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15 Ways to Recycle or Repurpose Your Underwear

April 4, 2014 By: Anna21 Comments

How to Recycle Your Underwear

I don’t know about you but I wear my underwear until it falls apart.  But then what? Pitch it?  Or perhaps, your underwear has lost its elasticity or you just don’t wear it anymore?  Again, pitch or save?  If you are a greenie like me, you can’t bear to throw anything away to rot in a landfill. So, here are some ideas of how to recycle or repurpose your underwear.

Seriously.  I am not joking.

15 Ways to Recycle or Repurpose Your Underwear.

1.  Make a Quilt:  Use colorful boxers for quilt squares.  Little boy to pre-teen GAP boxers are adorable. I have contemplated using them to make my own quilts when I can clone myself.

2.  Use as Rags:  Of course, use the underwear as rags.

3.   Compost:   Cut off the elastic and compost your natural fiber underwear.  Use the elastic for other projects.

4.  Replace Stuffing :  Cut up the underwear and use cotton to replace stuffing missing in your children’s toys.

5.  Support Heavy Fruit:  Use thongs to support heavy fruit like huge tomatoes, small pumpkins, or melons.

6.  Make a bag:  Use the boxers to make a bag.  If you don’t want to go to the trouble of making an underwear bag, then buy an underwear bag from Heather, an Etsy seller.    She also makes underwear clutches too.

6.  Donate Them:  Donate your gently used underwear to the Salvation Army or the Goodwill.

7.  Scrunchies.  Yes, people still wear them.   Here is a tutorial on how to make one.

8.  Make a Rug:  Interweave your tighty whities with colorful boxer fabric to make a rug.  Here is a tutorial.

9.  Make a pot holder.  See this tutorial on how to make a scrap pot holder.

10.  Reusable Menstrual Pad.  Why not use the fabric to create a panty liner.  Here is a tutorial on how to make your own liner.

11.  Patches:  Use colorful boxers or underwear as patches to liven up clothes.  See here.

12.  Wrap present:  I guess I sound like a broken record but certain boxers and underwear are quite attractive.  Use them to wrap presents.  (Okay, use your best judgement here…)

13.  DIY Baby Doll Diaper.  Okay.  This one is so cute.  See here.

14.  Rockin’ Necklace:  Use your underwear to make a fringe necklace.  See here.  PS I am in love with this denim scrap necklace. I am sure you could use fabric to make the same one.

15.  Undies for Dolls.  How many of your girls love American Girls?  Here is a tutorial on how to make doll undies from women’s underwear. How cute is this concept?

In fact there is a whole  category on Pinterest on scrap fabric projects.  So go be your clever self and re-purpose your underwear.

***Be sure to read my tips on how to recycle or repurpose your bras.***

Green Sisterhood Earth Day Blog Carnival

Although I focused on one material to recycle or repurpose, we should all practice the 5 R’s:  refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose, recycle every day.  Here’s what my green sisterhood had to say as part of the Earth Day blog carnival sponsored by Green Sisterhood.

Karen of ecokaren:  How much waste do American’s generate.  Be sure to see the info-graphic.

Alicia of the Soft Landing:  4 Ways to Reduce Waste and Impress Skeptical Friends.

Betsy of Eco-novice:  Reduce Your Spending, Toxic Exposure and Waste by Ditching Disposables.

Kristina of Greening of Westford:  A Great breakdown of the 5 Rs: refuse, reduce, reuse, repurpose and recycle.

Leigh of Green4U:  We Should We Teach the 5 Rs from refuse to recycle.

Jen of Jen and Joey Go Green:  Easy Actions to Reduce Waste.

Brenna of Almost All the Truth: Porlandia, the 5 Rs from refuse to recycle.

 

Join the Conversation:

  • How do you recycle or repurpose your underwear? People want to know.  Seriously.
  • How do you practice the five Rs?

Sources:

  • How can I recycle Old Underwear
  • Fifteen-Uses-For-Old-Underwear
  • Reuse-Old-Clothes

 

 

Similar Posts:

  • 10 Ways to Recycle or Repurpose Your Old Bras.
  • 10 Repurposing or Reuse Ideas for Ordinary Household Items
  • Rubie Green Fabrics are Gems to Behold
  • Recycle Scrap Metal: Make Money and Be Kinder to the Earth.
  • 60 Minutes Reveals The Ugly Side of Recycling

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About Anna

Anna Hackman is the editor of Green Talk, and owner of The Naked Botanical and a avid (okay obsessed) gardener. She also loves video and podcasting and hosts Green Talk TV and Green Talk Radio. Her most important role is being a mother of four boys.

Chat with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest , and Google+.

Comments

  1. 2

    Anne says

    April 4, 2014 at 12:59 pm

    Rags – easy one for all of us. You are very, very creative in finding the rest of these uses!

    Reply
  2. 3

    Marcus says

    April 7, 2014 at 3:46 pm

    “5. Support Heavy Fruit: Use to support heavy fruit like huge tomatoes, small pumpkins, or melons.”

    Isn’t that what underwear does already? 😉

    Reply
  3. 4

    Tiffany (NatureMom) says

    April 7, 2014 at 3:52 pm

    Uh, no. I have to pass on reusing old underwear. 🙂

    Reply
    • 5

      Anna@Green Talk says

      April 7, 2014 at 11:13 pm

      Aw, come on Tiffany! Anna

      Reply
  4. 6

    francine Storzbach says

    April 7, 2014 at 4:10 pm

    How about socks with holes?
    I’ve been recycling old underwear as rags, but I have too much. I really don’t have any time to do crafts, so I’m afraid many of your suggestions haven’t been much help. Nevertheless, I do appreciate them, and glad you post other green sites as well.

    Reply
    • 7

      TK says

      April 30, 2015 at 1:27 pm

      I cut up old holey socks into squares about twice the size of the palm of my hand, then fold them in half inside-out. They make great “one-time use” makeup remover cloths with cold cream.

      Reply
      • 8

        Anna@Green Talk says

        April 30, 2015 at 11:10 pm

        Great idea, TK.

        Reply
  5. 9

    Michelle says

    April 7, 2014 at 8:00 pm

    I love making doll undies! Don’t think i would wrap a present, but I liked many of the other ideas! (pantyliners, interesting!) bookmarking for later!

    Reply
  6. 10

    Betsy (Eco-novice) says

    April 8, 2014 at 11:37 am

    I’m not sure I could stomach all of these. We definitely reuse undies as stuffing and rags around here. I do use old newborn diapers as doll diapers : )

    Reply
  7. 11

    Felix Nagel says

    December 3, 2014 at 8:39 pm

    I know it’s a little bit funny, come to think of it, but you’ll really be surprised to see what your old under-wears can become specially when they are made into creatively made rags. We used to do it back then, cause my cousin has a small tailoring business, and we actually were able to make it into a income generating venture.

    These rags sell pretty good. And the customers really have a great laugh after knowing what they were made of, and they ended up buying more.

    Reply
    • 12

      Anna@Green Talk says

      December 3, 2014 at 9:13 pm

      Felix, I love that idea! Anna

      Reply
  8. 13

    Sandy young says

    March 1, 2015 at 10:03 pm

    I cut the elastic off my old cotton underwear. Then I cut here and there to create a strip of cotton cloth which I stuff into my bra to absorb sweat.

    Reply
    • 14

      Anna@Green Talk says

      March 1, 2015 at 10:24 pm

      Sandy, I love this idea. Do you have a picture you can share with me? If so, it here: info at green-talk dot com. I have to spell it out. Or contact me through my contact form. Anna

      Reply
  9. 15

    Lois says

    August 8, 2015 at 11:14 pm

    Great ideas especially using them to re-stuff a toy and that could be extended to stuffing pillows and more. You have me thinking now. I have plenty of rags and usually compost underwear but now I’m going to try repurposing them first.

    Reply
    • 16

      Anna@Green Talk says

      August 10, 2015 at 9:29 pm

      Lois, what great ideas! Anna

      Reply
  10. 17

    Stephen Tran says

    April 27, 2016 at 2:10 pm

    For 100 percent cotton bras and underwear, cut off the elastic waistband, then cut the cotton into strips or squares and put it in your compost bin! (Synthetic materials, such as Lycra, won’t compost, so send any garments containing Lycra blends to the charities above.)

    Reply
    • 18

      Anna@Green Talk says

      April 27, 2016 at 2:19 pm

      Good idea, Stephen. Anna

      Reply
  11. 19

    Diva Cups says

    July 18, 2016 at 2:39 pm

    Nice post! These are all great tips to go green with the underwear. I find old undies so comfortable. I wouldn’t think of recycling or doing something else until they’re totally worn out and are no longer wearable.

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. The 5 R's - Refuse Reduce Reuse Repurpose Recycle | The Greening of WestfordThe Greening of Westford says:
    April 4, 2014 at 12:16 pm

    […] 4 U – We Should Teach the 5 R’s from Refuse to Recycle  Green Talk – 15 Ways to Recycle or Repurpose Underwear The Greening Of Westford Jen and Joey goes Green The Soft Landing Eco-Novice: Going Green Gradually […]

    Reply
  2. How much waste do Americans generate? says:
    April 4, 2014 at 2:00 pm

    […] from Green Sisterhood bloggers: The Greening of Westford – The 5 R’s Green Talk – 15 Ways to Recycle your Underwear The Soft Landing – 4 Ways to Reduce Waste Green 4 U – Teach Kids 5 […]

    Reply
  3. How much waste do Americans generate? says:
    April 5, 2014 at 8:31 am

    […] Sisterhood bloggers HOW TO 5R! The Greening of Westford – The 5 R’s Green Talk – 15 Ways to Recycle your Underwear The Soft Landing – 4 Ways to Reduce Waste Green 4 U – Teach Kids 5 R’s Jen and […]

    Reply

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