Your old denim could be used to rebuild a home
Just in time for America Recycles Day (Nov. 15), a student-run denim drive aims to keep textile waste out of landfills and turn old denim into insulation that’s used to build homes.
East Carolina University’s chapter of the National Retail Federation Student Association is partnering with the Blue Jeans Go Green program for the drive and is collecting denim at bins set up on campus and in the Greenville area. Blue Jeans Go Green is an organization that recycles unwanted jeans into natural, sustainable insulation that gets sent to over 30 Habitat for Humanity affiliates around the country.
The National Retail Federation Student Association at ECU collects denim in front of Dowdy Student Stores on campus. (Photo via Instagram)
“Since the program’s inception in 2006, over 2 million pieces and 1,000 tons of denim have been diverted from landfills, and over 4 million square feet of insulation has been produced – so recycling old denim truly does make a difference!” said Kazzie Zerface, spokeswoman for Cotton Incorporated, which leads the Blue Jeans Go Green program.
The recycling program works closely with Habitat for Humanity affiliates, often in areas struck by natural disasters. Zerface said the program has provided denim insulation to hurricane relief efforts in North Carolina – specifically to Lumberton after Hurricane Matthew, but hasn’t yet received requests for homes affected by Hurricane Florence.
NRFA vice president Rebecca Olsen said she heard about Blue Jeans Go Green at a conference last year and wanted to host a denim drive at ECU. Each year in the fall, the program partners with colleges and universities around the country and offers select student groups the opportunity to run and manage their own denim drive. The six schools participating this fall are ECU, University of South Carolina, California State University Long Beach, University of Washington, University of New Mexico and University of Houston.
ECU’s NRFA chapter has collected about 400 denim articles with a goal of 500, Olsen said. The drive ends Nov. 27. Through the drive, the group hopes to raise awareness about the cotton industry and sustainable retail, Olsen said.
Demin drop-off locations
Truly Yours, 403 Evans St.
Bostic Sugg Furniture, 2115 E. Fire Tower Road
Greenville Mall, 714 S.E. Greenville Blvd.
Second and third floors of Rivers Building, 1001 E. Fifth St.
Dowdy Student Stores, ECU Wright Building