Uplift Project – ReUse of Bras

Share your Pre-loved bras with Pacific sisters who literally need your support

Since 2013, a bright pink bin has been located at the reuse depot at the weekly Grey Lynn Farmers Market for collecting unwanted but useable bras.

This waste initiative was established in July 2013 by Grey Lynn Waste Away and has received a constant support (ha ha!)  for all of these years.

Collecting Sorting and Donating Bras

“Our goal is to re-use and find a home for bras where they are very much valued”, says Lynn Green, who initiated and has continued the collection of the bras since 2015

In  rural and remote Pacific communities, woman often live on subsistence economies. A new bra can cost 10-30 hours wages and is beyond financial reach for some women. Often women will spread the money on family and children before purchasing something for themselves.

We encourage women to have a clearout and support the project:

What is often hard to find and especially needed are large size, mastectomy and nursing bras in all conditions. They are difficult to obtain and they are expensive; other sizes need to be in good condition ie: no holes, with good elastic, hooks etc.

New bras are much appreciated.

The consequences of not wearing a bra can include skin irritations, fungal infections, abscesses and rashes, particularly in hotter climates.

The Uplift Project has sent over 330,000 bras to women since 2005 and has supporters from all over the world. In October 2018, Radio NZ reported that a NZ Navy ship delivered 16 boxes of donated bras for women in Vanuatu. Click here to view/listen to the article.

The Auckland coordinator, Juliet Campbell in Auckland took over as National Coordinator in 2021. Julie is very passionate about the collections and the impact these have had on Pacific Island communities.

WHAT WE COLLECT

• Bras – all sizes.  Any cup size – the bigger the better! In good condition (don’t worry if wires are protruding or wonky – we can always remove them and still have a good bra to recycle). If any bras are in poor condition, cut off the hooks and eyes fasteners and send them instead – we can turn them into bra extenders.
• Sports bras and crop tops.
• Nursing bras. If it will catch a leak it is better than nothing. Reuseable nursing pads are also appreciated.
• Mastectomy Bras and Breast Forms (prostheses). If possible please send the box with the breast form/prosthesis, and put the relevant bras under the plastic mould, in the bottom of the box. These will be given to hospitals for distribution. If sending bras only, without breast forms/prostheses, please put a note in the bag/postpack so we don’t miss-sort them.
• Swimwear, any size. A lot of women fish or dive for a livelihood.
• Underpants, new or newly new. In some places a girl without underpants does not go to school during her period.
• Fabric Nappies, second hand or new.

PLEASE DO NOT send us bodysuits, torsolettes, shapewear, U-bras or bedroom lingerie (though we do love the giggle – we don’t send them on)

We encourage you to follow the ‘Donate Bras’-Facebook page and see where your bra is going.

For more info visit Project Uplift