A while back, we ran a take-back program. If you remember it, you probably also noticed it quietly went away - so let's just say why. It never really got off the ground, and being in the business of collecting and processing people's used underwear at scale isn't something we're set up to do well. That's not us being precious about it. It's just true, and we'd rather tell you that than keep a program running badly or pretend it's still happening.
That still leaves the actual question, though, which is a fair one: when a pair is genuinely done - stretched out, thinning, not something you'd wear anymore - where does it go instead of straight into the garbage?
One thing first, because it's the instinct a lot of people reach for and it's a dead end: donation bins won't take it. Goodwill, Salvation Army, and really, most thrift stores... used underwear is one of the few categories they turn away outright, and that's a reasonable hygiene call on their part, not an oversight. So skip that step and save yourself the trip.
We've got a few ideas for you, after doing a bit of thinking and research. None of it is a grand fix, and it won't make a worn-out pair last forever; it just gets a bit more use out of the fabric before it's actually garbage, which feels worth a try.
Around the house, no effort required:
The easiest move is the one you probably already know: cut it up for cleaning rags. Bamboo knit is soft and absorbent, which makes it great for the dirty jobs.
Here are a few other versions of the same idea:
Garage or car rags. Oil changes, greasy hands, anything you don't want to ruin a real towel doing.
Polishing cloths. Soft knit fabric works well on jewelry, silverware, and glass.
Draft stopper stuffing. Sew a fabric tube, stuff it, and tuck it under a drafty door this fall.
A DIY mop pad. Cut to fit your swiffer-style mop head.
If you're a little bit crafty:
Stuffing for a pin cushion, a small pillow, or a homemade pet bed.
A braided pet tug toy, from strips cut and knotted together.
Patchwork or rag rug material.
Outdoors:
Soft plant ties. Strips of stretchy knit are gentler on stems than string or wire.
Weed-barrier layering under mulch - fabric portion only. This will break down eventually, but the elastane in the waistband won't compost or biodegrade the way the rest of the fibres do. Cut the waistband out before it goes in the garden.
That last bit is really the whole philosophy here:
We'd rather tell you the fabric isn't magic and the elastic isn't going anywhere than let you assume the whole thing quietly disappears into the earth. Getting a few more months of real use out of something before it's actually done is worth doing, even when it's unglamorous and doesn't solve the whole problem. That's about as far as we'll take the "sustainability" claim on this one - no bin, no badge, just a slightly longer life for something that's already made.
If you've got a reuse we didn't think of, we'd love to hear it!