Mason’s Gowns Are REALLY Green
May 19, 2011Print-Friendly Version
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What's that gown made of? Only the label can say for sure.
In an effort to be sustainable, Mason’s Auxiliary Enterprises ordered graduation gowns this year that are made out of recycled plastic bottles.
That’s right. The company that makes the gowns, Oak Hall Cap and Gown, has a line of gowns they call “GreenWeaver” that is made of 100 percent, post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. According to the company, it takes about 23 bottles to make a gown. The company claims, “The result is a fabric so comfortably soft you have to feel it to believe it!”
The initiative is part of AE Green, the umbrella sustainability program for Auxiliary Enterprises.
7 Responses
May 19, 2011 at 3:11 pm
yay! love to see you’re getting smart on this. (it’s silly to get something really nice that you’re going to wear once for 4 hours)
May 19, 2011 at 5:54 pm
Go G(MU)reen!
May 19, 2011 at 6:11 pm
Hmm..nice idea but wouldn’t it be better to just “recycle” them by keeping them and only replacing them when they are worn out instead of having each senior class spend money on a gown that you wear for 4 hours. They were black when I graduated from Mason and I was glad because I wore my brother’s gown that he had wore 4 years before when he graduated. Sometimes I think people end up producing more waste in the name of going green…when going green is sometimes just common sense like using a used gown instead of buying a new one. Just saying :)
May 20, 2011 at 2:27 am
Our gowns were not bought, but re-used year after year by those graduating. this is a great idea!
May 20, 2011 at 9:58 am
Gown reuse is *great* idea! In fact, Mason faculty often rent theirs or keep [and dry clean] their own. In one academic unit, they actually set up a drop-off spot for grads to leave their gowns for “free use” by future graduating cohorts. Saves resources and $. I’ll contact AE Green’s Sustainability Projects Manager, Dan Waxman, now to see about a visible spot for that at Commencement. (Thanks, Dan!)
November 2, 2011 at 11:07 pm
How did the ‘green’ initiative go with the green gown drop-off? These should certainly be recycled each year as they’re only worn for a couple hours.
December 19, 2011 at 12:02 am
I wonder if they do that for December graduations? I could sure save some money, and I’m graduating this December!