The New Norm Pioneers Sustainable Textiles from Recycled Plastics
Lauren Choi, an engineering student at Johns Hopkins University, founded The New Norm to transform post-consumer recycled plastic into textiles. In 2019, she led a team that developed an extruder capable of spinning plastic waste into textile filaments using thousands of red Solo cups collected from campus fraternities.
With support from Gaston College’s Textile Technology Center and the Polymers Center, the team developed a wearable knit fabric by creating a custom formula for the extruder output. The New Norm launched its first direct-to-consumer collection in late 2023, utilizing 5,000 upcycled cups; this debut drop sold out within two months.
Yarn production for The New Norm occurs in North Carolina and Virginia, while knitting and garment manufacturing take place at Brooklyn-based facilities employing 3D knitting and 3D printing technologies. The products retail at prices ranging from approximately $45 to $85.
Operating with a lean team of roughly 3 to 25 employees, The New Norm is advancing pilot programs with major brands to enhance material performance and laundering techniques. The company’s product development has been supported by grant funding from Johns Hopkins, Garnier, and Reynolds Consumer Products, the parent company of Hefty.
The sustainable textile market was valued at $29.5 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $71 billion by 2031, indicating significant sector growth potential for innovative ventures like The New Norm.
