One of my favorite posts on Green Talk is how to recycle your blue jeans. And apparently a big hit with the Green Talk crowd to say the least! Quick fact of how much we love our jeans. According to a 2008 article on OnEarth,
“Some 450 million pairs of jeans are sold in the United States each year — 1.5 pairs for every man, woman, and child. The average woman has eight pairs in her closet.”
Now, I can’t validate that fact but I am not surprised. If you look in your own closet. Count them. One, two, four, eight. Should I stop now? We love our jeans and the more worn the better. But what happens to them when there are holes in the wrong places, or they are just so worn out that even the grungy of people would be ashamed to wear them?
What Do I do with my Worn Out Jeans?
Well on GT’s article, “How to Recycle your Blue Jeans,” I have listed a plethora of ideas of different ways to recycle your jeans. In fact previously on Green Talk, I featured Gap when they took old jeans in exchange for a new pair during their March, 2010 sale.
Well, Gap is at it again and in continuation of their “recycle one, get one new” tradition, the GAP is offering to take your old jeans and donate them to be made into denim insulation.
And from my personal experience, I will tell you that your once loved jeans make an excellent (not to mention comfy) insulation. In fact, talk about amazing sound proofing qualities with no itch or formaldehyde added! So unlike some of the fiberglass insulations on the market.
Tell me more about Gap’s donation program.
According to Gap’s website,
“This year, the “Recycle Your Blues” campaign collected more than 270,000 units of denim, which will be used to create fiber insulation for more than 540 homes.
The donated denim was given “new life” by being converted into UltraTouch™ housing insulation, in partnership with Cotton Incorporated’s COTTON. FROM BLUE TO GREEN.® program.
The cotton fiber insulation is donated to Habitat for Humanity affiliates in communities that have been affected by natural disaster, such as the rebuilding effort after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region.
More than 1,000 Gap stores – including GapKids and babyGap – in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico participated in the promotion, which aligned with Gap’s Spring 2010 marketing campaign for the brand’s 1969 Premium Jeans collection.”
Check out the GAP’s video about where your jeans are bound. It is a very cute video. The jeans splitting down the your rear side really brings it home when it is time to say good-bye to your blue jeans. I can so relate. Just don’t ask for specifics, people. Very embarrassing. (Can you relate?)
So what’s the Deal?
From October 6 through October 20, 2010, you can donate your jeans and receive a 30% discount on the new Gap 1969 blues. Facebook Fans get an additional 10% off.
Wish list for Gap
My wish is that Gap would offer a discount on organic jeans since it would go hand and hand with the blue jean insulation campaign. Unfortunately, I could not find any organic jeans on their online site. If you can find them, can you please link to the jeans in the comments below?
If not, Gap, please add organic jeans to the skinny, vintage, flair, boot, or whatever the cut of the week line up. I know it can be done. Ask Eileen Fisher (pricey though.) Even Walmart had some organic jeans on their website.
Do you have jeans to donate? What is the longest time you have owned a pair of jeans?
Collins Pt says
October 7, 2010 at 3:25 amGreat topic here.
Work of many people on this issue of plastic, there are several plastic materials recycling organic-based view. In February, for example, Imperial College London and bioceramic drug polymer biodegradable plastic from sugar derived from the decay of lignocellulosic biomass. There is also an existing plant more corn starch and plastics based on paper, including household goods and food packaging, bioplastics toys, plastic dynamic Cereplast. Metabolix also several lines of plastic products from corn, in cooperation with partner companies.
Alexandra Gnoske says
October 11, 2010 at 7:54 amDoes anyone know where you can recycle or donate old flip flops that maybe aren’t good enough for Good Will? Anyplace turn them into something else?
Anna@Green Talk says
October 11, 2010 at 1:54 pmAlexandra, see http://www.feelgoodz.com/2010/.....-campaign/. I have written about this amazing company. See http://www.green-talk.com/2009.....sly-happy/ Anna
Printable Coupons says
October 20, 2010 at 10:25 amThis is a great campaign. If you aren’t using them or if it doesn’t fit anymore, why not donate them. You can save a lot of space too.
MKV138 says
July 6, 2011 at 8:13 pmI know this post is old but I seem to recall Gap recently running a used jeans return program in hand with Goodwill. Does anybody know if they’re still doing that, or if Gap does these used-jeans-for-discounts promos on a regular basis?
Anna@Green Talk says
July 7, 2011 at 10:26 pmMKV, GAP used to do the discounts on a regular basis but I haven’t seen one this year. I don’t recall when they did a joint program with Goodwill. Anna