The University of Idaho Argonaut

Vanity assistant manager, Meisha Dickens, puts a pair of jeans into a bin for Cotton's "Blue to Green" program, which recycles jeans to make Ultra Touch Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation for homes. The Moscow branch of Vanity has a goal of 500 jeans, the same amount it takes to insulate one household. Kate Kucharzyk/Argonaut

Vanity, a clothing store for teenage girls, has partnered with Cotton’s “Blue to Green” program, which reuses jeans to make Ultra Touch Natural Cotton Fiber Insulation for homes.

“Blue to Green” was created in 2006. It started as a student-run grassroots program to educate college-aged people about cotton and reusing materials. They were able to build 30 houses in spring of 2007, for those displaced by hurricane Katrina. It has been growing in popularity and support since then.

Each pair of jeans is broken down to its most basic fiber forms, said Sarah Daoud a senior at Washington State University and employee at Vanity. The fibers are then used to make insulation for Habitat for Humanity. The organization’s nationwide goal is to build 200 houses with this natural insulation.

Melissa Shumake, University of Idaho’s Sustainability Center’s Outreach Coordinator, said she thought the program was a great idea.

“People throw away fabric all the time and don’t even think about it. They don’t think of the alternatives,” Shumake said.

As an incentive, when a customer donates denim clothing, Vanity is offering them 25 percent off a jean purchase in their store.

To date, Vanity has received more than 60 pairs of jeans, but it takes 500 jeans to insulate one house built by Habitat for Humanity. Moscow’s Vanity has a goal of 500 jeans, to support one house in the 200 house nationwide goal. Shumake said it’s a reasonable goal.

“It may not affect everyone long term, but it will affect someone” Shumake said.

Shumake said denim insulation is safer than other types, because typical insulation has small particles that can be harmful if breathed in or if touched. She said it is a really great way to reduce waste.

“We’ll take girls jeans, guys jeans, kids jeans, colored jeans, jackets … any kind of denim,” Daoud said.

A table will be set up in the Commons for collection of jeans in exchange for coupons in early October and will continue throughout the month.
Vanity is collecting jeans up until Nov. 3. More information can be found at www.cottonfrombluetogreen.org.