Project Jeans Turns Discarded Denim Into Sleeping Bags

Jeans, a piece of clothing we all have in our wardrobes. The denim industry has been an integral part of the fashion world for decades, providing us with durable and stylish jeans, jackets, skirts, dresses and even clothing for babies. However, the production of denim has a significant environmental impact. From the production processes to the dyes and chemicals used, and the polluting effect on our water to waste management, the denim industry poses several challenges to our environment. One of the primary environmental concerns associated with the denim industry is the sheer volume of water required to produce denim.

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"Each pair of jeans takes about 10,000 liters of water to make. That was really shocking. I remember that day looking into my closet and seeing about five pairs of jeans. that is 50 thousand liters of water in my own closet", recalls Nirvaan Somany, founder of Project Jeans.

Started in 2019, Project Jeans is turning discarded jeans into sleeping bags. With the help of a few corporates and individuals, Nirvaan has been able to collect thousands of pairs of jeans and has so far distributed around 900 beds. But who is he distributing these beds to?

The state of homeless people during chilly winters in Delhi disturbed Nirvaan. He says,

In Delhi, it is quite common for us to donate blankets to people on the street. When I thought further into that, I realised that it is not a complete solution because for how long can a blanket last in those conditions and how effective is it really? It doesn't provide you with a place to sleep.

The innocuous thought made Nirvaan deep dive into the topic and research more about denim. He says,

I found out that denim has very good insulating properties. That is when I thought of sleeping bags because jeans are such a tough material. They don't rip very easily and they can last a long time under rough conditions.

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COVID-19 also had an impact on Project Jeans but that only helped Nirvaan improve the prototype of the sleeping bed to make it more comfortable to sleep in. What makes these beds even more unique are the recycled scraps used to enhance cushioning.

Nirvaan explains,

My mom runs a clothing brand and she has a lot of scrap material that we have never been able to really use efficiently. We recycle them in certain ways but there are so many of them that I thought I could do something with them. And I thought we can line it with this material to make it more comfortable.

Globally, the fashion industry is the second most polluting industry but small efforts like these can not only keep discarded clothing away from the landfills but also give them a true conscience.

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Sharing the impact of Project Jeans, Nirvaan says,

Through this project, we have been able to recycle about 7,000 pairs of jeans over the course of the last year. That is of course the environmental impact we are having but, the social impact is equally important. We take these jeans and sleeping bags out at night and donate them to people on the street, who don't have a place to sleep, so, that they can have a comfortable winter.

In much the same way that the mighty ocean is made up of little drops of water, it's individual efforts like these that can collectively make a significant impact in protecting our environment. If you have old denim lying in your wardrobe that you don't wear anymore, you can donate them or have sleeping bags made from them.

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