Miller College graduates will go out wearing green

When the 2010 graduating class of Miller College marches across the stage at McCamly Plaza they’ll be wearing the expected black cap and gowns. But these “black” gowns are really “green.” The new gowns are biodegradable and will break down in a landfill within a year. The school is using the Sustainable Element gowns sold by the Minneapolis-based Jostens for the first time this year. The product contains acetate fabric fiber made from natural wood harvested exclusively from renewable managed forests. It even comes in environmentally friendly packaging, says Jenny Andrews, marketing and communications director for Miller College.Students can go a step further and return the gowns to Josten. The company promises to put them in a landfill and spend $1 on an environmental sustainability project.Although the zippers do not biodegrade with the rest of the gown, they are made of 100-percent recycled materials. The school also will be using invitations and diplomas made from recycled paper.The school is working to take small steps toward sustainability that make sense for the small, but growing student body in Battle Creek, Andrews says.In the fall of 2009 the school counted 100 new students — a 56-percent increase over the previous year’s numbers. The school draws students from Calhoun, Barry, Branch, Eaton and Kalamazoo counties.Writer: Kathy JenningsSource: Jenny Andrews, Miller College