YOUR TRASH, OUR PLEASURE!

ABOUT THE BOUNTIFUL BAG

The Bountiful Bag is a small family-owned business located in San Marcos, CA, that was founded in 2016. Initially, our company (previously called Rossel & Company) manufactured lifestyle goods for the food and beverage industries, but is now the home of The Bountiful Bag Upcycling Program.

The Bountiful Bag was Co-Founded by Peruvian sisters Fiorella Rossel Borkert and Romina Rossel in April of 2018. The idea was inspired by their love for craft beer and their mutual interest in helping conserve the environment. Our products are upcycled from grain bags used by local breweries in the production of craft beer mainly from Southern California; banners from local music and beer festival, as well as furniture store showroom sample swatches. For linings, we use fabrics from the fashion district -aka- the fabric landfill in Downtown Los Angeles. A portion of our proceeds is donated to the San Diego Brewcycling Collaborative nonprofit organization and other environmental/community causes that we love and support.

FIORELLA ROSSEL BORKERT

Fiorella, most commonly known as “Fio”, is a multi-passionate Creative Upcycler, Product Designer, and Production & Product Development Specialist with an urge to promote plastic waste awareness by offering solutions through fashion and other innovative outlets. She is an avid craft beverage enthusiast who enjoys good eats, music and travel. After exploring different paths in the communications, fine arts and music industries, she ended up graduating with honors from FIDM in 2011 with an AA in Apparel Industry Management.

Fiorella had the chance to work for prestigious Fashion Design firms in Los Angeles gaining experience in production and manufacturing. After a few years of living the fast-paced L.A life, her and her husband Brian (a San Diego native) decided to move back home to San Diego North County. While trying to figure out her next career move, in 2015, Fiorella took a part-time job at an emerging local brewery -Iron Fist Brewing - to make extra cash, quickly turning into her full-time job. Having a previous background in hospitality in the wellness, and food & beverage industries during her twenties, Fio had always been curious about shifting into bartending, and this job opened new doors for her in the craft beer industry she already loved.

On the 31st of January 2018, while hanging out at Iron Fist after working her shift at a local merchandising company, Fio was shown an empty Weyermann bag. She immediately fell in love with the packaging design and took it home to create a couple tote bag samples using materials she already had at home. The bags were an instant hit within our craft-beer-loving community, and we had many friends interested in purchasing them right away. This was the perfect link between two industries Fiorella adored, and a fun way to upcycle a material that would otherwise end up in the landfill.

Little did she realize that this moment marked the opening of the gnarliest can of worms, profoundly altering both her and her sister's lives in unexpectedly remarkable ways.

ROMI ROSSEL

Romi Rossel, Fio’s younger sister and Co-Founder of The Bountiful Bag, brings a diverse skill set to the table. As a Photographer and Motion Graphics Artist with a background in Finance, Operations, and Marketing, Romi graduated with honors from The Art Institute of California, earning a Bachelor’s in Visual Effects and Motion Graphics.

While her initial aspirations and love for movies led her to the entertainment industry in Hollywood, Romi soon realized something crucial was missing from her professional journey. Driven by a desire to build community, volunteer for charities, and contribute to positive change, she ventured into a new path upon returning to San Diego. In 2018, parallel from the inception of The Bountiful Bag, Romi launched her own Photography & Marketing business, Romi Rossel Media, where she immersed herself in collaborations with fellow artists, makers, and nonprofit organizations, showcasing their gifts, talents and charitable endeavors.

Philanthropy had always been close to Romi's heart, and upon learning about Fio’s upcycled bags, she was inspired to combine her artistic talents with a mission to make a positive impact in our planet. Spearheading the company's Business Development and Marketing initiatives, Romi took proactive steps, proposing partnerships with both environmental nonprofits and larger corporations to further our mission. Her goal was to craft something genuinely extraordinary, aligning creativity with purpose.

Since April 2018, Fio and Romi have worked hand in hand, shaping The Bountiful Bag's product line and sustainability program. Partnering with approximately 60 breweries and organizations across the world, their brand's overarching goal is to serve as a platform for promoting sustainable practices, raising awareness, and inspiring action within our community. The sister’s vision goes beyond a fashionable product line and since 2020, they have been involved in the formation of two organizations that are changing the sustainability game in San Diego: Sustainability Is Sexy and San Diego Brewcycling Collaborative.

Both sisters have also been dedicated members of the Pink Boots Society since 2018, with Romi recently being elected San Diego’s Chapter Co-Lead for the upcoming 2024-2025 leadership term. This nonprofit actively promotes the advancement of women in the craft beverage industry - a cause that, along with sustainability, is very close to our founder’s hearts.

So many more great things to come!

BE GREEN. BE BOUNTIFUL.