American Eagle teams up with Brad Pitt on recycling

American Eagle is leveraging the star power of Brad Pitt to launch an innovative denim recycling program that will put needy people in affordable homes.

Customers can bring their old denim into any of American Eagle Outfitters’ 823 stores throughout the U.S. and Canada and receive a 20% discount on a new pair of jeans. Any collected unwearable denim will be shredded and recycled into UltraTouch Denim Insulation and other building materials for use in Make It Right’s affordable homes around the country.

Founded by Brad Pitt, Make It Right builds sustainable, affordable homes, buildings and communities for people in need.

“American Eagle Outfitters and its customers’ commitment to recycling denim is a great example of how we can all work together to conserve resources,” said Cesar Rodriguez, Make It Right’s products director. “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.”

Make It Right was founded in 2007 rebuilding homes for Hurricane Katrina victims in New Orleans and is now working across the country, from apartments for disabled veterans in New Jersey to single-family homes for Native Americans in Montana. Make It Right is committed to meeting the highest standards of green building and using Cradle to Cradle certified products — building materials that can be recycled into new products at the end of their use — for their LEED Platinum, affordable homes.

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. American Eagle Outfitters is bringing the growing issue of textile waste to the forefront of the apparel industry.

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, more than 24 billion pounds of unwanted clothing, shoes and other textiles end up in U.S. landfills annually, so in partnership with I:Collect USA (I:CO), a global, textiles closed loop recycling solutions provider, the company has been collecting clothing and shoes for reuse and recycling since January of last year.

“American Eagle Outfitters is excited about our partnership with Make It Right and I:CO to continue our conservation efforts. This partnership underscores our commitment to eliminate waste and preserve vital resources, while enabling our customers to become involved in our sustainability efforts and to truly close the loop on the textile waste cycle. The more we engage our customers, the more denim we will collect, ultimately reducing textile waste and increasing our ability to build low-cost, sustainable homes in our communities” said Helga Ying, American Eagle Outfitters VP external engagement & social responsibility.