--- title: Can compostable undies prevent waste? - The Hustle description: Used underwear is hard to recycle and fills up landfills. But what if we composted them? image: https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/811309757-HS-News-Brief_2022-12-06T004039.314Z.webp --- # Can compostable undies prevent waste? ![Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://53.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/53/assets/hubspot.com/web-team/WBZ/HubSpot%20Media/Blog%202021/Images/Nav/Optimized/TheHustle_Icon_Dark.svg) [Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/author/juliet-bennett-rylah) [Juliet Bennett Rylah Twitter profile ](https://twitter.com/JBRylah) Published: December 06, 2022 Updated: October 11, 2023 Clothes are often [difficult to recycle](https://thehustle.co/03032022-plastic-clothes/) and [fill up](https://thehustle.co/09232021-cost-of-fashion/) landfills because they contain blended fabrics and plastics. ![Can compostable undies prevent waste?](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/811309757-HS-News-Brief_2022-12-06T004039.314Z.webp?width=595&height=400&name=811309757-HS-News-Brief_2022-12-06T004039.314Z.webp) Some you can at least donate, repurpose, or swap — but typically not used underwear, [~11m](https://www.fastcompany.com/90713252/this-startup-will-recycle-all-your-ratty-old-undies-for-free) pounds of which wind up in landfills daily. **So, what can be done?** Old underwear can be repurposed as padding, which D2C brands [Knickey](https://knickey.com/pages/recycle) and Parade do with their takebacks. But because demand for such materials is low, some companies are turning to compostable unmentionables, [per](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-12-05/would-you-compost-your-underwear?sref=3Ac2yX40) *Bloomberg*. LA-based [Kent](https://www.wearkent.com/) has sold 17.5k pairs since 2020. - They’re made from long-lasting pima cotton, and retail for ~$25 per pair. - You can compost them yourself or mail them to Kent to compost them for you. Research [found](https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/article/57243/1/biodegradable-clothes-sustainability-tech-bottega-veneta-stella-mccartney) they break down in ~90 days. #### **Sounds great, but…** … there are a few hurdles. While not the most expensive underwear out there, eco-conscious brands are pricier than ~$11 six-packs from Amazon. Those who’ll splurge for the environment may not have a compost bin, and many facilities [don’t take](https://www.discovermagazine.com/environment/combatting-fast-fashion-how-compostable-clothing-can-help-the-environment) clothes. Alden Wicker, author of *To Dye For: How Toxic Fashion is Making Us Sick*, [told](https://www.discovermagazine.com/environment/combatting-fast-fashion-how-compostable-clothing-can-help-the-environment) *Discover* magazine she wouldn’t recommend composting fabric for food-growing soil until there are universal compost standards for textiles. Those without bins can still use takeback programs, however, like Kent’s or The Big Favorite’s, whose ~$16-$32 undies are [turned into yarn](https://thebigfavorite.com/collections/circular-essentials). Topics: [Climate](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/climate) [Clothing](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/clothing) ## Follow us on social media prev next - ![Kinda gross, but kinda cool? 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