Harper Wilde is on a quest to recycle bras

California – The lingerie brand has worked with t-shirt start-up For Days, inviting women to send in their old bras for recycling.

With a mix of materials, underwire and fastenings, many women are unsure how to positively dispose of their bras, with most simply throwing them away. In response, Harper Wilde will now send a prepaid return shipping label with its online orders, encouraging customers to send back their old bras, no matter what the brand, to be recycled into new products.

As Harper Wilde offers a free try-before-you-buy programme that includes return shipping, the process is not adding to the retailer’s carbon footprint. ‘We are not actually increasing the number of packages shipped, which comes with its own environmental cost,’ says Jeff Borsuk, Harper Wilde head of growth. ‘These old bras are hitching a ride, and we’re taking advantage of that efficiency we already had.’

With fashion industry waste set to reach 148m tons annually by 2030, brands such as Harper Wilde are innovating with commercial programmes that drive a circular economy.