Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First

Yes, you can even recycle blue jeans

Blue Jeans. Neil Diamond sang about them in 1979. All have worn them. Once banned from schools, jeans are now a wardrobe staple.

But what happens to old jeans? Hand me downs, maybe. Give them to someone who can use them, good idea. Some retail stores will offer a discount on new jeans if old jeans are brought to the store in exchange. Find a crafty person who will use the denim for new projects.

For example, potholders, aprons, and even quilts can be created using old jeans. Store them for a future garage sale. Another option is to recycle them. Recycle them? Jeans?

Yes, there is a program called Blue Jeans Go Green. They have collected 1,133,538 pieces of denim. They have diverted 600-plus tons of denim from the landfills. They accept colored and organic denim as well as other denim clothing, not just jeans. Denim does not have to be in perfect condition, rips, and stains are accepted. It does not have to be 100 percent cotton to be recycled. What do they do with the used denim?

Once the denim has been given to Blue Jeans Go Green, they remove zippers and buttons and other hardware. Next, the denim is returned to its original state, cotton. Lastly, this cotton is turned into Ultratouch Denim Insulation to be distributed to homes in the United States.

How can people recycle their denim? First, make sure the denim is packaged in a sturdy box. Jeans can be mailed by USPS or sent via UPS or FedEx. You, however, are responsible for the cost of mailing your jeans.

Mail to:

Blue Jeans Go Green

Denim Recycling Program

431 North 47th Ave.

Phoenix, AZ 85043