Wear Old Jeans & Save Money, Water & Planet

Learn how wearing your old jeans can save money, water and the planet all at the same time. These mind-blowing Eco facts will make you think twice before running out to buy the next tend in blue jeans.

• Eco fact: It takes 1,500 gallons of water to produce 1.5 pounds of cotton which is the amount required to make one pair of blue jeans! And this doesn’t include the additional water used to dye and finish the fabric.

• Eco fact: On average, 450 million pairs of jeans are sold in the United States every year. This is an average of 1.5 pairs per person. But, the average woman has eight pairs of jeans. And I know a few fashionistas that probably have twice that.

• Mathematically that’s 675,000,000,000 gallons of water per year just to keep up with the cotton production for jeans alone. Then you factor in the toxic chemicals used to distress and dye the jeans and it’s a bit crazy to think about.

While there are organic cotton options that are naturally died these eco-jeans are more expensive. They are also coming out with jeans made from bamboo which seems to be the new super eco-product of choice for everything from jeans to floors.

I’m not suggesting we stop buying and wearing jeans or cotton clothes for that matter. What I am suggesting is that you stop and think before you decide you must have that latest, greatest new jean — the skinny jean, wide-leg, boot cut, low-ride, slim cut, full cut, straight cut, distressed, destroyed, boy-cut, capri, baggy, relaxed fit, loose fit …

Just stop and think about these eco facts. Buy Less. Hold on to what you have. Wear your clothes well … and wear them for a long while. And, pull them back out when the style comes back around again — because you know it will. Another twist … think about how “in fashion” being out of fashion can be.

Peace out.

Source: Onearth magazine, winter 2009