Building on a successful first year, PhytoGen, the U.S. cottonseed brand of Corteva Agriscience, will renew its partnership with Cotton Incorporated’s Blue Jeans Go Green denim recycling program for 2020. PhytoGen will organise denim collection drives at industry events across the cotton belt to help promote sustainability and reduce textile waste.
In early 2019, PhytoGen became the first cottonseed company to collaborate with the Blue Jeans Go Green program, an initiative that upcycles denim garments into premium housing insulation and keeps denim out of landfills. PhytoGen collected 7,412 items through donation drives at cotton industry events and company locations in 2019.
Local FFA and 4-H chapters participated by collecting denim in their communities. PhytoGen presented $1,500 to the chapters donating the most denim items at each PhytoGen Blue Jeans Go Green program drive. The winning chapters were Star City FFA (Arkansas), Olton FFA (Texas), Thomas County Middle FFA (Georgia) and La Paz 4-H (Arizona).
In 2020, PhytoGen will hold denim collection drives at the Mid-South Farm & Gin Show, the Texas Cotton Ginners’ Show and the Desert Ag Conference. Prizes will be awarded to the winning FFA or 4-H chapter at each location. But anyone is welcome to participate and drop off denim during the three events.
