Forget finding your clothes a new home, J.Crew is turning them into one. The preppy retailer is expanding its denim recycling program in 2019 to include Habitat for Humanity as its new official partner, and, in the process, the brand is helping to upcycle unwanted jeans into building materials for the charity.
Since 2014, J.Crew and its sister brand Madewell have worked with the Cotton Inc. Blue Jeans Go Green program, which collects post-consumer denim and turns it into cotton-fiber housing insulation. According to the retailers, the average American home can be insulated with about 2,000 pairs of jeans, and, starting this year, Habitat for Humanity (you know, the nonprofit that builds affordable housing for those in need) will be the main beneficiary of the recycled material.
In the fall, teams from both J.Crew and Madewell participated in a Habitat for Humanity build in the L.A. area, which included installing insulation made of – you guessed it! – denim.
The partnership with Habitat for Humanity comes on the heels of J.Crew expanding its environmentally friendly Eco Jeans Collection last year. The line features pants, jackets and shorts that are made using a water- and energy-saving dying and manufacturing process.
To donate, customers are simply asked to bring any gently worn denim to their local J.Crew or Madewell store. And in case you need further incentive to clean out your closet, both retailers are currently offering those who trade in an old pair, $20 off a new style. Sounds like a win-win, if you ask Us.
