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And choosing clothing that doesn’t shed microplastics.
Dear Reader,
Perhaps you’re a lingerie lover, seduced by ads from celebrities who hawk shapewear or teensy little lacey panties. Dot is a practical (and sometimes itchy) Dot; my days of lace and silk were short-lived. These days, I select undergarments based on price, comfort, and easy availability.
But no matter what items our underwear drawer contains, at some point, they stretch out, wear out, and require discarding. What then? Well, most of us will toss them in the trash. After all, as Sarah Jordan, founder of Y.O.U. Underwear, told Anxiety.Eco’s Amy Miles, “Underwear is one of the hardest categories to recycle.”
The main reason for that is that underwear is typically a blend of fabrics held together by trim and, in the case of bras, tiny pieces of hardware. As Amy tells us, “For a garment to be recycled, the trims must be removed, and with all the hooks, bows, underwires, strap adjusters, diamantés … you name it, on underwear, this can present big time, logistics, and cost barriers. And the hygiene issue limits a secondhand market for the category and prevents some take-back and recycling schemes from admitting it.”
While we wait for the industry to get its act together and create the potential for circularity (⏳), what can we do?
We can start by subscribing to Dot’s #1 Rule of Consumption: Buy products that you love and that will last … and then wear them out. While the industry encourages us to replace our undergarments every six months or so, there is absolutely no evidence that this is necessary. Sounds like a scam from Big Underwear to Dot! Wash your panties in a garment bag to help them hold their shape, and hang them to dry so they’ll last longer.
And then?
Well, if you’ve purchased KENT undergarments, which are available in our store, The Bluedot Living Collection, you can compost them. Really! As our Marketplace editor writes, “All of Kent’s underwear, boxers, and tees are made in California from organic, Peruvian-grown pima cotton and nothing else. The brand actually bears the USDA’s 100% Certified Biobased Product seal. After wearing Kent underpants until the items’ end of life, home composters can cut the pairs into a few pieces and expect them to break down in the soil in about 90 days.” What’s more, they’re practical and cute!
Plant your pants!! Now that’s lingerie Dot can get into.
Privately,
Dot
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