Well, the time has finally come! Thank you to everyone who took part in our pilot Recycled Pairs Project. You sent us your old Modibodi underwear, now we’re giving them a new life.
Most underwear ends up in landfill, no matter how good the quality is or how long you wear it. Why? Because there haven’t been many other options.
We've set out to change that. With your help, we launched the Recycled Pairs Project pilot in Australia to find a way to recycle your preloved Modibodi underwear. You sent us your old underwear, and got to work sorting, recycling and transforming it into something new.
We learned a lot along the way, like:
- Our customers (you!) want to be a part of a more sustainable future.
- Underwear can have a valuable second life in a new product.
- Textile recycling is a small industry in Australia, and we need investment and innovation to make widespread textile recycling a reality.
- All products came back clean and dry (thank you).
- Most people wear their Modibodi underwear for 2-3 years.
- The most common reason products were at their end of life was because you’d worn them so much, they’d simply worn out.
Your Modibodi have now been sorted and we’re pleased to say all underwear came back clean and dry – thank you! Now your old, clean and dry undies are ready to be recycled.
So, what will the undies be recycled into?
The most common recycling pathway for textiles in Australia is mechanical shredding, either locally or in offshore markets. We wanted a local option to avoid carbon emissions from shipping and maintain transparency. So, we partnered with UPPAREL, a pioneer of textile recycling in Australia, to mechanically shred your old Modibodi underwear and turn it into a fibre to be used as:
- An alternative to poly-fill for furniture
- Recycled wadding for quilts and jackets
- Wall and ceiling insulation
- Compressed acoustic panelling
Pretty cool, right!
What’s next for period underwear recycling?
In 2023, our ambition is to launch a Recycled Pairs pilot in the UK. We will also continue our research into new recycling technologies and other pathways and continue to develop partnerships to create a more circular future.
