Cool Trash, based in Minneapolis, MN, was born from Emma Crutcher-McGowan’s creativity, a love for colorful bits of trash, and a mission to reduce plastic waste. Within her business, Emma recycles waste plastic into unique products such as buttons, hair clips, earrings, zipper pouches, “shrine shelves”, and even “charcuterecycled” serving boards.
From a young age, Emma expressed her passion for overlooked items by snapping pictures of cute candy wrappers and plastic bags found on the streets while traveling, posting those pictures to social media with the hashtag #cooltrash. When her entrepreneurial spark ignited during the pandemic, it was a natural choice to name her business after this ritual. During this time, she materially realized what truly fulfilled her: blending creativity with environmental impact. “A lot of people took that huge shift in society and economy—sort of having a lack of control over the future—to reassess the value of their time,” Emma shared.
Emma’s technical guidance for Cool Trash came from Precious Plastic, a global initiative promoting alternative recycling systems through open-source resources such as knowledge and toolkits for starting a Precious Plastic workshop. The initiative is reevaluating plastic as a viable material for art, design, and construction. Plastic takes centuries to decompose, and only 9% (or less!) is recycled in formalized recycling systems; most ends up in landfills, waterways, or even launched into space. Emma explains, “everything that makes it [plastic] bad in a landfill makes it really great in terms of durability for design objects.”
Cool Trash started small in 2022 in Emma’s garage. In order to experiment with hard plastics, Emma modified a paper shredder to process bigger pieces of plastic into manageable sized granules. She then began melting and compressing those granules in a secondhand panini press. Through this process, Emma created small sheets that she cut into shapes to produce items such as earrings and other small accessories found on her website today.
Emma was connected to WomenVenture in 2025 for business consulting through Elevate Hennepin. With guidance from a member of our business consulting team, Emma was able to shape the vision for her business, refine her goals, and build a pitch deck she can now customize for each audience. Emma expressed “WomenVenture was the perfect entity to help me… WomenVenture offers every resource that I need help with, so it was easy to make that connection through Elevate Hennepin.”
With the help of a Waste Prevention Grant from Hennepin County, next year Emma and her business partner, Alex Stillman, will begin manufacturing larger-scale recycled plastic panels—4 by 8 feet or the size of a standard sheet of plywood. This larger scale product will allow for partnerships with artists and designers to create countertops, tabletops, interior fixtures, and design products. Within their new space, they also plan to have a showroom and even a plastic museum with vintage plastic and products made by other Precious Plastic businesses from around the world.
Emma’s advice to aspiring entrepreneurs reflects the courage and conviction that fueled her own journey. “Just do it but be prepared to take risks…If you are passionate about what it is you are doing, it will happen for you.”
WomenVenture is proud to support entrepreneurs like Emma who make a meaningful impact on our community and environment. Cool Trash has taken on the challenge of reducing plastic waste in the community by partnering with local breweries, coffee shops, liquor stores, and organizations like the University of Minnesota, HCMC, Ridwell, and the Textile Center to collect plastic and host workshops. Emma also hopes to advocate for broader recycling initiatives within Minnesota, bringing sustainable solutions to state officials.
To support this mission, visit Emma’s online store, explore the Precious Plastic website, or subscribe to the Cool Trash email list to stay up to date with information on volunteering your time to help with recycling initiatives.
Author: Autumn Lamparty, WomenVenture Grant Writer
