Where and How to Recycle Your Underwear

You might call me a recycling fanatic. Every week my curb containers contain more recycles than I have regular trash. I also save kitchen waste from fresh fruits and vegetables to compost which ends up in the "make my own soil" bin in the nursery. Anything that can be reused and that I have room for I save and reuse it or give it to someone who will. Back in the late eighties I was asked what would be an innovative industry to get into and my suggestion after much research was recycling. This was immediately shot down with the reasoning that it would probably never take off, it would require cities to make accommodations and there weren't enough people interested in it. I bet today, those who asked wish they had taken my suggestion! lol

Recycling is not only in most cases better for the environment, it can also save you money and help others in need depending on how you do it.

I was looking for recycle information on a different topic when I came across an article about recycled bras. This started a search that left me with more information than I would have guessed existed on recycling underwear in general. Who knew that undies could be so valuable in their second life?! 

Where and How to Recycle Your Underwear

Bras:

Goodwill accepts clean used undergarments including bras.

USAgain has drop boxes that will take used bras. Anything put in the drop boxes that is not in 'wearable condition' is recycled into wiping rags, furniture padding or insulation material.

FreetheGirls.org helps women who were sold into sex trafficking at a young age. There are several ways you can help this organization by hosting parties to collect bras, setting up a drop off bin or by mailing them your bra.

You can also send your bras to brarecycling.com a textile company that gives good used bras to poor women who need them. Instructions about how to send them your old bras can be found on their website.

If you live in the UK there is another bra recycling organization, BreastTalk that uses proceeds to raise money for cancer or you can donate to BCRGlobal.com who sends clothes to poor countries. Oxfam also collects old bras in a campaign called the Big Bra Hunt and their organization reaches 94 countries.

Japan recycles old bras into fuel.

Craftbits.com shows how to make purses out of bras to raise awareness of breast cancer week.

100% cotton bras can have the straps and elastic bands removed to be cut in small pieces and composted.

Underwear:

Some of the suggestions under bras also apply to underwear.

Most Salvation Army and Goodwill  locations that take clean used underwear and if they aren't in good condition they sell them to rag manufacturers.

Patagonia will take back anything purchased from them including long underwear.

Cut cotton undies into squares to be used as rags for cleaning and polishing around the house, in the garage or garden area.

Cotton undies can also be shredded for your compost pile.

Socks:

Because of their unique shape I found a lot of suggestions for the reuse of socks other than as cleaning and polishing rags. Here are a few:

One of my favorites is to use an old sock to make a compost plant nutrient tea bag. Fill it up with your kitchen compost and leave it in a bucket of water overnight. It will release nutrients into the water giving you free plant fertilizer.

Fill them with polyester and a pinch of catnip, tie off the end and give as a gift to cats, and especially through an organization called  Operation Happy Sock where the gifts are distributed to animal shelters.

Make Sock Puppets. They are still a fun simple gift that delight kids.

Use them whether mismatched or not as night time moisture gloves for your hands and feet. (Cover with lotion or cream and slip the socks over top to keep the treatment off your sheets and next to your skin.)

Craft a coin purse using the toe of  a sock for the body of the purse.

Make "Slidy Feet Socks" for kids to decorate with a marker and used to slide around the house for play on a rainy day.

Stuff one sock with other socks, make a ball, tie off and snip or stitch the end, to make a pin cushion that can also be decorated.

Stress Reliever Socks, is a funny idea to make items that you can use to relieve stress by pounding them on something hard. One suggestion was to draw a face on a sock, (possibly even representative of someone who upsets you lol)  stuff it with other socks and tie it off. Then use the end to throw or pound it when someone or something makes you mad. Multiple socks can also be used to make a humanoid, or monster shape that can be decorated and used for the same purpose.

One sock stuffed with several others and tied off makes an especially great car cleaning rag.

Fill it with rocks to use as sling protection against attackers.

A sock sachet holder filled with your favorite scented sachet material can be plain or fancy depending on if you want to decorate it. They make a great clothes drawer stuffer and can be tucked behind or under pillows on your bed.

Cut them in strips and sew them around a heavy rubber band to make your own hair scrunchies.

Panty Hose and Tights

There are hundreds of uses for old panty hose and tights listed on line, so many more than I can post here. So if you don't find a use for them below that suits you just search online for "recycle panty hose" and I am sure you will find something that will fill a need that you can re-use them for. Many of the suggestions for socks can also be applied. Some of my favorites:

Wear them anyway: Even items with runs can be used as a second layer under another pair under pants for a great insulation effect. Truth be told I've known several big burly bikers who wear panty hose on the coldest of winter days under their long johns to knock off the wind and help keep them warm. By cutting them in half and cutting off the feet they can be used as arm warmers under long sleeve shirts or jackets for the same purpose.

Panty hose as cleaners and polishers: The unique texture makes them suitable for several cleaning applications, such as: covering a sponge and making your own slightly abrasive scrubber that can even be used on china, dusting and smoothing candles, removing deodorant stains on clothing by rubbing with the panty hose, eye glass cleaners are easily made by cutting them into small squares that can be washed and reused repeatedly, they are also safe for cleaning computer screens, & a quick shoe shining.

First Aid: Include a few pairs with your first aid kits as they make great tourniquets to stop bleeding and are great for fabricating and holding stints.

Filter: Remove particles or trash from old paint cans by placing the material over the top and pouring it through, use over a pot to strain out water on a camping trip, cover the end of a vacuum hose to find small lost items like jewelry or pins in carpeting.

Gardening: Strips of pantyhose make great garden ties because they don't cut into the plant like plastic, they can be used to make slings for supporting individual fruits growing from a trellis, and possibly not an attractive idea but nevertheless a useful idea is to take unwashed pantyhose and fill toes or other small cut up areas with human or dog hair and then tie them off to bury around your garden as a critter and pest control deterrent.

Draft Stoppers for use around bottom of doors or windows can be made by filling the legs with other panty hose or textile materials and placed in a manner to stop air coming through.

No-Nonsense has started a panty hose, knee highs and tights recycling program that will take the used items you send them to be used in numerous new things like park benches, playground equipment, rugs, and ropes.They take any brand.

With so many things that you can do with your old underwear, you may never have to throw any away ever again! :D

Well at least until they have outlived their second life.

Did I miss anything? If so let me know in a comment below.