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Plastic Commencement Gowns Save 336,904 Bottles

In its fifth year, Duke’s “green gown” program benefits environment

Over the last five years, Duke has helped keep 336,904 bottles out of landfills by providing graduates with gowns made of recycled plastic bottles. Photo by Duke Photography.
Over the last five years, Duke has helped keep 336,904 bottles out of landfills by providing graduates with gowns made of recycled plastic bottles. Photo by Duke Photography.
By Bryan Roth

As recipients of bachelor and master’s degrees gather this weekend to receive diplomas at commencement, their attire will look black, but it’ll be plenty “green.” 

This year will mark the fifth time Duke supplies graduates with GreenWeaver gowns – specialty-made regalia made 100 percent of fabric spun from molten plastic pellets. On average, each gown uses 23 plastic bottles, diverting them from landfills. To boot, the robes are shipped to campus in boxes made of recycled cardboard and in storage bags made from recycled plastic.

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During the course of its five year partnership with GreenWeaver provider Oak Hall Cap & Gown Company, Duke Stores has purchased and sold 14,648 gowns. Based on the average number of bottles used for each, Duke Stores alone has helped keep 336,904 bottles out of landfills. Each gown purchased by students returns 25 cents to Duke Stores, which has donated $3,510 in the past five years to Sustainable Duke to help fund programs and operational costs to support programming on campus.

For 2016 commencement, Duke Stores has ordered 3,000 GreenWeaver gowns, amounting to 69,000 plastic bottles and a donation of $750. 

“With students at the forefront of sustainability initiatives, and Duke working hard to achieve its commitment for sustainability and carbon neutrality by 2024, I think we all need to do our part to make Duke a sustainable campus and community,” said Jim Wilkerson, director of trademark licensing and operations with Duke Stores. “This one endeavor can make a huge difference and it makes me very proud that Duke Stores is a part of Duke’s sustainability efforts.” 

In order to create each gown, materials go through a five-step process:

  • Recycled plastic bottles are processed to remove impurities such as labels and caps.
  • The bottles are then chopped into fragments called "flakes."
  • Flakes are then melted and solidified into uniform pellets called "chips."
  • Chips are melted again and extruded into a continuous filament yarn.
  • The yarn is woven, dyed and finished into a gown.

In addition to keeping plastic bottles out of landfills, the process of making gowns out of plastic instead of typical polyester also reduces carbon emissions by nearly 55 percent, according to Oak Hill. With the exception of a tack that holds a button in place, each matching cap is also made of GreenWeaver fabric, recycled cardboard and biodegradable material.

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How plastic bottles are turned into thread for commencement gowns. Photo courtesy of Duke Stores.

If students don’t plan to keep their cap and gown after commencement services, they can drop off the items at the University Store in the Bryan Center, which are then sent to Oak Hill for recycling.

“This partnership with Duke Stores is great example of how the little things add up,” said Tavey Capps, director of Sustainable Duke. “One gown at a time, students reduce their individual carbon footprint and Duke Stores helps to fund thousands of dollars’ worth of campus sustainability projects.”