Though the underwear sector is becoming increasingly sustainable, it still remains one of the largest contributors to clothing landfills.As per Environmental Protection Agencyestimates, US consumers discard approximately 11 million pounds of underwear every day. Only about 15 per cent of this textile waste is recycled due to garment’s limited re-use, as per a Glossy report. Most of the discarded underwear is downcycled, as it is made from a mix of fibers, including elastane. These fibers cannot be separated and made into new items.

Resale, recycle programs to curb waste

The sector has been incorporating organic and bamboo materials in new underwear. However, it needs to step up efforts to combat the amount of waste it generates. US brands like Parade are recycling old underwear into new ones. While others like Modibodi are making their products biodegradable. Two-year old brand The Big Favorite is also eliminating the use of elastic in its underwear.

Over 60 per cent consumers believe, brands and retailers should offer resale and recycling programs for their products, as per a 2022 consumer behavior report from Avery Dennison. However, the current underwear brands fail to address the needs of the whole sector.

Parade joined the Science Based Initiative to help companies reduce emissions in line with the Paris Agreement goals. The brand also collaborated with well-known US recycling company Terracycle to introduce a take-back program. The partnership aims to curb the dumping of underwear into landfills. Kerry Steib, Head-Impact, Parade says, the partnership aims to find ways to convert these underwear made from blended materialsinto new products like housing materials, insulation and furniture. The brand is creating a bio-elastane material to recycle underwear into new ones. Parade is also introducing new ways to increase supply chain transparency. The brand is providing opportunities to consumers to get involved into its activities, adds Steib.

Opting for biodegradable materials

Meanwhile other apparel companies are focusing on launching underwear products made from biodegradable materials. Two years ago, underwear brand Modibodilaunched a range of biodegradable brief made using both natural and bioengineered synthetic textiles. Each of these briefs has an inside liner, making it period-proof. Kristy Chong, Founder and CEO, says, these brief reduces environmental impact by eliminating waste.

The briefs launched by Modibodi underwear are Standard100 certified by Oeko-Tex. They are also free of harmful chemicals with 97 percent components scientifically proven to break down into nontoxic substances. Durable and tested to perform even after 100 washes, the briefs offer the same quality as the rest of Modibodi’s products.

Other companies like The Big Favorite are offering underwear that can be directly recycled into new underwear. The brand provides customers a QR code on the garment’s label that can be used to return the item. The brand thencleans and sorts these garments and sends them to a textile recycling partner in Peru. This helps the brand recycle these fibers into new under wear, thus extending their lifespan.