American Eagle Outfitters for Affordable Housing

Image: American Eagle (Facebook)

American Eagle Outfitters for Affordable Housing

The Earth Month campaigns seem never ending as new ones pop up in my inbox every day, and it’s awesome to see one of my favorite all-time brands participating! American Eagle Outfitters is the one brand I always refer to people when they don’t want to pay premium prices but just want quality. They never disappoint, and they were my go-to brand for a long, long time before I fell into the denim industry (but I still proudly wear their denim, and review from time to time!). Now, for Earth Month, American Eagle Outfitters is partnering with Brad Pitt’s organization Make It Right to convert unwanted denim into affordable housing. Now there’s a new one, right?

Make It Right is a non-profit founded in 2007 with a mission to build affordable homes, buildings and communities for people in need around the country. As stated on American Eagle’s blog, “Make It Right began by building homes for Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans. Today Make It Right works across the country – from apartments for disabled veterans in New Jersey to single-family homes for Native American families in Montana.” These homes are completely sustainable, with elements such as countertops made with recycled items like plastic bottles, porcelain and glass. Even the drywall of some of the homes Make it Right builds are made from recycled paper. So how does denim fit into this? Through the end of the month (April 30th), American Eagle Outfitters is offering a 20% discount on any new pair of jeans to any customer who donates their old, unwanted jeans from any brand. This also cuts down on landfill, as apparel is a major contributor! In fact, the brand states that “Americans discard 24 billion pounds of unwanted clothing and shoes annually.” These jeans will then be shredded up and used as UltraTouch™ Denim Insulation and other building materials for Make It Right’s affordable homes around the country. According to the press release, “UltraTouch Denim Insulation provides both energy saving thermal performance as well class leading sound absorption, creating efficient, quiet, and healthy living spaces wherever it is installed.”

Image: Make It Right

American Eagle Outfitters and its customers’ commitment to recycling denim is a great example of how we can all work together to conserve resources. These jeans will provide safe, sustainable insulation — an important part of Make It Right’s high-performance, solar-powered homes. Better insulation increases energy-efficiency, leading to lower power bills for working families. We’re grateful to American Eagle Outfitters and I:CO for supporting Make It Right and providing consumers with the opportunity to be a part of sustainable solutions on Earth Day.” – Cesar Rodriguez, Make It Right’s products director (source)

Read more about this amazing campaign at the AEO blog here, and read the original press release here!

Shop American Eagle Outfitters here!