World’s First Zero-Waste Lingerie: Chantelle Debuts 100% Recyclable Circular Bra

French lingerie brand Chantelle has launched its new sustainable concept Chantelle One, unveiling the world’s first truly circular bra. Made from an innovative yarn that enables garments to be recycled in its entirety, each Chantelle One bra can be turned into a brand new one after years of good wear, leaving no waste trail behind. 

Dubbed the world’s first circular bra, Chantelle One creates zero waste, produces no air mileage emissions, and can be recycled in its entirety. That means its components, from underwire to clasps and mixed fabrics, don’t need to be taken apart before it is broken down, making the task of recycling bras – a typically very-difficult-to-dissemble garment – far simpler. 

It’s made from Chantelle’s innovative Fibre J material, an elastic yarn that is designed without any solvents, replacing the need to incorporate any elasthanes that are usually found in your average undergarment. At the end of life, each Chantelle One bra can be melted down into chips to make the very components in a new bra, such as clasps, fastenings, metal wires or other accessories. 

Chantelle has launched its new circular concept via the French crowdfunding platform Ulule, where the campaign has already achieved 200% of its fundraising goal as of April 15, testament to the strong demand from conscious consumers for products that price in the environment. 

Offering a circular bra is especially eye-catching for ethical shoppers, given that sustainable innovation within the undergarment and lingerie category has lagged behind other products such as clothing and apparel, footwear and accessories. 

While brands have incorporated more eco-friendly materials and have begun embracing inclusivity and diversity in their marketing, offering zero-waste solutions for intimate apparel has been challenging, given that other circular business models such as reuse and resale are often out of question. 

On a social media post, Chantelle One explained that it chose to launch via Ulule because “we believe that changing the way lingerie is designed and used starts with a community who yearns for a more sustainable fashion.” 

“Our ambition is to present Chantelle One to future ambassadors who, just like us, want to support circular consumption, through Ulule. Change is a collective venture,” the brand added. 

Customers can choose to purchase Chantelle One through the campaign, or opt for one of the three different subscription programs offered, giving people the chance to exchange their own bras for a new one. The idea is to reduce unnecessary wardrobe items, with the average woman owning as many as ten bras, but only wearing three on the regular. 

So far, Chantelle One is a France-only service in order to keep the product entirely free from air miles. It’s produced in Chantelle’s factory in Epernay and is 100% Oeko-Tex certified, available in two different cuts and three colours – black, talc and nude. 

Whether the circular bra will be available elsewhere has yet to be revealed, though Chantelle has alluded to the possibility of launching in more markets, saying that it will be France-exclusive “for now” on social media. 

Lead image courtesy of Chantelle One.