You will be surprised to know that clothing contributes most to the household waste. According to a study, it is found that every person throws away about 30 kg of clothes each year. Can you calculate how much it comes considering all the people in the world? It’s basically countless. So, you can imagine how much of used textiles end up in the landfills causing pollution. The textile industry has now become the largest producers of greenhouse gasses. In order to make this world sustainable, we need to recycle our used clothing.
Out of all the clothes we wear, a bra is something every woman wear regularly. They usually throw it in the bin after it gets old or gets out of fashion. Researchers have found out some interesting statistics about bras:
• It is found that on average, an British woman has nine bras and she wears only six of them regularly.
• People all over the world spend about £16 billion every year for buying bras.
These statistics are alarming. More shocking is the fact that many women in certain parts of the globe don’t have the money or access to bras. In order to do something about this miserable situation, many organizations have taken steps to recycle bras. These recycled bras can be used by those who need them and cannot afford to buy a new bra.
How bras can be recycled
There are many ways the bras can be recycled. You can donate them, recycle them or reuse them. These various approaches are discussed below.
Donating your bras
There are organisations that collect wearable bras and send them to those who cannot afford to buy a new bra. If you want to recycle your bras, then you can send the bras to one of the following organizations.
Your Smalls Appeal
This organization works towards empowering girls in The Gambia. They recycle bras and other reusable items. They also provide menstruation kit to the poor girls of The Gambia. This organization also supports children’s education and donates a lot of money every year for the cause. The group ‘Your Smalls Appeal’ believes that bras are important for the healthy development of young girls. As the girls in rural parts of the world like the Gambia cannot afford to buy new bras, this organization sends recycled bras to these girls.
The Bra Recyclers
This Arizona-based company sends used bras to women who cannot afford a new bra. They are providing social benefits to women who have escaped domestic violence, human trafficking, etc. They also work for breast cancer survivors.
The Bra Recycling Agency (BRA)
This company accepts bras for recycling. Anyone interested in donating bras must buy a $5 e-kit and post the bra to the agency. The company sells the metal underwires in bras and the money they get is given to the breast cancer research.
Giving is Beautiful
It is a special campaign for women. Through this campaign, bras collected for recycling are given to women in the domestic violence shelters.
Free the Girls
When someone donates a bra to this organization, someone in the other part of the world gets a job. The organization works towards rescuing women from sex trafficking. These women can then start their own businesses by selling the bras that had been donated.
Donate Your Bra
This group collects used bras and gives them to groups that support breast cancer and other charities as well. People work voluntarily in this organization to show their support for women.
Donate it to your local op-store
There are many people out there who are having financial difficulties and cannot afford to buy a new bra. They go to the local op-store or thrift store for purchasing a bra. The bras sold here are in good condition and only lightly-worn. So, if you have too many bras lying around your house, instead of tossing them in the bin, you can donate them to these stores so that someone else can buy and use them.
Recycle old bras
If the bras are not in a suitable condition to be reused then you can recycle them. The bras must be made of absorbent material so that the fabrics can be recycled. These can then be used as a textile by-product or industrial rag. You can search online to find recycling points near you.
Use it to make other things
You can go creative and make other useful things with your used bra. The bra straps can be used to make headbands. The padding of the bra can be used as shoe inserts. You can also make a purse from your old bra.
Donate bras for a good cause
You can donate your bra to collect cash for breast cancer research. There are organizations like ‘Breast Talk’ and ‘Bras for a Cause’ who are involved in such type of work.
A study by the Bureau of International Recycling has found that if you recycle two pounds of textile then you can get rid of eight pounds of CO2 emissions and save 1,600 gallons of water. So, you can now see how much you can contribute to the environment by recycling or reusing your bras. You can also reduce your spending on bras by taking good care of the bras you have. A bra will typically last for six months if you use them with care. You can donate your used bras to organizations like ‘Your Smalls Appeal’ and help the girls in the remote African regions to lead a healthy life. By donating the bras you will also be buying them menstruation kits. So, recycle your bras from now on and help our environment to become pollution free.
