During lockdown, Claire Ring found herself staring at a mountain of plastic pill bottles in her recycling bin. Instead of tossing them out, she turned them into stylish sunglasses that help solve America's plastic waste problem, One Earth reported.
The Cocoplum founder grew up in St. Louis, Missouri, with a mom who chose paper bags over plastic, teaching her early lessons about waste and responsibility. Those childhood moments would later spark a business that transforms medical waste into fashionable eyewear.
Moving to the Bay Area with her newborn daughter during the coronavirus pandemic gave Claire ample time to think about the plastic piling up around her home. She suspected most recycling doesn't get recycled, and she was right.
Her process is simple but works brilliantly: Gather bottles, clean them, break them down, heat the material, and form new frames. Claire uses injection molding to shape the heated plastic — which is made of nearly all recycled pill bottles with a small amount of color added — into bold sunglasses that look good.
When your Cocoplum shades wear out, you can return them to be recycled into new frames. Customers even get a discount on their next pair when they participate in the circular process.
Claire spent six months trying to name her venture before landing on Cocoplum. This tropical beach plant captures the sunshine and sustainability vibe she wanted.
Starting the company meant learning everything from scratch. Claire acknowledges she had no background in manufacturing, recycling, or eyewear design when she began. Her garage-based melting dreams quickly met reality, but she adapted by partnering with professional manufacturers.
Up to 40% of clothing items and accessories never sell. Most sunglasses today are designed for short-term use, adding to landfill overflow.
Claire's circular model offers a different path. When customers return their worn-out frames, Cocoplum recycles them into new sunglasses. This approach counters fast fashion waste by keeping materials in use instead of sending them to dumps.
Local drop-off locations and individual customers who mail in used bottles help Cocoplum divert pill bottles from landfills. The company proves that recycled materials can be both functional and beautiful.
TCD Picks » Upway Spotlight
💡Upway makes it easy to find discounts of up to 60% on premium e-bike brands
"I want Cocoplum to show that recycled materials work — and that they can look really good doing it. This is just one small piece of what's possible," Claire said.
|
Which of these factors would most effectively motivate you to recycle old clothes and electronics?
Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. |
Giving me money back 💰 
Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Cool Picks
