What
do Oxfam shops do with donated bras?
Some Oxfam shops sell good
quality donated bras, for example they have a special lingerie display for
Valentines Day. However, most shops don’t have a market for bras so they send
them to Oxfam’s textile recycling facility, Wastesaver.
Why do Wastesaver want bras?
They’re a great way for Wastesaver to raise money
for Oxfam. The bras that are currently sent to Wastesaver from the shop network
are sorted and sold to raise funds for Oxfam’s work. We don't throw any away
even if they need repairing.
Who do Wastesaver sell them to?
Wastesaver currently sells the bras to wholesalers
in developing countries, such as those in Senegal who sell the bras on to local
traders at a profit, thus providing employment opportunities and meeting the
needs of local people.
Why do we sell bras to developing countries?
Bras are complex to
manufacture so very few developing countries have the facilities to make their
own. For this reason, second hand bras are a valuable commodity; they are the
single most desirable item of clothing. In particular British bras are seen as
very high quality and are much sought after.
Oxfam Wastesaver
Oxfam is the only major charity to operate its own
textile sorting facility, Wastesaver, which maximises revenue from textiles that
cannot be re-sold in its shops and minimises the amount of textiles sent to
landfill. The facility sorts clothing and resells it through a number of
different routes, including:
to
designers who restyle garments and r
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