'Buy-in from large brands is key for Lauren Choi, founder of The New Norm, which transforms plastics into sustainable yarns and fabrics. “I find that people are really cognisant of sustainability, but there’s an awareness versus implementation gap,” she says... '

'Every college student is familiar with the red party cup. For most, the plastic containers conjure up images of  parties, but when Lauren Choi spots one around campus, she thinks of something else entirely...'

'Reynolds Consumer Products (Nasdaq: REYN), the manufacturer of the iconic red Hefty® Party Cup, is taking a significant step towards sustainability by supporting The New Norm...'

'This initiative awarded grants up to $50,000 to women entrepreneurs leading tech or tech-enabled small businesses...'

'The New Norm transforms red party cups and ocean plastics into novel recycled fiber blends—giving new purpose to plastics that are not typically accepted in our recycling system...'

'Choi contacted Gaston College’s Textile Technology Center (TTC) and the Catawba Valley Community College Manufacturing Solutions Center (MSC). Together, they worked with The Polymer Center of Excellence, a polymer lab in Charlotte, N.C., to conduct testing...'