By clothing-bag, 04/06/2022

Guide to buying sustainable underwear ·vogue España LargeChevron menu close Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Pinterest Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gallery Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Pinterest LargeChevron

SOSTENIBILIDAD
Cada año se producen nada menos que 6.000 millones de prendas de ropa interior y por ello es crucial que, además de bonita y cómoda, nuestra lencería sea lo más respetuosa posible con el planeta. Te decimos cómo conseguirlo.

Por Emily ChanGuía para comprar ropa interior sostenible | Vogue España LargeChevron Menu Close Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Pinterest Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gallery Gallery Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Pinterest LargeChevron Guía para comprar ropa interior sostenible | Vogue España LargeChevron Menu Close Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Pinterest Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gallery Gallery Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Pinterest LargeChevron

Although lingerie is an indispensable daily, when we consider taking care of the environment as much as possible, it rarely comes to our head that we can wear sustainable underwear. In fact, it is estimated that in the world we produce the staggering amount of six billion lingerie garments a year and last one to two years on average and then end up directly accumulated in the waste plants. Since lingerie is often made of virgin polyester and nylon (plastics derived from fossil fuels that are highly harmful to the environment), our underpants and panties remain around the planet for hundreds of years.

Fortunately, today there are brands that aim to provide us with underwear as sustainable as possible without leaving us feeling pretty and comfortable. The Danish label Underprotection, for example, produces lace lingerie from recycled polyester and nylon; while the Los Angeles Prolaim brand offers timeless basics that are perfect for working from home. "sustainability is the mainstay of everything we do, from tissue to packaging," says Shobha Philips, founder of Prolaim.

However, designing lingerie that does not harm the planet still entails its difficulties, mainly due to the elastic materials needed to bring adjustment and fastening. That is the main reason that most of the underwear that exists right now on the market contains a certain percentage of elastane, or lycra, a material that is very difficult to recycle and which is usually not biodegradable. "there are certain limitations at the moment," says Phoebe Hunter-McIlveen, co-founder of the British brand Pico. "we've discovered a compostable elastane, but it's not always fit for underwear. Our goal is to make panties that are 100% compostable. "

Guía para comprar ropa interior sostenible | Vogue España LargeChevron Menu Close Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Pinterest Facebook Twitter Pinterest Gallery Gallery Facebook Instagram Twitter YouTube Pinterest LargeChevron

Of course we are still far from being able to buy biodegradable underwear that we can throw directly into the organic waste container, but we can make sure that our panties and bra are as environmentally friendly as possible without sacrificing the style. We talked to the experts to find out how.

Opt for tissue from sustainable sources

If you want your purchase to be more sustainable, it is essential to check with which materials the lingerie is made. This means choosing organic cotton rather than conventional cotton (which involves much more water consumption) and viscose from sustainable sources such as Tencel or Lyocell (since viscose to use contributes to the destruction of primary forests or at risk of disappearing). Brands such as Alexander Clementine have already started using seaweed weaving to make their underwear sustainable, as it needs a significantly smaller amount of water than conventional cotton.

Avoid virgin polyester as far as possible

Although the vast majority of underwear contains some form of synthetic material, it is ideal to avoid virgin polyester and nylon if you want to reduce the environmental footprint. "more and more brands are using recycled materials," says Sunniva Uggerby, co-founder of Underprotection. "the bases we use for our lingerie, for example, are made of fibres from recycling rather than wearing virgin polyester, and the elastane we use is recycled."

Get back to the basics.

Durability is key to buying underwear, especially considering how difficult it is to recycle it still. "the idea is to [search] products that we can use for a long time and that are basic closets," says Philips. "we're making [inclusive] meat garments; I think all women are good at wearing meat underwear, it's an essential basic."

Watch out for harmful chemicals

Given the intimate nature of underwear, it is especially important to prevent you from carrying harmful chemicals, so look for Oeko-Tex certified products or that have been dyed as naturally as possible. "as we know, tissue dyeing and dumping are causing all sorts of problems," says Isobel Williams-Ellis, Pico's co-founder. "our naturally dyed garments are now being prepared so that they can be dyed with washing nuts instead of whitening, and our charcoal garments wear a GOTS certified dye."

Wash it carefully.

Careful washing of underwear is essential to ensure that it lasts longer. Be sure to wash it at low temperatures and use protective clothing bags (with a Gupyfriend bag, you can prevent the release of harmful microplastics that end up in the oceans). "we recommend washing at 30 degrees or using the hand-washing program," advises Uggerby, and recalls that unless strictly necessary, there is no need to wash the bra after each use.

When you Don't want it anymore, recycle

If you want to prevent your used underwear from going straight to the landfill, remember that there are companies, such as Intimissimi, that have recycling programs. Although it is difficult to convert old bras and panties into new ones today, materials can be reused in other areas such as insulation materials, mattresses or cleaning rags. "always try to recycle [your underwear], Don't just throw it away," concludes Uggerby.

12 beautiful bras that improve your mood instantly

12 Fotos

By Nuria Luis

Ver fotos
Tags: