On the Cutting Edge: Thomas and the Tape of Transformation
In a bustling cabinet-making shop filled with the hums and buzzes of machinery, rows upon rows of intensely colourful edge tapes sit idle, stacked up to the rafters. Once essential to countless projects, these reels of edge tape have been gradually relegated to the cold, forgotten corners of the workshop, patiently awaiting a day they may be called upon once again.
This phenomenon, common in cabinet making shops worldwide, caught the keen eye of Thomas, an experienced cabinet maker. He watched as excessive waste built up, embodying both disregarded materials and dollar signs. “It will be useful one day,” people often told him. Thomas, however, knew that this day typically never came, resulting in the unwanted edge tapes being tossed into the bin, contributing to the problem of landfill and presenting an unnecessary disposal cost. Thomas saw an opportunity within this seemingly unending cycle. That’s when RejigBits, an innovative, environmentally conscious business model was born.
RejigBits is not a traditional cabinet-making shop. It’s an online marketplace designed to save cabinet makers from the burden of unnecessary waste. After seeing a forever recurring post in the 13,000 strong Cabinet Makers Australia Facebook page, with posters often desperately trying to request if another cabbie has spare unused amount of a certain colour edge tape (“Does anyone have 10m of Ultra White Gloss….please!?), Thomas figured he’d create a solution. RejigBits allows shops to sell their unused edge tape to others who need that specific color. Businesses can list their unwanted edge tape or dive into the marketplace to find a match for their current project.
This entrepreneurial venture addresses a very specific need within the industry. Too often, a job may require just a touch more edge tape than what’s on hand, forcing the cabinet maker to order a new, larger roll. This invariably contributes to the cycle of waste. With RejigBits, cabinet makers can now easily access a market place of reduced-price edging across a plethora of colours instead of having to place an order for a new roll of edging which isn’t going to get fully used.
Despite this brilliant solution to curb waste and costs, Thomas is not stopping here. The innovative mind behind RejigBits sees potential for expansion both across industries and international borders. The construction industry, for instance, sees an intense waste of cement bags that end up in skip bins once a job is complete.
Another pressing issue that Thomas aims to resolve is the handling and disposal of MDF and particleboard dust generated from CNC machining boards. The process of disposal is not only costly but also brings in environmental issues related to formaldehyde contamination, flagged by the National Cancer Institute as a cancer causing substance at high volumes. With some businesses generating up to two 1.5m 2 bins of dust a week, this issue is an ecological timebomb waiting to explode. Thomas is currently developing an innovative solution to keep this dust out of landfills while removing the burden of disposal from the cabinet makers.
RejigBits is a testament to the power of innovation in transforming a long-standing problem into an entrepreneurial opportunity. Keep an eye on this pioneering venture, with exciting developments on the horizon.
Thomas: a Legend of the Trade!
Follow the links below to learn more about RejigBits and their unique solution:
