Kelowna students received big bucks from Dragons' Den

It was a surreal moment for a group of Rutland Secondary students when a pair of Dragons offered them $60,000.

Despite travelling to Toronto last May, Operation Take Two's Dragons' Den episode was broadcast Thursday night, so their secret is finally out.

“It was amazing. We were freaking out for the rest of the trip,” Ashley Ciardullo said Friday. “We really realized that what we're doing is making a difference, and we're finally able to get this going.”

Aaliyah Charles, Keneisha Charles, Theresa Schwab and Ciardullo pitched their plastic waste reduction enterprise called Operation Take Two, seeking $30,000 for a 25 per cent share in the venture.

The operation takes a variety of single-use plastics and breaks them down into small flakes that can be turned into new products like tiles, planters and even Christmas decorations.

Instead of investing, Okanagan entrepreneurs Jim Treliving and Lane Merrifield each donated $15,000 through their respective charities. GoodSpark Desjardins matched the donation, resulting in a total $60,000 boost for the company. 

“We are planning to get a new machine so we can expand our product range for our work space and we are also going to be franchising into another school in B.C. to create Operation Take Two 2.0,” said member Gurnoor Chawla.

She says student interest in the program has increased since their TV debut.

“It's really empowering them to rethink their waste,” Chawla said. “It's nice to see all of them being so supportive of Operation Take Two, and I've gotten lots of people asking about meetings and volunteering.”

Students at other B.C. schools who are interested in setting up a similar operations can apply for a franchising opportunity in the coming months on Operation Take Two's website.