“There have been a lot of panties in the trash lately…” my husband mentioned the other day.
And I thought, yeah! isn’t it great!?
I have barely bought any underwear since I started my zero waste journey. Once I started a capsule wardrobe, I realized how many socks, panties, and bras I had. I decluttered many, but most were perfectly good and I saw no reason to throw them away or get new. When it comes to underpants, I did cull for comfort but many that I kept are simply not my favorite, many are not my style, but I thought it would be better to use them up, than trash them right away.
I’ve talked about it before, but there is a certain kind of joy when you use something all the way out or up. In this time of disposables, single use, fast fashion, and convenience in all things, we have forgotten how great it is to use objects to the end of their life.
It may seem a little woo woo (definition: witchy, crazy, new agey) but I feel that using something to the end of it’s life helps to honor that object and it’s creator. It’s a way to be mindful about what we own and therefore more mindful about what we buy/get/make next. It’s a great way to be low waste, make new habits and be more present.
Ideally with textiles, I would send them to be recycled. A lot of the underwear and socks that I have been throwing away have micro plastics. Tossing them in the trash isn’t the greatest solution. But these are items that are too far gone to donate, too intimate to pass along. Even though I wish I had a better option than throwing them in the garbage, I feel good knowing that I’ve used them up, and won’t have the same dilemma in the future.