66 billion bottles of water are consumed (and ultimately tossed) each year in the United States alone. In order to make a dent in this staggering number, eco-friendly clothing company Dirtball is using Kickstarter to launch a new product, The Green Jean.
The Green Jean is made entirely from cotton and recycled water bottles that have been repurposed to create high-quality cotton/polyester denim. Each pair of Green Jeans contains 8-10 water bottles (similar to Levi’s Waste<Less line of jeans). The cotton comes from industry scraps from factory floors that would otherwise head to the landfill. All of the products used to make The Green Jean are sourced from either Georgia or North Carolina and manufactured in Kentucky. This holds true with Dirtball’s commitment to source locally, protect the environment, and still manage to benefit the economic bottom line.
This isn’t Dirtball’s first foray into manufacturing. Founded in 2008, racecar driver and entrepreneur Joe Fox founded this eco-friendly clothing company geared towards active individuals. All of its products from an original trucker hat to sweatshirts and hoodies are made from recycled materials and are designed and produced all across the southern United States. This commitment to local sourcing shortens all shipping distances, therefore minimizing the company’s carbon footprint. Dirtball also supports the local community through local biking and BMX tours and giving to local charities such as Habitat for Humanity and The Children’s Security Blanket.
The Green Jean Kickstarter campaign launched on August 26th; as of September 6th, Dirtball has only raised $1,847 of its $40,000 goal. If you’re unfamiliar with Kickstarter, ventures only receive the funds they have raised if they reach their minimum goal. If Dirtball reaches its goal, it will be able to sustain 25 manufacturing jobs for 2 months.
The Green Jean Kickstarter page gives much more information on Dirtball, the manufacturing process, and interesting facts about plastic and cotton use around the world. Now that sustainability is entering every aspect of our lives, it is great to see a variety of eco-friendly clothing find success. But hurry, the Kickstarter campaign ends September 25th and Green Jean has a long way to go in order to move forward.
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Published Sep 6, 2013 11pm EDT / 8pm PDT / 4am BST / 5am CEST