Chuddies* - Not just a piece of cloth

From February 2011, market traders in Ghana will be banned from selling second-hand underwear. Understandably there is the issue of hygiene to consider, but some of the market buyers insist that the underwear is disinfected and that shoppers will inspect the goods first. Click here for the full story.

Now I’m struggling to figure out where I stand on this. On the one hand I’m not entirely sure how I would feel about wearing used underwear, assuming they had been washed. But on the other hand would my opinion change if I just couldn’t afford to buy fresh new underwear? Or even a second-hand pair? What if I couldn’t even get hold of a clean sanitary napkin? Are you starting to cringe just thinking about it? Well think of how taboo the subject of female biological processes is in a place like India. During menstruation women in India resort to using all sorts of rags and this has serious health implications, including reproductive tract infection and other pelvic diseases.

However, one organisation in India is doing some amazing work with materials such as old underwear. In their initiative ‘Not just a piece of cloth’, Goonj recycles old cloth and rags lying around in the city and household clothing waste to produce clean and reusable sanitary napkins, amongst other things, for marginalised women in villages and slums. Environmentally friendly and sustainable! Click here to find out more about this fantastic scheme.

Let’s admit it, having fancy chuddies may probably be just as important as having the latest trainers and, perhaps, wearing second hand underwear may be unthinkable of. But for many around the world, when unwanted undergarments are recycled properly, it can be a sustainable and affordable option and, most importantly, it brings some dignity to their lives.

* Chuddies is an informal way of saying underwear in Gujarati