Jeans are very sturdy and can last a long time. Even after many washes, a good pair of quality jeans can be worn for more than a year. With this in mind, it is more sustainable to purchase a pair of higher quality jeans than multiple moderate quality pairs. Denims are timeless fashion items and go with practically any outfit. But what do you do with jeans that have been worn out or do not fit anymore? Here are a few tips:
- Donate: Pass them down to a relative or bring them to a local thrift stores such as Goodwill or the Salvation Army.
- Use as Insulation: Blue Jeans Go Green denim recycling repurposes your worn denim and recycles it into insulation. By donating to them, you help to keep textile waste out of our landfills and toxins out of our environment.
- Jeans to Shorts: If you’re handy with a needle and thread, consider taking your worn out jeans and repurposing them into a cute pair of jeans.
- Craft Project: There are many arts & crafts ideas to reuse your denim. You can simply google “ways to reuse jeans” or search on Pinterest for ideas. Some cool projects include repurposing your jeans and using them as pencil cases, aprons, bracelets, and door wreaths.
- Garden Jeans: If your jeans still fit but are a bit dirty or faded, save them for when you garden or paint. This will prevent you from damaging our current favorite jeans, thus reducing the amount of new ones you’ll have to purchase.
Written by Emily Su, Class of 2022
Photo Credit: istockphoto.com