"Cotton, from blue to green."

 The Gap and Cotton have recently launched an amazing program that converts old denim into insulation. Everyone has had that favorite pair of jeans in their life that they just cant bear to part with, holes and all. Now, saying goodbye to those jeans can be a little easier knowing that they will be helping to keep people warm. 

The process of converting denim to insulation consists of ten steps, starting with the the cotton seed. Cotton is planted from February to May and harvested from September through December. Next, the cotton goes to a spinning mill where it is cleaned, blended and straightened into what is called a sliver. The spinning process reduces the weight of the sliver and twists it into a yarn that is then sent to a weaving mill. The yarns are then combined into a rope and dyed in indigo baths. After the ropes have been dyed, they are separated back into yarns and are ready to be put on a loom for weaving. After weaving, the denim is sent to apparel manufacturers and then eventually to retailers. After a few years or so when it is time to update your denim wardrobe, the denim can be converted into insulation. 

The first step in converting the denim into insulation is removing all zippers, buttons and all other non denim parts.  Next, denim is returned to its natural cotton fiber state. The cotton fiber is then treated to make it flame retardant and resistant to mold and mildew. The final step is compacting the fibers into sheets of insulation and cutting them to size. The sheets of insulation are then shipped all over the country to be used as insulation in residential and commercial buildings. Pretty cool huh? 

So next time you are forced to part with your favorite pair of jeans don't just throw them away, recycle them so they can be put to work keeping people warm!