Where to Donate Bras: Organizations That Donate and Recycle Old Bras

Donating clothes is easy. You put everything in a bag and drop it off at your local Goodwill, or ship it to an online thrift store. But can you donate bras along with your other unwanted items? The answer is yes, and there are plenty of places that are more than happy to accept them.

Before deciding where to donate bras, first consider whether they're in good enough condition for others to wear them. If the bra has a broken strap, is ripped, has underwire poking out, or is in generally bad shape, opt for textile recycling instead in order to keep it out of the trash.

Even though the majority of textiles can be recycled, 85% still wind up in landfills. Bras can be trickier to recycle, as they're typically made up of 30 individual pieces and a mix of materials, like foam and metal. The B.R.A Recycling Agency specializes in recycling bras, ensuring those materials get recycled instead of getting trapped in a landfill where they can take hundreds of years to break down.

If your bras are in good shape, you can donate them to the brands and organizations below. Taking that extra step not only keeps waste out of landfills, but also provides bras to individuals who need them the most.

Where to Donate Bras

1. The Bra Recyclers

Accepts: Regular bras, sports bras, bralettes, mastectomy bras, and breast prosthesis bra pads

The Bra Recyclers has started a "BRAVOLUTION" to keep bras out of landfills. After sending in your bras, they're sorted and sent to nonprofit organizations that support women and girls around the world. Many of these organizations work with those who are escaping domestic violence and human trafficking, and this donation helps them in their journey toward becoming self-sufficient.

2. Harper Wilde's 'Recycle, Bra' Program

Accepts: All bras, regardless of brand or style: bralettes, sports bras, underwire bras, wireless bras, nursing bras, etc.

The brand Harper Wilde has a "Recycle, Bra" program that accepts both its own bras, as well as bras from other brands, to be recycled. To send in your bras, follow the instructions here. After they're received, the pieces are separated and the brand works with several partners to give them a new life. That includes turning them into building insulation, couch stuffing, carpet padding, and more. As of today, 30,000 bras have been kept out of landfills.

3. Free The Girls

Accepts: Both new and gently used bras of all sizes and styles, including sports bras, nursing bras, and camisoles

Free The Girls helps women rescued from sex trafficking survivors reintegrate into their communities. The nonprofit organization currently works in three countries—El Salvador, Mozambique, and Costa Rica—where they collaborate with partners to "encourage, equip, and empower girls and women to earn a safe income selling bras in the secondhand market." Either send in your bras, or donate them in any Aerie store.

4. I Support the Girls

Accepts: All new and used bras in good condition

I Support the Girls collects and distributes bras to women in need all around the world. Donations are sent to women and girls in homeless shelters, foster care agencies, domestic violence shelters, refugee settlement homes, foster care agencies, LGBTQ agencies, homes for pregnant teens, and more. Send in your bras, or donate them in any Soma store.