Denim

While we may think of blue jeans as kind of earthy, basic clothing, the process by which they're dyed is definitely not eco-friendly. That may soon no longer be the case, however, thanks to the development of a new coloration technique.

Scientists have developed a method that reduces discarded denim to the building blocks for artificial cartilage, something that, with further development, could become an advanced tool for performing joint reconstructions in humans.

As evidenced by our friend carbon fiber, composite materials get a big boost in strength when fibers are part of the recipe. This concept has been taken to a funky new level, by using shredded old blue jeans to create a denim fiber composite known as Denimite.

Levi Strauss & Co. has announced a new collection of denim apparel, including jeans, that will be comprised of a minimum 20 percent of plastics recycled from drinks bottles and food trays.

The Advanced Denim process developed by Swiss chemical company Clariant promises to turn blue (and other colored) jeans a shade of green by cutting the amount of water and energy needed to produce a pair of jeans.

Cotton is being used for many purposes, including reducing pollution, insulating homes, cleaning up oil spills, and feeding the hungry.