Where To Recycle Bras For Charity In The UK
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Don’t bin your old undies! Did you know that there are specific bra recycling schemes that help benefit charity too? Here are all the places in the UK that you can donate your old bras to.
Did you know you’re supposed to be measured for a bra every 6 months to ensure you’re wearing the correct size?
Whilst I don’t get measured that frequently (I’ve found a trick to make your bra last longer!), I once got measured after a prolonged break. I found out I was wearing the wrong sized bra. The correct-sized one was a huge improvement. However, it left me with a small collection of gently used, unsuitably sized bras that I had no idea what to do with.
I’ve also faced the conundrum of what to do with the bras that you wear and wear until they’re beyond the point of re-wear. You don’t want to put them in the bin and consign them to landfill. But just what do you do with them?
Thankfully, after quite a bit of research, I’ve found the best places to recycle your bras in the UK. This is whether they are gently worn or unwearable. And the best part is that, as well as giving your old undies a new lease of life, you can help out charities in the process.
Where To Donate Bras In The UK
Here are all the UK charities where you can donate bras for reuse or recycling. To make this post extra helpful, I’ve also included retailers with bra recycling schemes that support charitable causes. Use the quick links to navigate directly to a specific section or keep scrolling for the complete post:
- Smalls For All
- Against Breast Cancer
- Bravissimo (Supporting Women’s Aid)
- Your Smalls Appeal
- The Salvation Army
Smalls For All
If you have any gently used bras that no longer fit or new unworn bras that you will never wear, then you can donate them to the Scottish charity Smalls For All. After quality checking them, the bras are then sent out to girls and women in both Africa and the UK.
In Africa, Smalls for All helps those living in orphanages, slums, IDP (internally displaced persons) camps, and schools. Donations also go to those in hospitals suffering from medical conditions like obstetric fistula – a post-birth complication.
Smalls For All underwear has gone to many African countries. This includes Cameroon, Ethiopia, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Swaziland, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zanzibar, and Zimbabwe.
Within the UK, Smalls for All helps charities that focus on alleviating poverty in the UK by providing them with underwear, including good quality recycled bras.
It’s not just about bra recycling. As well as gently worn bras in all sizes, Smalls for All also gladly accepts new and unworn pants. It collects these in children’s sizes aged 3-15 years, UK ladies’ sizes 8-14, and men’s sizes XS-L. All colours of pants are collected; however, the ladies’ pants in greatest demand are black, in full brief, midi, mini, or high-leg styles.
Smalls For All will even support you in setting up a collection point in your local community.
Against Breast Cancer
If your bras are beyond the point of donation to Smalls For All, you don’t have to bin them. Against Breast Cancer accepts donations of unwanted or unloved bras in any condition. This helps raise vital funds for pioneering breast cancer research.
Here, the textiles are recovered by Against Breast Cancer’s recycling partners and given a new lease of life. Plus, for every tonne of bras collected, Against Breast Cancer receives £700 to fund its research.
You can post your old bras directly to Against Breast Cancer. Alternatively, you can use the postcode locator on its website to find a bra bank near you. And if you’re in England, Scotland, or Wales, you can even request a free bra bank for your place of work.
Bravissimo
Underwear retailer Bravissimo runs its own charity bra recycling scheme. Simply head to one of its 25 UK stores – peppered up and down the country – and place any old and unwanted bras (from any brand) in its collection bins.
For every kilogram of bras collected, a donation is then made by Bravissimo to Women’s Aid – the national charity working to end domestic abuse against women and children.
Your old bras are then passed on to Bravissimo’s recycling provider A-TEX. This is a German company that focuses on finding innovative ways to recycle textiles and prolong the life of textile goods.
Bras that can be re-worn are passed on to communities around the world. The different materials and components are separated for those beyond the point of reuse. Some materials are recycled for padding for insulation or reworked to make car seats. Even the dust from these processes can cleverly be made into recycled cardboard!
Your Smalls Appeal
If you have any gently used or unworn bras, you can also donate these to Your Smalls Appeal. This British charity sends these to rural villages across Africa, alongside sanitary pads, new pants, and new reusable menstruation pads.
The charity also supports a growing number of children to access education by paying for their tuition, uniforms, and school books.
The charity’s goal is to ensure that every girl has the right underwear, a menstruation kit to avoid period poverty, and, wherever possible, an education to help open up the number of opportunities available to them.
The Salvation Army
Another good place to donate your bras is to the Salvation Army, through its network of charity shops and clothing banks. The Salvation Army runs a specialist reuse and repurposing scheme through its trading arm, SATCoL (Salvation Army Trading Company Ltd). Rather than sending old pants or bras to landfill, SATCoL takes them in and gives them a second life.
Unworn bras are resold in Salvation Army charity shops, while those that can’t be reused are sold to recycling partners. The profit that SATCoL receives from your donations is then given to The Salvation Army to help fund its work providing practical help to people in need.
Go Further
Recycling doesn’t have to stop at your bras. If you’re cleaning out your underwear drawer, then I’ve got tonnes of top tips:
- Check out my guide on how to recycle your old underwear correctly. Here, I’ve got heaps of tips for what to do with your old knickers and other places to recycle bras (not necessarily for charity).
- I’ve also got a handy guide on how to use old socks in so many different ways.
- You can also check out my sustainable tips on what to do with old tights.
And if you are looking to replace your old bras and pants, try my big guide to ethical underwear, and my guide to UK organic cotton underwear brands for some sustainable inspiration.
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Thank you for information about new address. I have a small donation of new and hardly worn bras and I will send them off to West calder.
Regards Tricia
Check the Small for All website before sending your underwear as it looks like their address has changed since this post.
Thanks for this Karen – it changed in August so I will get this updated. I believe they suffered a fire at their previous place.
Hello, I have 4 big bags of Bras, please can you arrange to collect. I live in Jersey Channel Island.
Why only black pants? Will you take new coloured ones?
Hi The black pants were for a particular appeal as that is what Days4girls put in their hygiene packs. Smallsforall take any colour of new pants as per website.
Hi Amelia, sorry to hear you have taken issue with this. I’m not advocating replacing your underwear for no reason. People can change bra sizes, through weight loss or gain, pregnancy, surgery and so forth, and I’m just trying to provide a way to recycle bras that haven’t had much wear, but that charity shops often don’t accept/sell. The charity don’t send any old bras to Africa, only new and gently worn ones. Older ones are sent for fabric recycling.
Is Smalls for All still in business? I have collected box of bras and want to be sure they will be received at the Livingston address
So for clarity do you want gently worn ladies pants? I am more than happy to pay any postage along with some gently worn bras but obviously won’t if the pants/knickers are going to be thrown away.
I look forward to hearing from you.
Hi, I have several bras I wanted to send to Smalls for All but their website isn’t working. Are they still in business and should I send to the West Lothian address or are there collections in other areas?
Thanks
I have twice sent huge bags of bras and knickers to one of these charities from Australia. A local group sent a container full of bras and other clothing to Africa from our regional city. It feels good to be able to repurpose things that are in excellent condition but no longer needed in our ‘rich’ society
I’ve just come across your site as I’m looking for a charity to accept several slightly used bras. The Smalls for all site isn’t loading so I’m wondering if they’ve gone out of business?
Hi Michele, it’s working for me, so worth trying again. They are still very much in business!
I have about twenty bras to send
Can you send a postage paid label, as I imagine it will cost a lot to send them
If not, where can I take them in Doncaster , Yorkshire
Is the above address still valid? I have some items I would like to send
Yes it is! I’m sure they would love to receive them!
I’ve a bag full of bras. Where can I take them ?
HI Kathryn, you need to post them to the address above.
This is fabulous. I have several bras that no longer fit me but are still in beautiful condition. Many of them have matching knickers.
Do you also twke swimwear? I have a couple of bikinis and tankinis (again, hardly worn), which I’d love to donate. Thank you.
Hi Karen, it’s not me that collects them – it’s the charity Smalls for All. You’l need to contact them directly to see if they take things like that: http://www.smallsforall.org/
A colleague of mine put this request on our work’s intranet – we have a predominately female workforce and was inundated with donations all of which went to this charity – a big variety of sizes etc… a brilliant idea
Can people from the U.S send in stuff?
If you’re happy to pay postage then of course!
Hello – we have been collecting bras where I work and I wondered if you would like them. People have been very generous and I have about 100 bras. They were collected to support women in Africa and people really engaged in the campaign. thank you
Hi Cecilia, it’s not me that runs the campaign it’s the charity Smalls For All! I was just helping to spread the word about this cause! Here’s the link to their page on how to donate bras: http://www.smallsforall.org/get-involved/donate/
what a fantastic cause this is – thank you for the inspiration to make a difference this way! i’m excited to ship a small donation to ‘smalls for all’, to get myself more educated on important issues, like women’s health and to find ways to contribute
What a great charity, thanks for sharing. Have a look at sewpowerful.org this charity supplies hand made bags (or purses) containing sanitary supplies which equip girls in Africa to stay on at school during their periods thus enabling them to finish their education and lift themselves out of the poverty trap.
Great idea, but I have a problem! I used to collect old bras form the members of my exercise classes for Hampshire Air Ambulance.. bras for Africa. Unfortunately, they no longer do this and I now have a LARGE, and rather heavy bag of bras! Obviously, it would be VERY costly to post them or pay for them to be delivered to you.
Perhaps I’ll have to ask the local Oxfam shop, unless you have any other ideas??
Hi Pam, it’s not me that collects the bras, it;s the charity Smalls For All. I was just spreading the word! Best to contact them directly – http://www.smallsforall.org/ :)
Great idea. I am having a declutter and have quite a few hardly worn bras. Will arrange postage asap
Have you also heard about Sals Shoes? They are a charity that will happily take and redistribute used school shoes, kids wellies, trainers, sparkly shoes etc to kids of Africa. Some schools won’t allow children to go to school without a pair of shoes and as kids feet grow so fast, I know our kids shoes would definitely be welcomed!
What a wonderful idea.I have many barely worn and unworn bras and am delighted to think they will help someone.Will def pass on this site to friends-many of whom feel the same.Well done.
I am glad that there are campaigns like this and I will definitely send my unused bras. This is really a great way not only to help people in need, but to reduce the waste of materials around the world.
Thank you for sharing this! :)
Hello Wendy,
Like Sophie I have many unused bras at home. I discussed this with my friends we was think about something similar but you have a better idea I must admit. I’m very happy that you shared it with us!
Thank you! Have a nice summer!
I am so happy to have found a home for some hardly worn but pretty bras which don’t fit anymore. Retrieved one from the bedroom bin this morning after I heard an article on radio 4 about bras for a charity going astray in Africa – good timing. There’s plenty more I’m now happy to part company with. Will get parcel in post – and will pass on the word to my girl friends
My partner & I will be moving soon & I have loads of old bra’s that I haven’t had the heart to throw away in the hopes that they might be of some use to someone for something one day.. I have jotted the address down & will be posting them out soon.
Thanks so much for bringing this to my attention! I have so many unused bras at home (currently travelling so I’m obviously not using them) and would have pondered donating them but this seems like an awesome solution. Great post :)
My pleasure Sophie! Happy travels! :)
Great! I have posted it on my FB page.
Cool post. Thanks for sharing this info! Do you happen to know/have you heard if there is anything like this that collects closer to Australia?
I’m sorry, I live in the UK so Australian based organisations are a bit of an unknown to me. Perhaps any Australian readers might know?
Look it up on the internet, Ella !!
This is fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing!
Wendy, this gave us a great idea for my business. I could make a marketing campaign and collect all of the unwanted bras for free. Thank you very much Wendy.
Amazing post! I have quite a few bras that are barely worn in my drawers, I’m going to send them off :)
Great Amber, glad I could help! :)
What a great idea! I had no idea that simply owning undies could help these girls out. Definitely keeping this in mind the next time I get measured.
Wendy, this is super useful, thanks! What a great initiative. :)
That’s great – I have a bag of new pants as well.
Such a great scheme and one of those things we take for granted. Thanks for sharing Wendy and enjoy the rest of the week!
Thanks for sharing, its a great idea:) Happy Zero waste week:)
Great post! I’ve linked to it on my blog : )
Ha, this post comes at the right moment as I was wondering about my collection of too big, hardly worn bras. Thank you very much – parcel to be sent soon