In a previous Sustainability Issue, we spoke about how you can donate your sneakers to GotSneakers, and have their materials broken down and sold for a cause you believe in, including animal welfare. This is one way to sustainably and ethically recycle your sneakers. We also wrote about how you can recycle other things in your closet, like bras and underwear, to Housing Works, where they sell the fabric to help fund programs for homeless LGBTQ+ youth.
There are also ways to recycle your jeans and an alternate way to recycle your underwear. Madewell, a company that has made the news for making the first pair of short, waist-length, plus-size friendly jeans, will accept any pair of jeans from any company as part of their recycling program. The jeans are then used as housing insulation for people in need.
If you wish to recycle your underwear directly to an underwear company, you can donate them to Parade. Like Madewell, they will accept any brand and any type of underwear. They thoroughly sanitize them and then use them to create new pairs of underwear.
Consumerism breeds a prosperous economy, so long as we remain as ethical and sustainable as possible. Donating your used jeans and underwear is one way you can contribute to eco-friendly, ethical consumerism.
Edited by Wynter Aiken
