Give your bra a second life

How many of you have bras in your drawers that you are itching to toss out? Unfortunately, all of the pieces that make up a bra, such as hooks, underwire, and elastic, will never biodegrade. Wouldn’t it make you feel better to know that your bra was getting a second life instead? Believe it or not, bras are a sought-after item!

Over in Japan, women are encouraged to recycle their brassieres so that they can be converted into fuel. Meanwhile, Oxfam is working hard to up-cycle bras in the UK with its Big Bra Hunt campaign.

Here in the U.S. of A, we have an Arizona-based organization called The Bra Recyclers. The organization buys and sell recycled bras, which are then redistributed to communities in need around the world. There are drop-off sites around the country through the Bra Recycling Ambassador program, or you can ship your donation directly to the organization.

Through Free the Girls, another American organization, your bra donation goes to help women fight sex trafficking. Free the Girls hires women who were sold into prostitution at a young age. Since the trafficking survivors have a history of being abused by men, Free the Girls gives them the opportunity to work with other women and earn a living selling secondhand clothing. You can participate by hosting an event, or even collecting bras at your place of business.

Sierra Club Green Home could not be happier to see an opportunity to both recycle and help people. Do you (or your roommate, or sister, or girlfriend) have a neglected bra that is lying around, just waiting to be worn? Before you toss it, consider recycling it with one of these great organizations.

Originally posted at http://www.sierraclubgreenhome.com/go-green/recycling/can-you-recycle-bras-you-bet/

Sierra Club Green Home was developed with a simple mission in mind: to help Americans make their homes more energy efficient, environmentally sustainable and healthy. Visit www.sierraclubgreenhome.com.

By Kara A. DiCamillo for Sierra Club Green Home