New Boy Scout Uniforms Will Be 100 Percent Recycled

New jerseys worn by young members of the Boy Scouts of America will be made from 100 percent recycled materials that are manufactured in the USA, according to an announcement by SustainU, a maker of sustainable clothing for students.

The “Americana,” “Varsity Performance” and “Hiker” jerseys used by the Boy Scouts will soon be made using REPREVE, a 100 percent recycled yarn fiber created from sued PET water bottles and pre- and post-consumer waste from manufacturing processes.

“REPREVE is a natural fit for the Boy Scouts of America apparel program,” said Roger Berrier, president and COO for Unifi, the company that manufactures the fabric. ”REPREVE helps conserve and reduce our dependency on our precious natural resources for our future generations to enjoy.”

Athletic gear is often made from synthetic fabrics like polyester and nylon because they are flexible, quick-drying, and more durable than natural fibers. Unfortunately, these fabrics are created from crude oil that must pass through long and resource intensive refining processes.

The company states that on average, every pound of REPREVE yarn conserves the equivalent of half a gallon of gasoline.

“Most people don’t realize that approximately 68 pounds of clothing per person in the United States is thrown away every year, which amounts to about 10 percent of all the waste in landfills today,” states Chris Yura, founder and CEO of SustainU. “By using REPREVE in the BSA apparel, we’re delivering a comfortable, high performance shirt that is helping to minimize the environmental impact of apparel production.”

The Americana jersey is currently available, and the Varsity Performance top will debut later this fall

Image Credit: Flickr – Jinx!

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Nicole G.

12:01PM PDT on Aug 9, 2011

What a wonderful idea! As a scout leader for the girl scouts I'm going to pass this article on to our council!

August 9
send a green star

Lindsay L.

9:25PM PDT on Aug 1, 2011

i think this is a terrific idea. what a better way to save the environment then recycled clothes. i think it should be available with all clothes. i know alot of environmentalists that would be for it all the way. keep up the good work. maybe out environment will survive a little bit longer

August 1
send a green star

Faith B.

9:07PM PDT on Jul 25, 2011

great article, thanks :)

July 25
send a green star

Jane W.

7:14PM PDT on Jun 26, 2011

And teach 'em (both the boys and the girls) how to re-use clothes - cutting a shirt into a no sleeve top, using t-shirt strips to crochet or knit into bags or rugs.

June 26
send a green star

Berny p.

6:27AM PDT on Jun 25, 2011

Thanks

June 25
send a green star

6:26AM PDT on Jun 25, 2011

Great news....can we ...recyclew the kids tooo?????xxxxxx

Lika S.

12:33AM PDT on Jun 24, 2011

I like that idea. But anyway, what will happen for the kids that are allergic to the other material? I have eczema, and I have a hard time dealing with synthetic materials. I think because it contains the crude oil... Cotton is my favorite. And silk is fine too.