WHAT A JOKE : RECYCLING WOMEN'S INTIMATE APPAREL FOR THE SAKE OF EARTH DAY

I read an article in the newspaper today (http://www.hmetro.com.my/articles/Dermacoliselamatbumi/Article) and I almost choked. How do you show that you are doing your part to support Earth Day? Well, you can announce your plan to collect used brassieres and donate these unmentionables to relief centres and under privileged women who don't own bras. You can also work with certain government organisations and promote your campaign nationwide. Yes, that's right. That is what you can do and this is the strategy taken by a women's undergarment company with the co-operation of the Ministry of Women's Development. There is even a facebook page for it. It seems that both parties are keen on educating the public regarding recycling and the purchase of quality products (the company's producta obviously). Have they really gone out of their minds? Do they know how ridiculous the whole thing sounds? I know there have been similar efforts being carried out but most of the time, the undergarments are recycled or donated to women in really, really poor countries. Are the under privileged women in Malaysia in such dire straits that they have to wear other women's used bras? Will these under privileged women be sincerely and eternally grateful for this so-called kind gesture? I'm not sure what this company is trying to do. I can't really see how they are actually helping to save the Earth by asking women to donate their used brassieres and then extending the donation to the less fortunate ones. I don't see much recycling process here at all. All I see is using the relief centres and less fortunate women as a dumping site for their used bras. And how can this step be seen as helping to save the Earth when for each bra donated, the donor will receive a RM10 rebate to buy a new bra of a certain brand from the company? Buyers will also be given a 'Save The Earth' bag (made from paper I think so go figure) when they purchase products worth more than RM100. It's not a campaign or a measure to save the Earth. It's a blatant marketing strategy. That's what it is actually. There are many ways how we can help save the Earth but I believe that donating used brassieres to the less fortunate is not one of them. It is tacky and it is demeaning. If I were one of these unfortunate women, I would feel totally humiliated. I deserve my own new bra even if it's non-branded and cheap. I'd rather wear a RM5 bra than demean myself with a RM350 used bra from La Perla or Victoria's Secret. If this company is really trying to help, they should be buying new brassieres for these ladies NOT giving them used ones. They should also educate women to hand down their used bras to their own daughters or teach women to turn the bras into something that can be used again. That's what recycling is all about.