When 17-year-old Morghan Roselle learned of an Indonesian manufacturer that was creating bags out of plastic found on the country’s beaches, it planted a seed. “Indonesia is one of the most polluted countries,” she says. “It’s a great idea to make [the trash] into fashionable bags.” The high-schooler, who grew up in Bali and moved to Michigan last year, connected with the manufacturer and, by September 2019, she’d launched a line of eco-friendly bags called Tropibags.
With help from her mother — who is still in Bali — Roselle collaborates with Amy Menzer, the half-sister she lives with in South Lyon. Together, they come up with design ideas and work with the manufacturer, which uses recycled plastic strips to hand-weave Tropibags’ pieces.
The bags are now carried in Détroit Is the New Black, and the women are looking ahead. Plans to contribute part of their proceeds to charity and new products, which Menzer says will embrace “the recycled nature of things,” are on the horizon.
Visit tropibags.com for more information.
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