Today we’d like to introduce you to Christi Silbaugh.
Hi Christi, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Our story began with a simple but urgent question: what if the things Grenada throws away could become the foundation for something beautiful, useful, and life-changing?
Upcycle Grenada started as a vision shared by myself and my partner, Charles Murray Booysen, to create a self-sustainable community built from recycled and repurposed materials. Living in Grenada, we saw two needs happening side by side: growing waste challenges, especially plastics and construction debris, and a need for more affordable, climate-resilient spaces for families, youth, and communities. Instead of seeing those issues separately, we began imagining a solution that connected them.
Our initiative is rooted in Earthship, cob, and circular-economy building concepts — using bottles, tires, plastics, natural materials, and discarded resources to create structures that are environmentally responsible, affordable, and resilient in the face of climate change. What began as an idea for one sustainable community has grown into a broader mission: to divert waste from landfills and oceans, train local youth and artisans in green building skills, create community education programs, and eventually develop a model that can be replicated across Grenada and the wider Caribbean.
We legally established Upcycle Grenada in 2025 and have been building the foundation ever since — developing partnerships, applying for grants, creating project designs, conducting workshops, and introducing children, women, and community members to hands-on upcycling. One of our most meaningful moments so far was hosting a plastic upcycling workshop where local children and women learned how waste can be transformed into something useful and creative. That experience reminded us that this initiative is not just about buildings — it is about changing mindsets, creating opportunity, and helping people see value where society often sees waste.
Today, Upcycle Grenada is growing into a climate resilience and circular economy initiative focused on sustainable housing, community education, waste diversion, eco-building, youth training, and regenerative community development. We are still at the beginning, but every step has brought more clarity, more support, and more urgency. Our goal is to help Grenada become a Caribbean leader in sustainable, community-driven development — proving that even the most overlooked materials can be part of building a stronger, greener future.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, it definitely has not been a smooth road — but the challenges have shaped the heart of Upcycle Grenada.
One of the biggest struggles has been starting something this ambitious with limited resources. Upcycle Grenada is not just one project; it is a vision that combines waste reduction, sustainable building, affordable housing, youth training, climate resilience, and community development. Building that kind of foundation takes time, funding, partnerships, land access, technical support, and a lot of persistence.
Another challenge has been helping people understand that “waste” can actually be a resource. When you are talking about building with recycled bottles, tires, plastics, natural materials, and repurposed items, not everyone immediately sees the potential. Part of our work has been education — showing people that these materials can be transformed into something safe, beautiful, useful, and environmentally responsible.
Funding has also been a major hurdle. As a newer organization, we have applied for many opportunities and have faced rejection along the way. Some grants require years of operational history, and others are extremely competitive. But each application has helped us clarify our model, strengthen our documentation, and build a stronger case for why this work matters.
There have also been the personal challenges that come with launching a nonprofit from the ground up — the long hours, the uncertainty, the emotional weight of believing deeply in something before the world fully sees it. But we have kept going because the need is real. Grenada, like many island nations, faces serious challenges around waste, climate vulnerability, housing affordability, and economic opportunity. Those challenges are exactly why Upcycle Grenada exists.
So no, the road has not been smooth. But every obstacle has confirmed that this work is necessary. We are learning, growing, building relationships, and continuing to move forward one step at a time.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Upcycle Grenada USA is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization created to support the mission of Upcycle Grenada: transforming waste into opportunity through sustainable building, circular economy education, climate resilience, and community development.
At our core, we believe that discarded materials can become the foundation for something powerful. Our work supports the development of sustainable, self-sufficient community models in Grenada using recycled, repurposed, and natural materials. The larger vision includes eco-building, affordable and climate-resilient housing concepts, youth and artisan training, waste-diversion education, plastic upcycling, community workshops, and eventually regenerative spaces that demonstrate what is possible when people rethink waste.
What we specialize in is connecting environmental action with real community benefit. We are not only focused on cleaning up waste or recycling materials; we are focused on turning those materials into tools for education, housing, jobs, creativity, resilience, and long-term sustainability. Our model is rooted in circular-economy principles, meaning we look at what already exists — plastic, bottles, tires, construction debris, natural materials, and other discarded resources — and ask how those materials can be reused to serve people and the planet.
What sets Upcycle Grenada USA apart is that we are building a bridge between communities in the United States and climate-vulnerable island communities in the Caribbean. Many people want to support meaningful environmental work but do not always know where their contribution can make a visible difference. Through Upcycle Grenada USA, donors, partners, volunteers, and supporters can help fund practical, hands-on projects that address waste, housing, education, and climate resilience at the community level.
Brand-wise, we are most proud that Upcycle Grenada represents hope, innovation, and possibility. Our brand is not just about sustainability as a concept — it is about showing people that transformation is possible. Waste can be transformed into building materials. Young people can be transformed into skilled environmental leaders. Communities can be transformed through education, creativity, and access to practical solutions. Even small beginnings can grow into something that creates lasting impact.
We want readers to know that Upcycle Grenada USA is still growing, but the mission is bold and deeply rooted in purpose. We are here to support a future where island communities are more resilient, waste is seen as a resource, and sustainable living is not a luxury — it is something communities can build together. Our work is about more than recycling. It is about reimagining what is possible and creating a model of community-led sustainability that can inspire change far beyond Grenada.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I think risk is part of building anything meaningful. For me, risk is not about being reckless — it is about being willing to believe in something before there is proof that it will work, and being willing to keep going even when the outcome is uncertain.
Upcycle Grenada USA represents one of the biggest risks I have ever taken. I am truly risking everything I have to build this organization and support the larger mission in Grenada. This has meant investing my time, energy, personal resources, savings, relationships, and emotional strength into something that is still growing. There is no guaranteed paycheck, no easy roadmap, and no promise that every grant, donor, or partnership will come through. But I believe deeply that the work is worth it.
The risk is not just financial. It is personal. When you are building a nonprofit from the ground up, especially one connected to climate resilience, waste reduction, affordable housing, and community development, you are constantly asking people to believe in a vision that does not fully exist yet. That takes courage. You have to be willing to explain it over and over, face rejection, learn from setbacks, and still show up the next day with the same passion.
I do consider myself a risk-taker, but not because I chase risk. I take risks when the purpose is bigger than the fear. With Upcycle Grenada USA, the risk feels necessary because the need is real. Island communities like Grenada are facing urgent challenges around waste, climate vulnerability, housing, and economic opportunity. If we wait until everything is perfectly funded, perfectly understood, or perfectly safe, we may miss the chance to create real change.
What I have learned is that risk becomes easier to carry when it is connected to service. I am not doing this just to build an organization; I am doing it because I believe waste can become shelter, education can become opportunity, and communities can become more resilient when people are willing to think differently.
So yes, I am risking a lot — in many ways, all I have. But I see it as an investment in a future I believe in. And even though the road is uncertain, I would rather take the risk of trying to create something meaningful than live with the regret of never trying at all.
Pricing:
- General donations: Any amount helps support Upcycle Grenada’s mission of waste reduction, sustainable building, education, and climate resilience.
- Workshop sponsorships: Support hands-on community workshops focused on plastic upcycling, recycling education, eco-building, youth training, and circular economy skills.
- Project sponsorships: Businesses, organizations, and individual donors can sponsor specific project areas such as sustainable housing prototypes, community garden systems, upcycled building materials, tools, equipment, or training programs.
- Corporate partnerships: We welcome mission-aligned businesses that want to support environmental impact, circular economy development, climate resilience, youth education, and community-led sustainability.
- In-kind donations: We also value donated materials, tools, equipment, professional services, construction support, transportation assistance, marketing help, and technical expertise.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://upcyclegrenadainc.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/upcyclegrenada
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/UpcycleGrenada
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@UpcycleGrenada
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@upcyclegrenada
