In the fashion and auto industries, recycling water bottles into ballgowns or car parts is the latest trend to follow the push to reuse paper, plastic and electronics.
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When the actress Emma Watson stepped onto the red carpet in a gown made of repurposed water bottles at the Met Gala in early May, she established both the versatility and the durability of a new trend in recycling.
More than half a million water bottles from five General Motors facilities are getting a second life as the company seeks out more sustainable ways to manufacture products and contribute to communities. What started as an idea about five years ago has evolved into a robust supply “web” that produces three fleece-like materials that benefit products, plants and people.
Just because it is hot outside doesn’t mean Veronika Scott’s Empowerment Plan team isn’t thinking about the cold weather. The nonprofit operation produces winter coats year-round that transform into sleeping bags for the homeless. And GM’s scrap vehicle sound-absorption material continues to be the source of insulation.
General Motors is supporting an effort to re-purpose scrap vehicle material into clothing for the homeless. Leftover sound absorbing material from the production of Chevrolet Malibu’s and Buick Verano’s is being used to create self-heated, waterproof coats that double as sleeping bags. The bad weather gear is the vision of a Detroit humanitarian, Veronika Scott, whose Empowerment Plan program works with GM for the source material.
