American woman turns trash into fashion: sews clothes from discarded plastic cups

In the USA, a woman creates clothing from discarded plastic cups, reports Goodnews Network.

Disposable cups, which remain in huge quantities after college parties each year, have found a new use thanks to the initiative of Lauren Choi, a graduate of the engineering department at Johns Hopkins University. She founded the New Normal Collective brand, which specializes in recycling plastic into soft sweaters and hats.

Lauren's interest in sustainable fashion appeared during her studies. After graduating in 2020, she received a grant to purchase an extruder - equipment that turns shredded plastic waste into threads. The main challenge was to make this thread soft and wearable. For this, Choi developed a safe material that changes the structure of plastic and allows for creating comfortable yarn.

The recycling process is fully organized in the USA: cups are shredded and turned into yarn in North Carolina and Virginia, and then sent to a factory in Brooklyn. There, 3D-knitting machines produce seamless whole garments, which minimizes waste and reduces the release of microplastics during washing. The brand doesn't use dyes - pastel shades are obtained from the colored cups themselves.

The brand's clothing is in high demand and often sells out within hours. Currently, Lauren is expanding the project and collaborating with large companies that are testing her yarn for durability. The cost of products made from recycled cups ranges from 45 to 85 dollars.