This May, Duke University students will be wearing commencement apparels made of material produced from recycled plastic bottles.

Jim Wilkerson, the director of Duke Stores and the person responsible for outfitting the graduates, said this effort "is representative of what the university is doing as a whole."

"Everyone on campus, it seems, wants to do what they can to be more environmentally responsible," Wilkerson said. "When we were approached with this opportunity to purchase caps and gowns made from recycled materials, and we were satisfied that the quality of the garments would not be compromised, it was an easy decision."

The academic regalia will be made of fabric spun from molten plastic pellets. Each cap and gown will keep 23 used plastic bottles from winding up in landfills. The caps and gowns will be shipped in boxes made of recycled cardboard and in storage bags made from recycled plastic.

Each year, about 4,500 undergraduate and graduate students receive diplomas from Duke, although not all of them participate in commencement ceremonies. If half of them were to use the eco-friendly regalia, that would keep more than 50,000 plastic bottles out of landfills. It also will reduce the carbon dioxide emissions and the amount of energy used in manufacturing fabric from plastic instead of virgin polyester.

The new "green gowns" for commencement look like traditional ones but are made from recycled plastic bottles. "Duke has really committed to sustainability in many different areas, and I am excited that they are continuing to make new initiatives to reduce our impact on the planet," said Duke senior Katie Swails.

Wilkerson said the new caps and gowns cost about $2-$3 more than the old ones. The manufacturer has pledged to contribute 25 cents for each gown sold to a campus environmental group designated by the university.

"These gowns will help our graduates literally 'walk the walk' for sustainability and, hopefully, encourage them to think about ways they can address environmental issues in their lives beyond Duke," said Tavey McDaniel Capps, Duke's environmental sustainability director.

(Source: Blue Devils to Don ‘Green’ Gowns at Commencement [Duke University])