Student’s business powered by recyclable phone cases

By Will Anton, Transcript Correspondent

A freshman at Ohio Wesleyan University is turning heads
with a new recyclable phone case, which is only the start to
his brilliant ideas.

Jack Foley, a freshman at OWU, is trying to change the
way people protect their phones with a special twist to it.
He has created a phone case that is entirely made out of
recycled plastic from the streets of Haiti. ReYuze is the
company’s name, and it focuses on transforming recycled
plastic into phone cases. Foley originally thought of the idea
after making fun of his sister for constantly changing her
phone case.

Foley grew up around the Chesapeake area in Baltimore,
MD, and was always surrounded by water. Foley has always
been passionate about the environment, and this product
could decrease the waste in oceans around the world. The
recycled plastic Foley uses come from a small town in Haiti,
named Menelas. Every time it rains, the Haitian people must
evacuate to high ground because the streets flood with all
types of garbage. This is the main location where the plastic
is gathered before it is taken to a collection bank, which
eventually sends it to the manufacturer of the phone cases in
Maryland.

One of Foley’s long term goals is to expand the business by making more high quality phone cases and helping the people of Haiti. Foley stated that he “wants to save the
world one case at a time.”

Out of the many trash filled locations around the globe,
Foley selected Haiti because of its corrupt government
which does not prioritize cleaning the streets. Foley wanted
to make an impact. Another benefit of the company is that it
is giving jobs to Haitians and Americans.

Foley donates a dollar of every sale to the First Mile Coalition, which is the top charity in Menelas, whose mission is to educate Haitians about child labor and poverty.

Junior Lucas Smith has been using the ReYuze case for
several weeks.

“I always drop my phone, and I was worried about cracking another one. I love the feeling of the case in my hand, and it has done the job protecting my phone,” Smith said.
“There is also a place to store my cards and OWU ID. I plan
on buying another one soon.”

ReYuze has earned some great reviews and is on the
rise. Foley’s ReYuze phone cases cost only $10, and they
are available for the IPhone 6, 6s, 7, and 8. His next idea is
to make the case a “lifeproof version,” or even expand his
products beyond phone cases.

Foley has an office in the new Delaware Entrepreneurial
Center at Ohio Wesleyan University. His main goal is to
make a real impact on the amount of plastic that enters the
oceans. He also wants to stop the “garbage patches,” which
can get as large as the state of Texas.

Ohio Wesleyan, City of Delaware and Delaware County Show Collaboration with Entrepreneurial Ideas

By Kienan O’Doherty, Editor-In-Chief

A new chapter for the future has already been written for Ohio Wesleyan, the city of Delaware and Delaware County with the latest grand opening.

The Delaware Entrepreneurial Center at Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) opened its doors for the first time to the public with a special ribbon-cutting ceremony. The center, which takes the place of the old Stewart Annex, was completely remodeled to provide a home for those that are looking to venture into the business world.

With an industrial and modern theme, the center includes two floors filled with offices, open presentation floors, and small rooms where people can brainstorm and expand on ideas.

One of those offices already has an occupant. Jack Foley ’22 is the founder of ReYuze Cases, a company that creates and sells cellphone cases made of plastic recycled from the streets, canals, and landfills of Haiti. He believes that the opening of the center provides a bright light for students seeking entrepreneurship.

“A lot of students can get internships with companies here, like myself,” Foley said. “For any student at OWU that has a business idea, it allows them to collaborate with not only people in Delaware, but also via the OWU Connection, and this building represents that. It’s connecting OWU students with the community and entrepreneurial spirit.”

The center also featured many other student-founded businesses throughout the center, including Sweet Lizabella’s, a toffee company founded by Elizabeth Knowlton ’19, which prides itself on using four ingredients.

During the ribbon-cutting ceremony, OWU President Rock Jones stated that the opening of the center is the first of its kind in the nation.

“We are not aware of another place in the country where city, county and university have come together on the university campus to do what’s happening here,” Jones said. “That is extraordinary, and it’s a reminder of the good fortune we all have to live in a community where the town and the county and university collaborate with one another, value one another, and want to create experiences with one another.”

The Delaware Entrepreneurial Center also provides a hub for residents as well, as City of Delaware Mayor Carolyn Kay Riggle sees more possibilities.

“Unfortunately, Delaware has been a bedroom community for quite a while,” Riggle said. “I would love to see more businesses stay here so that you’ll live here, [but] also work here and play here, so that we can offer everything, and I think this entrepreneurial center provides that opportunity.”