Goodbye cotton socks, hello eco-friendly recycled plastic bottle socks

Christchurch students are putting their best foot forward with a school project which they believe can save the planet.

The Sock Exchange's eco-friendly repreve socks, the only socks in the country to be made from the environmentally-friendly fabric, will soon be on Christchurch retailers' shelves.

The Sock Exchange, run by year 13 St Andrew's College students Liam Rassie, James Young, Jaymin Stirling and Mackenzie Cox, was started as a business studies class project for the Lion Foundation's Young Enterprise Scheme in February.

The socks are made from repreve fibres, which are created from 100 per cent recycled plastic bottles. One pair of socks is made from five plastic bottles, Rassie, the team leader, said.

"Something as simple as a plastic bottle can make a difference," he said.

Used for different clothing items by Kathmandu, Adidas or Roxy brands, Rassie said his team were the first in the country to use repreve fibres to manufacture socks.

Rassie and Young spent a day at the Norsewear sock factory last month learning about the industry and how to make the socks.

Norsewear general manager Steve Culevski said he was "blown away" by the students' "ingenuity and creativity".

"Here they are in school starting their own companies, doing the designs, making something different and environmentally-sustainable.

"They could be the next Ice Breaker boys, who knows?"

The students' business studies teacher Steve Aldhamland said some students were just "ticking boxes" with the business assignment, but not these students.

"These students want to do something that's innovative and sustainable. The reason they've got so far is they're really tenacious."

Source: https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/94147071/goodbye-cotton-socks-hello-ecofriendly-recycled-plastic-bottle-socks