Arts Thread

For my thesis project, I developed a sustainable yarn called "New Nature" through a proprietary process focused on upcycling discarded low-density polyethylene. LDPE is often used in single-use plastic products such as garbage bags. It is soft, stretchy, and both water & air-proof, qualities with dire environmental consequences that can conversely become advantageous when the material is upcycled into textiles. The textiles that I create using New Nature yarns are durable, easy to clean, comfortable, versatile, and malleable. In this circular system, used plastic bags are collected and spun in an energy-efficient process that drastically reduces secondary pollution. While the tools used are engineered specifically for this procedure, the techniques used are inspired by traditional yarn and textile-making crafts. This monofilament yarn is available in a wide range of plies and gauges, allowing it to be knit, woven, sewn, embroidered, crocheted, and made into lace by hand or machine. The waste and off-cuts from this process are heat pressed into sheets and used to produce sequins, beads, and other embellishments. My mission as a designer and maker is to contribute to a sustainable planet and challenge the disposal of single-use plastics. I see potential in the things destined for landfills, dumpster diving to reveal unseen potential by turning trash into treasures.