Everywhere you go you hear people talking about going GREEN. What exactly is going GREEN? Going GREEN is more than just recycling; it consists of reducing the pollution in the air, conserving resources, reducing the consumption and waste, and protecting the earth’s environment. On September 14th UK held a Big Blue Goes Green Event, were a group of environmental folks setup booths to show how we can help the environment. There were folks from the Ky Energy Club, Eco-Healthy Child Care, the Institute for Sustainable Manufacturing, and the Merchandising, Apparel and Textiles Club with their Denim Drive to name a few.
The booth that was most interesting was the MAT Club with the denim recycling drive. It was very interesting seeing how any type of denim can be made into insulation for habitat homes. In the picture above you can see where several pair of jeans have been converted into the blue block of insulation. There was also a poster board on display showing the breakdown of how 1 pair of jeans equals 2.2 lbs of cotton, 3.32 sq. ft. of insulation, and 3.4% of a wall of insulation. Last year the MAT Club helped insulate 24 homes and kept 8.5 tons of waste from the landfill by collecting denim. This campaign is a great way to help those who are less fortunate to insulate their homes and to help the environment at the same time.
16 comments:
Now that I've started learning about the denim drive, I think it's a great idea. Usually when I have old jeans that I can't sell or are too ruined to donate to GoodWill, I just throw them away. So I'm glad there's a better alternative for my jeans. I remember last year seeing all the posters around campus and misunderstanding what the MAT Club was trying to do. I immediately thought that they were asking people to donate their good jeans. Now that I've had the chance to learn about this effort, I now know that any kind of denim, no matter the condition, can be donated.
Francis Baker
The idea of recycling blue jeans to make insulation is a really cool way to reduce waste and also do some good by helping out for Habitat for Humanity. I work at Gap and last spring we actually did a blue jean drive, the company was so impressed with the turn out that we actually offered the discount for a few months after if you donated your jeans. When we remodeled our store this summer, the company too some pretty cool Go-Green initiatives. One of these was to actually use the cotton-fiber insulation made from blue jeans. It's awesome to think that a jean store is kind of made of jeans.
-Jonathan Moore
This really is an amazing accomplishment. I had no idea that jeans could be so useful for so many other things. Both the environment and the people who will be able to use these recycled materials are going to greatly benefit from this drive. The contributions that the MAT club is making choosing to participate in this cause is clearly something that is very worth while.
I had no idea that denim could be so useful! I didn't understand how old jeans could insulate a house. I love that you included facts about how old denim is used for insulation and I think it is great that we are doing what we can to help as a class. The denim drive is something that anyone can participate in so it is a great way to give back. Almost everyone has at least one pair of jeans that either don't fit or aren't in good condition anymore. This is the perfect opportunity to clear out your closet and make room for new items :)
Holly Sackett
When I first heard about the denim drive, I thought it was such a great idea and a fairly easy item to collect since everyone has old denim. I know that I have several pairs of jeans that do not fit me anymore and they are just sitting in my closet at home. Since the denim can be in any condition, I know that it will greatly increase the amount of denim collected. I think it is so amazing how 2500 pairs of jeans can insulate 5 houses and reduce a lot of waste. I am so excited to be a part of this drive this year and donate old denim to help others in need.
I think that this is a really great idea. Not only does it do so much good but it also takes very little work for people to be apart of. It's very convenient because most of us have denim that we need to get rid of and all you have to do is drop it in one of the boxes which takes the same amount of effort as throwing it away. It's especially great how much denim our school collects. We go above and beyond the requirement and help a lot more people as a result.
Before hearing about this in class and learning a little more through this blog, I had no idea that jeans were being used this way. I think this is a great idea because not only are we keeping denim out of landfills, we are also "recycling" our jeans in a way for a better environment. This new "going green" phenomenon has really been thriving and a lot of people are doing what they can to help the environment. This is something everyone can do.. you can always find some sort of denim that you don't wear anymore!
--Paige Martin
Recycling old blue jeans is a great way to help others in need. Before coming to UK, I had no idea that recycled blue jeans could help insulate houses. It's amazing to me that 10 blue jeans can insulate over 1/3 of a wall. The MAT club has come up with a creative way to clean out your closet, while helping those less fortunate at the same time. Congrats to the other clubs as well for doing their part to teach students how to help the environment.
I would have never thought that recycling denim could be put to such good use. Normally I would have just given my old pairs to Goodwill or tried selling them at consignment stores, but I like this idea a lot better. Every pair helps. From jean jackets to denim skirts, every item can be used as insulation which is a much more sufficient use for old denim instead of keeping old pairs hidden in the back of your closet. I'm proud to be a part of the club that cares for the environment in such a way and can connect it back to merchandising and retail as well. Very cool. Keep up the great work and I will do my part and bring in some of my old denim to contribute!
I first heard about the denim drive last year from one of my friends who was in MAT club. I didn't know much about it but I wanted to help. I ended up donating a pair of jeans that I no longer wore. After reading this article and hearing more information about the drive I want to help out even more than I did last year! I had no idea how much a pair of jeans could help out a family in need. This is such a great cause because it helps out the environment and families who need extra insulation in their homes. I will be going home in a week and can't wait to collect as many jeans as I can to help out this amazing cause!
-Amanda Lewis
I never knew what the denim drive was for exactly until this year in class when it was explained to me. After finding what this drive is about I think it's a great idea! I never thought old used denim could be used for insulation. Usually I just take my old denim to Plato's or Goodwill, but this year it's going to great use! I've told so many of my friends and family to help with the cause!
I thought this post was great! I love that they focused in on the MAT club's program of collecting denim! Who knew old denim could be put to such a good use! I think a lot of people are doing the "go green" initiatives as a social trend, but it is great to see that there are people really following the trend for a good cause!
EL BLUM
I think that what the members of the MAT club and other students are doing with this project is awesome! I saw things around campus last year about the jean drive but never really paid attention to it. Now that I am aware of what exactly it is and what it can do for others I will be sure to check my closet and get rid of a few items for a good cause!
Kristin Gibson
I never realized that old denim could be made into insulation for houses. I used to just throw my old jeans out whenever they were too worn to donate to goodwill. I really think that it's awesome that so much denim is saved from landfills by converting it into insulation. I'll just keep all my old jeans from now on and donate them whenever I can. I'll also spread the word to my friends and family.
Claire Oscadal
I thought this was a good post because it talked about the "Big Blue Goes Green Event" which I did not know much about. I really liked that they provided an overview of all the different organizations that were present and then went into detail about the MAT club's involvement. I think the denim drive is a creative way to pair the MAT department's focus on textiles and making a difference in the community. It is really interesting to see that everyday fabrics can be converted into insulation and used for such a great cause. I am excited to be a part of this denim drive and can't wait to see how successful it will be this year!
-Amy Mittenzwei
This post is really a fantastic post because it was so informative about the MAT clubs community outreach. It is so interesting that the club found an project that used textiles and turned them into housing materials while keeping waste from land fills. I love the fact that they got to advertise at the sustainability fair and share this with campus. I also appreciated the picture that showed how much a few items of denim can do. I can't wait to pull some denim from my closet and donate it for the cause.
-Caroline Collins
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