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April 11, 2008
Denim Into Home Insulation
Cotton's From Blue to Green initiative is working with partners like the National Jean Company and Earnest Sewn to collect 1000 pairs of jeans to insulate to 2 homes. If you're not going to give or sell your old wares then donate them to any National Jean Company store.
In the short term it sounds like a great way to reuse and recycle but I’m concerned about many of these “repurposing” fabrications finding its way into eco-green and sustainability mantras. As a fashion designer I know over 99% of denim is made from toxic chemicals that put off effluents. Just because you buy something that says it’s 100% organic doesn’t account for the harsh solvents used to dye, texture, and protect the textile and now we’re going to shred it up and put it in people’s homes?
via Josh Spear
Posted by tranism at 12:02 PM | Permalink
Comments
Josh Spear: Be fearful no longer. Stick to designing and let the engineers and scientists worry about environment matters.
Well worn and washed used blue/green jeans DO NOT any longer contain the harsh chemical, dyes, solvents used in their production. Most wearer want the well worn, often washed and used look. They are NOT an envioronmentl hazard. As insulation for home they ARE a FIRE HAZARD unless treated with a fire retardant material.
Posted by: stanhbaker at April 16, 2008 8:32 PM
That is untrue. There are very few dyes that are totally organic in nature and biodegradable. MOST clothing manufacturers don't use them because their vendors and textile mills may not yet support the newer technologies. Even if they used safe dyes, denim is ALWAYS treated with chemicals to further strengthen the fiber. These chemicals are not safe and have never been. It is one aspect of textile design that needs to advance. Another important fact to mention is almost all cotton in the U.S. uses pesticides and artificial chemicals to create a super cotton crop. Although the U.S. has made great strides in creating a standard - the fact of the matter is most cotton comes from oversees -- places you can't regulate. So here you already have toxicity built into the cultivation and extraction phase of denim manufacturing.
And designing clothes, at least the good designers, should have knowledge in regard to textile technologies as it not only affects the life cycle of the product, but also profit margins. Fashion design is the engineering of clothes based on artistic and/or social commentary therefor it is totally relevant for me to comment because YES this is my field of expertise.
Posted by: Electro^Plankton at April 16, 2008 8:52 PM