No Bras in the Trash

As the boxes were carried up the stairs when we were moving in a few weeks ago, I nearly sobbed at the sight of all our stuff. It has been sitting, locked up in storage for the past eight months . . . and now what am I supposed to do with it? I've been living without it for this long, and now . . . now what? While we were living out of exactly four suitcases, we made the decision to cut down our wardrobe. But the cutting is painful sometimes. I'll fold one of my old jackets, and Curtis is all, "But I thought you liked that jacket." Well, I do. But I have to draw the line somewhere. I made a spreadsheet of the numbers of each type of clothing I could keep, and I can keep only three jackets.

We have a plan to getting rid of many of our clothes.

First, we can sell what we can. We've got a nice consignment shop near our apartment that I've given a few lesser-worn items to. It gives those items a second chance at being loved, and I like that. What doesn't sell after sixty days is donated. I like that too.

Second, we can swap what we can. Our church women's organization has an awesome Share Table that they set up when we have monthly activities. You can set what you want on the table, and let someone else have the chance to reuse it. Whatever is left on the table at the end of the night is donated. I really like that.

Third, we can donate what we can. What I don't think will resell or get snatched from the Share Table will go straight to Arc. Arc is similar to Goodwill: it accepts donations of clothing and household items, but the donations help serve and fund programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I love that.

But, there are still some things that I can't sell, swap, or donate. Bras? Underwear? Many donation sites won't accept items like that. So I did some research, and I want to tell you about my findings:

Source: usagain.com

Did you know that over 13 million tons of textiles are trashed each year? Many of the items that we throw away are perfectly reusable, including bras and underwear. Bras, in fact, are one of the most requested items in women's shelters and transitional programs around the world (The Bra Recyclers).

So what do we do with bras that don't fit or that we don't wear? I found a couple neat places that you can donate bras:

The Bra Recyclers. The Bra Recyclers save bras in good condition from adding to piles of wasted textiles and gives them to girls and women who are in need. Women in transition don't always have the means to shop for or afford a bra. Of those women, 8 out of 10 are wearing a bra that is the wrong size. A bra is one of those garments that we don't often think of as a self-esteem booster, but it is. Having a bra gives a woman confidence and comfort, and The Bra Recyclers can give women that confidence when they need it most.

Bras for a Cause. For those bras that may not be in tip-top shape, Bras for a Cause accepts bras, lingerie, swimsuits, and underwear (even the sexy stuff!) in all conditions (but they accept items in good shape too!). They take these items and sort them: What is reusable, they donate. What is not, they turn into art and sell to raise money to support breast cancer survivors and research. It is hard to find someone who hasn't been affected by breast cancer. My own Lola passed away from breast cancer nearly a decade ago, so donating your old bras can help this cause.