Recycled Plastic Strapping Makes Roofing Easier

Rolath was conceived when a roofer in southwestern Minnesota wanted a better way to hold felt paper down during an impending storm. He got several rolls of ribbon from the local twist-tie factory and stapled it down to keep the roofing underlayment from blowing off.

Meanwhile, engineers at the factory were trying to find a use for their 6000 pounds (2722 kg) per day of waste plastic and paper. They were already making a plastic lumber product, and developed a flexible strapping for this new application. They’ve since taken out a patent on Rolath, and are selling it to roofers and builders for many different uses.