Interested in going green? Forget the graduation garb

It doesn’t take a wiz to understand why buying an full-length gown and funny hat to wear once for graduation isn’t exactly friendly to the environment.

Thousands of gowns, caps and tassels are sold each year to all the graduating high school and college students in America. Unless schools are smart enough to reuse them each year, those gowns end up in the closet or trash.

As graduation season comes to an end, this is a good time to highlight the third ‘R’ of the big three: reduce. It sometimes seems the other two - recycle and reuse - too often control the limelight.

One way to reduce consumption is to eliminate customs that create a lot of waste, such as specially purchased graduation attire.

Most gowns are made from polyester, which is a petroleum-based fabric. Some polyesters are made from natural fibers, but most are synthetic and not biodegradable. So not only do graduation gowns contribute to the U.S.’s ongoing reliance on foreign oil, but all the gowns that reach landfills are destined to stay there.

With the economy currently stitching up people’s pocketbooks, now is a perfect time to ditch this and other frivolous traditions.

During the current graduation season, several media sources have had stories about people who were on the verge of missing out on their commencement because they couldn’t afford the required gown. Ridiculous.

Here’s a story about a woman who collected old gowns for people who couldn’t afford to buy their own. At a California school, teachers paid the difference so every student could don a cap and gown.

These are heart-warming stories, but should it really come to that? After a teenager sits through four years of high school, they shouldn’t have to wonder whether they’ll be able to fit in amidst their school-color-clad classmates.

The benefits are clear: By letting this tradition go, the U.S. would save a little chunk of money, a small piece of the environment and a huge hunk of self respect. Because let’s face it, those gowns are hideous.