Year 2 Update for 2026 Grads

The RHS PTSA is proud to continue the “Gowns Going Green” program in 2025-2026 to help keep RHS graduation gowns out of the landfills and help them get recovered, reused, and repurposed! We just wanted to give you an update on what’s happened and what you can expect.

• Last year after graduation, the 2025 alumni donated about 75 gowns and 30 caps to be re-used!
• If you still have a gown/cap that you would like to donate from previous years, please stay tuned for more info.
• There will be a one or two days after winter break where seniors can pick up a used gown and cap at no cost. 
• A suggested donation of $10 per gown taken will go towards the RHS PTSA Grad Night Celebration. This is optional and not required at all.
• If your senior cannot find a suitable gown/cap, there will still be time to order new gown/accessories through the school.

Thank you to all the alums that made it a priority to help the environment by donating their gowns, and wishing them the best in their future endeavors!

Questions? Contact ggg@redmondhsptsa.org for more information.

We need YOU!

You can help personally turn this initiative into a yearly movement! Are you passionate about recycling and reusing? Consider carrying on the torch for 2026-2027 school year as the current parent in charge will "graduate" out of RHS with their senior. Contact ggg@redmondhsptsa.org if you're interested!

Commitment (may change slightly from year to year):

• a few hours in December to set up a collection box for gowns from previous year
• a few hours in January to distribute gowns
• a few hours in June to set up a collection box for gowns during diploma-pickup days
• a few hours throughout the year to write/advertise on the PTSA newsletter
• Small area to store collected gowns (about 4-5 medium sized moving boxes)

Program Background:

Did you know that over the past 30 years, the scholastic industry transitioned from cotton to polyester, the popular petroleum-based fabric of the 1970s. Polyester is constructed out of polyethylene terephthalate (PET), the same chemical compound used to make plastic water bottles. This product has been positioned as a ‘one-time’ use or ‘keepsake’ item, when the product has only been worn for 90 minutes. In that 30-year time period, over 100 million gowns have been added to the waste stream, which causes detrimental problems to the environment. Do you remember what you did with your graduation gown? Is it still sitting in a dusty box in the attic or did it end up in the trash? How can we ‘graduate’ from trashing gowns to reusing them?

The RHS PTSA is proud to have started the “Gowns Going Green” initiative in 2024-2025 to help keep RHS graduation gowns out of the landfills and help them get recovered, reused, and repurposed! With each gown donation/reuse, we'll all be good stewards of our planet. Help turn this initiative into a yearly movement!