Nordstrom has begun recycling bras in a program inspired by its new partnership with the Harper Wilde bra brand, who believed bras were oversexualized, overpriced and not particularly comfortable. Harper Wilde has been direct-to-consumer only, but now it’s available at five Nordstrom stores — Century City, L.A.; 57th Street in Manhattan; Michigan Avenue in Chicago; Northpark in Dallas, and Tigard, Ore. — where there’s also bra recycling bins. Any bra, not just Harper Wilde bras, can be dropped in the bins for recycling. Nordstrom is also selling Harper Wilde bras on its own website.
The brand’s distribution expansion via Nordstrom comes on the heels of the company’s latest bra launch, The Lounge, which Harper Wilde promotes as blending style with comfort with its velvety, ribbed fabric on the outside and buttery soft jersey material on the inside. The company launched the industry’s first bra recycling program — ‘Recycle, Bra’ — in 2019, recognizing the need to minimize the company’s impact on the planet and to keep as many bras as possible out of landfills. The recycled materials are upcycled into yarns and fabrics, while others are downcycled into things like filling stock or padding. To date, shoppers have recycled more than 38,000 bras through the program, which is on track to recycle 50,000-plus by the end of 2021, according to Harper Wild. Furthering its do-good philosophy, Harper Wilde donates 1% of proceeds to Girls Inc., which provides mentorship and educational programming for girls ages six to 18.