What do I do with my old bras? One of the toughest yet most commonly asked questions from those dedicated to sustainable living. In case it's something you are wondering, here are the top 5 sustainable hacks with old bras.
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Textile waste has now become a growing concern. So it’s only natural to find innovative methods to re-use your clothing items, even bras! Small steps go a long way and re-using old/worn clothes effectively gets you one step closer to living in a low-carbon, zero-waste environment.
What’s the Textile Waste Issue?
Did you know that clothing ranks among the quickest growing waste in households. Each house throws away about 30 kilograms of textiles and clothes per year on average. Textiles are not cheap, in terms of cost, or easy, in terms of effort, to recover. More than 80 percent of clothing and leather reaches landfills almost every year.
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Our mentality and approach toward clothing are costly to the planet and to our pockets and wallets too. The textile market ranks among the largest greenhouse gas producers on Earth. The planet has reached such a point that it cannot stand up to the huge quantity of textiles and clothes the industry is manufacturing.
Many people spend hundreds if not thousands of pounds each year on shopping for accessories, footwear, and clothing. We need to take measures to counterbalance the effect. It’s time we all take responsibility and proactively work toward bringing about some change.
[YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMBZeJ74GuE]
So here are the top 5 sustainable hacks with old bras.Well, you’ve got to start somewhere, don’t you?
5 Sustainable Hacks with Old Bras
Look at the brighter side. You can recycle or reuse over 90 percent of your clothing. This includes your bras. So follow these tips and there will be no more having to send your support bra to landfill again, even if it has become old, grey and saggy!
#1 Recycle your old bras
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It’s common to have plenty of bras that are no more suitable for your breasts. These might not be fit for use anymore. But, at the same time, are they clean and built using absorbent materials? Yes? Then why not consider recycling them!
Recycling fabrics is a thing by the way. The garments that you recycle are used once again as clothing by-products or industrial rags! All you have to do is find out recycling operators in your locality. Some places will even pay by the weight of the bags of clothes you donate.
#2 Donate your moderately-worn bras
Sorting through your lingerie means keeping aside bras you don’t wear anymore. So if this lot has lightly-worn bras, you can donate them to someone in need.
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There are many women who cannot afford to buy bras. This explains why there are organisations and charity shops which accept donated stuff.
Ever heard of The Uplift Project? It has thorough ethical standards and collects donated bras to send to women in need (using biodegradable packaging of course)
Other such communities and organisations who accept second hand bras include Breast Cancer Campaign, Against Breast Cancer, and Oxfam.
If you want to donate bras to charity stores or other shops that sell used/secondhand goods you just need to ensure that your bra’s not worn out. It should be in a nearly-new condition and totally clean. Perfect if you picked up bras in a sale without bothering to try them on only to find they don't fit.
#3 Repurpose old bras into something new
Who says you can’t repurpose your bra into a shoulder bag? Someone who has never tried doing it!
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What you need for the task is a simple sewing kit. Add embellishments as you go to disguise your bra’s original identity unless your lingerie is already pretty then you can leave it as is.
#4 Sew old bra padding into backless dresses or tops
This is the cleverest of the 5 sustainable hacks with old bras.
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Do you have backless or deep-back dresses and tops? Then why not give them their very own support bra?
Take your old bras with padding. Remove this padding and attach it to those dresses or tops. If you are very creative you could design a whole new short, fringed garment using and old bra.
[YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwjQRv4pkpQ]
#5 Upcycle an old bra into pet play ball
If you’re a pet lover, you might enjoy this one and so will your furry friend.
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| Photo credit: happyhomesdog.com |
But how do you transform a simple bra into a play ball? It’s not that complicated, really. Stitch four cups together so as to form a ball. Add a little bit of stuffing inside this ball. And that’s about it.
You feel less guilty now. Your pet feels happier now. Everyone wins.
Do you have any more planet-friendly suggestions? If yes, then help me spread the joy. Share your life hacks below.
About the author:
This is a collaborative post written by Laura Cooper. As a professional reviewer, Laura Cooper has dedicated her own website to recommending products for women based on personal experience. She
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