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Sustainability Seminar Recycles Clothing
By
Katie
Pratt
 LEXINGTON,
Ky. (Nov. 7, 2007) – The University of Kentucky merchandising,
apparel and textiles sustainability seminar for graduate
students strives to educate the public about how they can help
the environment by cleaning out their closets.
“Recycling of plastics, bottles and cans has been around for
decades, but most people are not aware of the opportunities to
recycle clothing and textiles,” said Elizabeth Easter,
merchandising, apparel and textiles professor, who teaches the
seminar.
Easter said this is the first year for the seminar that began
due to the relevance of sustainability to the students’ field of
study and her interest in the subject. More people are becoming
aware of ways to live sustainably due to global warming and
increasing energy costs.
“When people live sustainably, it reduces the amount of waste,
energy and resources and contributes to a greener, cleaner
environment for our future and generations to come,” Easter
said.
Graduate student Avery Malone said since the seminar began, she
has started to make changes that result in a more sustainable
lifestyle. These changes include recycling, using fluorescent
light bulbs and looking for organic and fair trade products when
she shops.
“So many of our resources are nonrenewable, and we live and
believe as if they are never ending,” she said. “We, as a
society, have to decide how much destruction of natural
resources and how much deprivation we can allow others to suffer
before we are ready to make sustainable choices.”
Students in the seminar are reaching out to educate the
community about sustainable living through projects that
encourage and promote different ways of recycling or reusing
clothes. Two projects involve recycling fleece clothing and
tennis shoes, while the other two projects focus on donating
used women’s business attire and formal wear.
Recycled fleece includes jackets, vests, pants, scarves, gloves
and socks. Recycled fleece products are used to make other
fleece items. Each component of used tennis shoes can be
recycled to make surfaces found in sports fields or playgrounds.
Students reuse business attire by donating it to unemployed
women to help them better compete in the job market.
Disadvantaged youths, who might not otherwise be able to afford
formal wear to attend events such as prom, are the recipients of
recycled formal gowns.
“Every step in the process of creating a product has an impact,
whether it’s chemicals in manufacturing, plastics and paper in
packaging or its eventual destiny in the landfill,” said Malone.
“Though this seems dire, the good news is that each of our
choices can have positive outcomes.”
Donations can be dropped off at recycle bins located on the
third floor of Erikson Hall on UK’s campus or in Lexington-area
recycle bins at John’s Run Walk Shop locations on Ashland Avenue
and Lexington Green and at J&H Lanmark on Moore Drive.
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Contact: Elizabeth Easter, 859-257-7777
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