Old Jeans, New Insulation

Where do jeans go when they are too worn to wear? Some can become insulation, a material placed inside walls to slow the movement of heat. Turning old denim, the sturdy cloth used in many jeans, into insulation gives fabric a second job. It also keeps some cloth out of landfills, where trash is buried.

From Cloth to Fibers

First, used jeans are collected by a program that accepts denim. The cloth is sorted, or separated into groups, so unsuitable items can be removed. Metal buttons and zippers are taken off. A regular recycling bin is not the right place for jeans. Programs do not all accept the same items. Families should check local collection rules before dropping off clothing.

Next, machines shred the denim. They tear it into tiny pieces and pull apart its fibers, the thin strands that make up the cloth. The result looks more like a soft blue cloud than a pair of pants. Those loose strands are useful because they can trap many small pockets of air.

A Barrier for Heat

Factories turn the fibers into thick pads that fit between the supports inside walls. These pads trap air and slow the movement of heat. In cold weather, insulation helps heat stay inside a building. In hot weather, it helps slow heat moving in. It does not make heat or cool the air by itself. Because heating and cooling systems may run less, insulation can help save energy.

Recycling denim reduces waste, which means it makes the amount of waste smaller. Still, jeans that fit someone else can often be worn again before they are recycled. Donating usable clothing keeps it useful without first tearing it apart. Recycling is one choice for denim that a collection program accepts.

Process diagram in words: collected jeans → loose fibers → wall pads. The caption reads, “Old cloth becomes material that helps buildings save energy.”