USA
Today: More colleges are turning to eco-friendly materials
for their graduates’ caps and gowns, according to Wendy
Koch for
USA Today. Some students, such as
Caltech’s
2011 graduating class, wore GreenWeaver gowns made from
recycled plastic bottles. More than 250 institutions ordered
the attire this year from Virginia-based Oak Hall Cap and Gown,
up from 60 in 2010, said vice president Donna Hodges. Another
company, Minneapolis-based Jostens, makes gowns from wood fiber
from sustainably harvested North American forests. Omaha-based
Willsie Cap and Gown sells a GreenGown made of the same resin
used in plastic bottles and reuses the fabric if it's returned;
sales are up 300% from a year ago, says the company's Steve
Killen. Unfortunately, the green gowns can cost more than the
traditional polyester ones. And because graduation gowns
usually do not get reused (students are usually required to
purchase them), some students have suggested a gown swap, which
would make the gowns greener yet.
