Best New Green Product winner at Chicago Housewares Show, Best New Green Product winner at New York Restaurant Show, as well as City and State New York winner for Veterans In Business still making a difference. It is certainly encouraging to know the recognition that Bagups and Recircle Brands are getting, though we are far from out of the woods. Still, these steps forward go a long way toward reminding us all that by working together, we can still find solutions in even the most unlikely places.
Published by: Nelly Chavez
