About Us

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Originally part of Precycle NZ, a waste consultancy based in Palmerston North, ReFib is now a dedicated subsidiary focused on transforming low-value waste fiber into high-value products to reduce waste and emissions. Founded by Nelson Harper in 2021, ReFib was born from Nelson's observation of the vast amounts of waste paper towels being sent to landfills without any further use. He developed the initial prototype of what would become the ReFib plug, envisioning a way to repurpose this abundant resource.

Paper towels are commonly used in gyms, schools, office buildings, and other facilities for short-term purposes such as drying hands, after which they are discarded and sent to landfills. Recognizing the potential for these materials to be repurposed, Nelson brought Caleb Payne on board to undertake a Master’s project at Massey University. Caleb's research, prototyping, and testing against key criteria were instrumental in advancing the prototype.

Following the Master’s project, Caleb joined the team as Co-Founder, and the ReFib product has continued to evolve. Over the years, the project has garnered several awards, including winner of Grand Ideas 2022, Winner of Innovate 2022, finalist in Sustainable Business Awards and Impact Awards, and participated in the Creative HQ startup accelerator in Wellington. We are currently validating our market and testing results with commercial growers and greenhouses to trial our product as we prepare to enter the market.

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