SouthState Diverts Textile Waste From Landfills Through Denim Drive
11/9/2023
Brand-new houses built by Habitat for Humanity volunteers not only give shelter to families, but they often feature recycled material. Due to the generosity of SouthState employees and customers, the nonprofit received a unique donation that will keep families cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
SouthState hosted its first Blue Jeans Go Green drive this fall, resulting in donations from across its six-state footprint. Blue Jeans Go Green is a program that collects denim to be recycled back to its original fiber state and given a second life.
During SouthState’s 5-week collection drive, customers and team members cleaned out their closets, found denim jeans, jackets and shirts, and dropped them off at their local bank branch.
In total, SouthState collected 261 boxes containing 50 pounds or less of denim.
Blue Jeans Go Green partners with cotton fiber insulation manufacturer Bonded Logic, Inc. to turn a person’s old jeans into useful products, such as thermal packaging insulation, pet bed inserts, and more. The program’s primary beneficiary, Habitat for Humanity, uses the recycled denim for insulation.
“At SouthState, we believe affordable housing should be within reach for all of our neighbors and friends, said Director of Community Engagement Mellissa Slover-Athey. “We are so pleased to support a cause that will provide insulation for Habitat for Humanity homes, and we very much appreciate how our customers, team members and community came together to make such a large collection possible.”
“According to Blue Jeans Go Green, approximately 16 million tons of textile waste is discarded each year,” said LeDon Jones, Director of Corporate Stewardship. “In order to divert one ton of waste from the landfill, approximately 1,677 pieces of denim need to be collected.
SouthState hosted its first Blue Jeans Go Green drive this fall, resulting in donations from across its six-state footprint. Blue Jeans Go Green is a program that collects denim to be recycled back to its original fiber state and given a second life.
During SouthState’s 5-week collection drive, customers and team members cleaned out their closets, found denim jeans, jackets and shirts, and dropped them off at their local bank branch.
In total, SouthState collected 261 boxes containing 50 pounds or less of denim.
Blue Jeans Go Green partners with cotton fiber insulation manufacturer Bonded Logic, Inc. to turn a person’s old jeans into useful products, such as thermal packaging insulation, pet bed inserts, and more. The program’s primary beneficiary, Habitat for Humanity, uses the recycled denim for insulation.
“At SouthState, we believe affordable housing should be within reach for all of our neighbors and friends, said Director of Community Engagement Mellissa Slover-Athey. “We are so pleased to support a cause that will provide insulation for Habitat for Humanity homes, and we very much appreciate how our customers, team members and community came together to make such a large collection possible.”
“According to Blue Jeans Go Green, approximately 16 million tons of textile waste is discarded each year,” said LeDon Jones, Director of Corporate Stewardship. “In order to divert one ton of waste from the landfill, approximately 1,677 pieces of denim need to be collected.
SouthState was pleased to play a role in repurposing these materials, while also benefiting Habitat for Humanity. This was truly a win-win.”
The partnership came full circle as SouthState sponsored Habitat for Humanity’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project, held in Charlotte during the first week of October. Team members volunteered throughout the week-long event in which 27 homes were built in West Charlotte.
Learn more about SouthState’s commitment to volunteerism and sustainability in our annual Corporate Social Responsibility report.
Learn more about SouthState’s commitment to volunteerism and sustainability in our annual Corporate Social Responsibility report.
