What to Do with Old Underwear?

 An awkward thought occasionally crosses everyone's minds: What do you do with your old underwear? Almost everyone has outgrown a pair of underwear, but getting rid of them in a way that is both responsible and environmentally friendly can take time and effort. 

Donating your old underwear may be the first thing that comes to mind. Used underwear donations are suspicious at best and downright gross after some reflection. Wearing it until the last remaining stitch breaks is an option, but it's not the most prudent course of action. Here are some suggestions for repurposing your old underwear.

 

•Upcycle

Your forebears have been upcycling old underwear long before you were born because it's the simplest of the three options. Culturally, Filipinos have a strong distaste for waste. Hence, the existence of fish in old ice cream containers, cookie tins, and a plethora of sewing supplies. These methods have long been recognized as indicators of sustainability. 

In its most basic form, underwear is just a garment. They are tailored for close contact with our most private areas. After washing and drying it, you can decide what to do with it, at which point any damage (like holes or ripped seams) can be assessed. 

By gathering them and sewing them together, you can quickly make rags if you have a lot of old knickers lying around. Making your rags is better for the environment and your wallet than purchasing them. 

Other fabrics, like the crotch region of your favorite pair of jeans, can also be repaired with it as a patch. The underwear you no longer need can be repurposed into a tawashi or sponge. 

You can also use your old underwear as stuffing for new pillows, a headband, a scrunchie, or a pot holder. With a little ingenuity and hard work, you can make almost anything into something new. 

•Recycle 

Although there are few places to bring your unwanted textiles for recycling, a few shops and organizations do. The fast-fashion retailer H&M is attempting to reduce its carbon footprint by offering discounts to customers who donate their old clothing and other fabrics. 

Critics dismissed this action as a marketing ploy to keep customers coming back. Still, the company is taking steps to become more sustainable, such as funding research into technology that will make recycling textiles simpler.  

They also accept old dyes, scissors, sewing machines, thread, garment racks, and textile waste, which they use to repurpose and upcycle clothing. 

•Compost

People passionate about sustainability often compost their food scraps and other organic waste. But textile composting? Something novel is fine. Remember that underwear fabrics vary. The most popular are cotton, polyester, and spandex. 

To compost underwear, you must first identify its fibers. Only underwear made entirely of natural fibers like cotton, silk, linen, leather, or wool (how itchy) can be composted. You can't compost your underwear because polyester blends don't decompose. 

Materials like spandex and polyester take up to 200 years to decompose, so avoiding using them is best. However, natural fabrics usually decompose in a few weeks to a few years. 

To properly compost your underwear, you must remove buttons, fasteners, or other inorganic materials. They can be processed more quickly if they are cut into smaller pieces. Finally, worms will speed up your composting process even more. 

Conclusion

Those are some sustainable options for getting rid of old lingerie and maximizing the life of your underwear. Finally, upcycle whenever possible. You and the planet will both benefit from this change.