The New Norm: Turning Recycled Plastic Solo Cups into Sustainable Textiles
Lauren Choi, a Johns Hopkins engineering graduate, founded The New Norm to transform post-consumer recycled plastic into textiles, beginning with discarded red Solo cups. In 2019, she led a team to build an extruder capable of spinning plastic waste into textile filaments, collecting thousands of cups from campus fraternities to create the first fabric in a weaving class at a Baltimore maker space, which became the foundation for The New Norm.
The company’s first direct-to-consumer product line was launched in late 2023, utilizing about 5,000 upcycled cups and selling out within two months. Production involves yarn made at facilities in North Carolina and Virginia, which is then shipped to Brooklyn where innovative 3D knitting technology creates seamless sweatshirts and beanies. These products feature pink, blue, and green hues derived from the cups and are priced between $45 and $85.
Choi has received grant funding from Johns Hopkins, Garnier, and Reynolds Consumer Products, parent company of Hefty, to develop a plug-and-play textile formula. Collaborations with Gaston College’s Textile Technology Center and the Polymers Center in North Carolina have supported the development process. The company operates with a lean team ranging from 3 to 25 employees. Choi, now residing in Boston pursuing an MIT MBA, is piloting projects with large brands to scale production and distribute the material on a larger scale.
The sustainable textile market is growing rapidly, valued at approximately $29.5 billion in 2024 and projected to reach $71 billion by 2031. This innovation responds to the global plastics crisis, where plastic production has increased about 200 times since 1950, with less than 10% recycled, resulting in roughly 8 billion tons of plastic pollution worldwide and up to $1.5 trillion in annual health costs due to chemical exposure.
The use of continuous filaments in the yarn reduces microplastic shedding compared with traditional spun fibers, enhancing the environmental benefits of the product.
