Recycling bras kills two birds with one stone

Major underwear makers in Japan are collecting used bras to recycle into a solid fuel for industrial use, a move aimed at raising their profile as environmentally conscious companies, as well as offering women the opportunity to use their old undergarments for a worthy cause.

Triumph International Japan Ltd., a Tokyo-based underwear manufacturer, provided free plastic bags in April and May at some of its stores nationwide. Customers were encouraged to rummage through their wardrobes for old or unneeded bras and use the bags to take them to stores. Triumph also accepted bras of other brands.



"I won't have to worry about what to do with my old bras any longer if manufacturers take them back," a 33-year-old housewife said at a Triumph store in Chuo Ward, Tokyo. She said she used to cut her bras into pieces before throwing them out with the trash. Many Japanese women find it embarrassing and uneasy to throw out their underwear along with other waste, as many cities and towns have regulations requiring residents to put garbage in transparent plastic bags.

Many women are also concerned about their underwear being stolen by perverts. "While considering what we can do for environmental conservation, we came up with an idea that can also ease the anxiety among our customers," a Triumph spokesman said. Many women have apparently felt such anxiety for years. A 2004 survey by major lingerie maker Wacoal Corp. found that 61 percent of respondents hesitated to throw out bras with the trash.