When Blue Jeans Go Green

Did you know that denim can be used to insulate houses?

The Cotton. From Blue to Green Denim Drive is saving the world one pair of jeans at a time. In 2006, a grassroots student organization took off educating students about the green and renewable values of denim.  Just one year later 14,556 articles of denim had been collecting, which nearly doubled the initial estimates. The collected denim is then sent to a leader in the recycling community, compacted into 1,000 pounds of bales, sent to fiber companies so the denim could be restored to its original fiber, and then converted into natural fiber insulation which is used by Habitat for Humanity.

Cool, right?

The natural fiber cotton insulation is composed of 85% recycled fibers. It is an eco-friendly itchy free insulation that does not have harmful chemicals. It even isulates and absorbs sound up tp 30% more effectively than generic fibers.

The Cotton. From Blue to Green denim drive has collected 270,617 articles of denim; these have produced over 585,000 sq feet of natural cotton fiber insulation and are now warming 540 homes in communities in need.

The drive was such a success that they had to suspend operations for a while.

So start pulling your old jeans aside and head over to the  Cotton. From Blue to Green website for an updated listing of cities that will be having drives.  You will also be able to read up on a detailed recycling process, learn about the drive’s history, and find other ways to get involved.