Green Alternatives to Traditional Graduation Caps and Gowns

When my sons graduated from high school a number of years ago, I was dismayed to learn that us parents had to pony up $25 for a polyester gown which was designed to be used only once, and then thrown away. With graduation ceremonies now expanding beyond high school and college to include preschool, kindergarten, sixth grade, and junior high graduation ceremonies, the quantity of graduation gowns ending up in the landfill is steadily growing. Since disposable graduation gowns are made of acetates and polyester, they can take years to break down.

Is there a green alternative to the traditional graduation cap and gown? Sure there is.

Graduation Gown Rental

When I graduated from high school and college, we students leased their gowns and caps for the day. After graduation ceremonies, we turned in our gowns in exchange for our diplomas. Holding our diplomas hostage was a sure fire way to make sure that the gowns were returned to the school office!

There are a number of companies that still lease academic gowns for graduation. These gowns are made of a much sturdier material than those flimsy disposable gowns and hang much nicer. They are also less apt to billow while walking up to receive your diploma. Best of all, rental gowns come clean and pressed, all for about the same cost of a disposable gown. Leasing is the most sensible and greenest alternative when it comes to for a graduation gown.

Hand-me-downs

When my second son graduated from high school, he wore his brother's disposable cap and gown. Many of his classmates also borrowed their older sibling's disposable gowns or traded gowns with other families. If leasing graduation gowns is not an option for your child's school, borrowing someone else's gown is a green alternative that saves money as well as the environment.

If you don't know other families to borrow a graduation gown from, check with the high school office. Many high schools have old disposable gowns in storage that can also be borrowed for the day. Have a cap and gown you are trying to get rid of? Consider donating it back to your school so it can be passed onto someone else.

Wearing dress clothes instead of a gown