A new cotton-based technology will arrive at Iowa State on Tuesday and take on the opportunity to save the planet.

Cotton Inc.’s Dirty Laundry campaign will be tumbling through Central Campus Tuesday and Wednesday in the hopes of educating college students about the benefits and proper care of cotton.

The college tour centers on a new type of denim-based insulation used in the construction of houses. UltraTouch, considered an environmentally safe alternative to traditional insulators, is composed completely of recycled denim and patented chemical treatments by Bonded Logic, an insulation producer.

“In a time where everyone wants to be ecological, [UltraTouch] is a great way to achieve just that,” said Andrea Samber, a Cotton Inc. representative.

Teamed with Cotton Inc. is Iowa State’s local chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. Last spring, the club helped collect more than 2,000 pieces of denim and this year “are hoping to succeed that goal,” said Chelsea DeSousa, chapter president and senior in journalism and mass communication.

The program, the Denim Drive, will be collecting and donating the used denim during the two-day Dirty Laundry event. She also said donations will be accepted throughout October.

The donated denim will then be used to create free insulation for homes built by Habitat for Humanity through the donated services of JBM Fibers Inc. and Bonded Logic.

As well as drop-off locations on campus, there will be options throughout the area to donate denim, such as Ames High School and Ames Middle School.

The tour will also be holding small knowledge-based competitions, with winners eligible for prizes, including iPods.

“We really wanted a fun way to develop an affinity for cotton that was relevant to college kids,” Samber said, adding that music and free samples of Tide would be part of the experience.

According to Cotton Inc., last year the Dirty Laundry Tour collected enough denim to insulate 70 Habitat for Humanity houses in the Gulf Coast region after Hurricane Katrina.