Lauren Choi's The New Norm Transforms Plastic Waste into Sustainable Textile Filaments and Garments
Lauren Choi, a Johns Hopkins engineering student, founded The New Norm with the goal of turning post-consumer plastics, notably red Solo cups, into textile filaments and wearable garments. In 2019, Choi and her team built an extruder to spin plastic waste into filaments, collecting thousands of cups through campus fraternities. The company collaborated with Gaston College's Textile Technology Center and the Polymers Center NC to develop a soft, wearable knit fabric from these extruded filaments.
The New Norm released its first direct-to-consumer collection in late 2023, made from 5,000 upcycled cups, which sold out within two months. Yarn production occurs in North Carolina and Virginia, and a Brooklyn manufacturer uses 3D printers to produce sweatshirts and beanies. The garments feature colors derived from the cups themselves rather than added dyes, with prices ranging from $45 to $85. By employing 3D knitting technology, The New Norm reduces waste through knitting directly from continuous filaments without seams.
The company aims to scale operations through large-brand B2B partnerships and is currently testing yarn strength and laundering capability for broader material sales. This initiative arises amid a growing sustainable textile market valued at $29.5 billion in 2024 and projected to reach $71 billion by 2031. The environmental context includes a 200-fold increase in plastic production since 1950, with less than 10% of plastics recycled. This results in approximately 8 billion tons of pollution and up to $1.5 trillion in annual health costs from exposure to three major chemicals.
