Conservation Corner Conserving Water is Stylish in Dobson Ranch

By Kathrine Blomquist, Water and Lake Management Committee Member

I received a call last week from Best Friends Preschool located at 2038 S. Don Carlos. The preschool now has a large green bin near the front entrance for donations of clothing, shoes and linens. GreenTek, the company behind the bin, accepts materials in any condition, even damaged. If you have clothes that didn’t sell at the Spring Clean Up or are piling up in the back of your closet, this bin makes it convenient for you to donate your items, just like the Goodwill at 2039 W. Guadalupe Road. Thank you, Best Friends, for the new addition to the neighborhood!

How is clothing paired to conservation? According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the average person throws away 70 pounds of clothing per year. The EPA estimates that 95% of the clothes, shoes and linens that are thrown into the garbage annually could be reused or recycled. If that doesn’t knock your socks off, up to 20% of industrial water pollution is due to textile dyeing and treatment.

To think about clothing and water in a different fashion, consider cotton. The U.S. Department of Agriculture states that one bale of cotton, approximately 480 pounds of cleaned cotton lint, makes more than 200 pairs of jeans or 1,200 t-shirts. The average irrigation requirement for cotton is approximately 260,000 gallons per acre. From start to finish, the water needed to produce a single cotton t-shirt is over 700 gallons.

Pinal County farmers received about 87% less water in direct allotments in 2022 than the year before due to a multi-state Drought Contingency Plan. Are more changes coming to one of Arizona five C’s due to drought? Some positive changes are the development of less thirsty cotton strains as well as more efficient watering techniques.

As farmers are being innovative with new technologies in growing cotton, consumers can make changes in our clothing choices. Sew don’t get your knickers in a knot, make clothing choices in favor of water conservation; donate, shop resale, and support businesses that are transparent and have initiatives in favor of conservation. For example, 100% of the denim sold at low-cost clothing giant Old Navy is made with water-saving techniques.

In keeping with the same pattern of water conservation, this year the Dobson Ranch Spring Expo will be held on Earth Day, Saturday, April 22, 8:00 am - 11:00 am. Stop by La Casita to meet with vendors about water, energy and community savings, enjoy pancakes, and enter to win great raffle prizes. Kids will enjoy crafts and a dance party. Make the morning complete with a visit to our award-winning Rose Garden as well as our very own community Xeriscape Garden. Celebrate in high style this Earth Day at the Dobson Ranch Spring Expo!

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