Bryan-Roach Administration helped facilitate $1.5 million grant investment supporting St. Croix company’s growth in recycling, manufacturing, and technology jobs
U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS — Governor Albert Bryan Jr. is praising St. Croix-based RePlastic Recycle LLC following the company’s selection to present at the 2026 Global Sustainable Islands Summit in Gran Canaria, Canary Islands, calling it a proud moment for the Virgin Islands and a clear sign that local innovation is gaining global attention.
RePlastic Recycle, an environmental technology and infrastructure company founded and headquartered on St. Croix, will present its work before heads of state, ministers, and environmental delegates from island and coastal nations during the April 20 to 22 summit.
Governor Bryan said the company’s selection reflects more than international recognition. It underscores the value of investing in Virgin Islands solutions to Virgin Islands challenges.
“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,” Governor Bryan said. “RePlastic Recycle is demonstrating what can happen when local ingenuity is matched with strategic support and a vision rooted in service to community.”
The company is preparing to begin local production on St. Croix of recycled plastic building materials, including interlocking blocks, dimensional lumber, pavers, and custom tiles made from plastic that would otherwise end up in the Territory’s waste stream, landfills, guts, and coastal waters.
Governor Bryan said the work is important because it addresses several needs at once by reducing waste, expanding local manufacturing, and creating practical value from a longstanding environmental challenge. He also pointed to the company’s collaboration with the Virgin Islands Waste Management Authority as part of a broader effort to modernize waste management and build local capacity.
The governor further noted RePlastic Recycle’s work with the Research and Technology Park on St. Croix to develop a makerspace and technology hub designed to cultivate local talent and create technical and manufacturing jobs.
Importantly, Governor Bryan said the Bryan-Roach Administration helped facilitate the company’s access to a $1.5 million grant investment managed by Chemonics International through the Research and Technology Park, support that has helped advance RePlastic Recycle’s development and operational buildout.
“This is not recycling for recycling’s sake,” the governor said. “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. This administration understands that bold ideas often need backing to become real and sustainable enterprises, and that is why targeted investment matters.”
Governor Bryan said RePlastic Recycle’s progress aligns with the administration’s broader focus on growing the economy through innovation, expanding opportunity for Virgin Islanders, and supporting industries that can take root and grow here at home.
“Too often, island communities are told that our only option is to ship our problems away and buy our solutions back at a premium,” Governor Bryan said. “What RePlastic Recycle is building points to a better path. It says we can solve more of our own challenges here, create more of our own value here, and give more of our people a chance to work and succeed here.”
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