Recycle, Reuse and Wear
Students at GCSU show their support for conserving the environment through riding their bikes, recycling their garbage and wearing environmentally friendly clothing. Freshman art major Russell Huffman thinks that fashion going green is a great way to help conserve. To contribute to the cause Huffman bought a recycled Coca-Cola bottle T-shirt at his last visit to the World of Coke.
“I think conserving the environment is important and clothing is a tangible way to do so,” Huffman said. “My shirt is made entirely out of recycled Coke bottles, on the front it says ‘Rock your rubbish’ and on the back it has a picture of a coke bottle with a recycle arrow around it.”
The ‘Drink2Wear’ campaign started in 2007 by Coke to promote sustainability. The shirts are made of a combination of cotton and recycled plastic bottles. In 2008, the line expanded to include hats, tote bags and loungewear. Along with Huffman’s “Rock your rubbish” shirt, Coke also sells “Make your plastic fantastic” and “Rehash your trash” T-shirts to encourage consumers to take steps to become more environmentally conscious.
Coke is just one of the many companies trying to help the environment by recycling clothes and coming up with new ways to help conserve the environment. Companies that work with outdoor clothing are also moving on this cause very quickly. Environmental club secretary, Allison Hughes, is a big supporter of this change.
“I’m an outdoor education major, a lot of the companies that make good quality outdoor clothing are already making environmentally friendly clothes using recycled fibers and recycled plastics,” Hughes said.
Outdoor companies such as Patagonia and REI are both trying to market clothing pieces that are both good for the environment and fashionable.
“After some research on my part, I found that wearing this stuff is a step in the right direction toward sustainability,” Hughes said. “If I buy the clothes, I am supporting companies that already care.”
Patagonia is one of the leadering clothing companies that are interested in protection of the environment. The company was established as a social experiment to see if a company built on the principle of sustainability could survive.
Not only is it surviving, it is thriving. Patagonia has quickly slipped into one of the most popular outdoor clothing suppliers, and one of the most sustainable.
In 2005, the company launched its Common Threads Garment Recycling program, which recycles the majority of their T-shirts, fleece clothing, and many of their polyester and nylon garments. Along with reusing old garments, the company also donates a percentage of their profits each year to conservation of the environment.
As consumers become aware of the need to become more sustainable, companies are quickly coming up with new ways to satisfy this. Will fashion going green be another trend swept under the rug like the bell bottom jeans from the seventies, suede shirts or the shoulder pad, or is sustainability here to stay?
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Oct 24 2008. Filed under Features.
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