Four 'Waste Less' Ways to Recycle Your Old Lingerie and Underwear
Sustainability has become the new sexy, and as with all sectors, there is also a place for sustainability in the lingerie world.
Going green is not, surprisingly, a new shade of spray tan. Rather, it means adopting a range of different sustainable actions out of respect for the ultimate girl-boss; Mother Earth. One of the best ways to do this is by going ‘zero waste’, which involves managing the volume of consumption and reducing the amount of material waste produced.
This also means being conscious about your purchases as a consumer by recycling and up-cycling. Everyone knows you can't donate old underwear to the charity shop, but there are a few ways you can recycle your lingerie and pyjamas.
Composting
If your underwear is one hundred percent bamboo cotton, linen, or hemp, then it can go straight into the compost bin. If you've purchased underwear or lingerie that only uses natural fibres, and removed any tags, embellishments, or elastic bands, then simply cut up your old garments into squares and pop it in the compost.
Get Crafty
Fabric scraps can be taken from anything. Don't discount old PJ's or loungewear when planning your next recycled sewing project. If you’re throwing away any bras or lingerie, you can even cut out scraps of lace fabric and repurpose it during your next creative outlet.
Garment Collecting Program
High street stores like Zara and H&M have developed garment collecting programs in order to combat their carbon footprint and environmental impact. These stores will accept all kinds of materials and re-use them in other industries. Pretty cool!
Donate to Charity
You can’t exactly drop off old underwear to your local second-hand store, but there are charities like ‘Support The Girls Australia’ that will accept relatively unused bras. All types of bras are in demand, as long as shoulder straps are in good condition, there are no stains on the fabric, and the hooks are functioning.
If it's within your means, another way you can use your lingerie habit to help the environment is by purchasing high-quality underwear. High-quality underwear isn’t just better for the environment, it’s better for your wallet too because better quality = longer life = less re purchasing!
Buying lingerie from reputable brands adds a seal of quality to your lingerie and, overall, is much more ethical. If you’re not sure where to start, check out this list of sustainable lingerie brands that we’ve compiled.
