The New Norm: Upcycling Plastic Cups into Sustainable Textiles
Lauren Choi, a Johns Hopkins engineering student, founded The New Norm with a mission to transform red Solo cups into wearable textiles. In 2019, she led a team to build an extruder capable of spinning post-consumer plastic into textile filaments, collecting thousands of cups through campus fraternities. Development of a wearable textile formula was aided by a weaving class at a Baltimore maker space and collaborations with Gaston College's Textile Technology Center and the NC Polymers Center.
The New Norm released its first direct-to-consumer collection in late 2023, which utilized about 5,000 upcycled cups and sold out within two months. Production involves sourcing yarn from North Carolina and Virginia, with Brooklyn-based 3D knitting facilities creating sweatshirts and beanies priced between $45 and $85. The yarn hues are influenced by the cups' original colors—pink, blue, and green. These continuous filaments help reduce shedding compared to traditional fibers.
Currently maintaining a small team ranging from 3 to 25 employees, Choi recently moved to Boston to pursue an MBA at MIT. The company is exploring business-to-business pilot programs with large brands to scale their sustainable material. The sustainable textile market is valued at $29.5 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $71 billion by 2031.
Amid global plastic production having increased 200-fold since 1950, with less than 10% recycled and around 8 billion tons of plastic pollution, upcycling offers a practical approach to mitigating plastic waste. Additionally, three chemicals linked to plastic production contribute to up to $1.5 trillion in annual health costs. The New Norm aims to address these challenges by scaling its innovative textile material for major brands, promoting sustainability and reducing environmental impact.
