Birmingham’s bra recycling banks are already bursting with more than 1,000 collected in the first month since their launch, and the City Council is today issuing local women with an Olympic inspired challenge.
Initial figures showed that 1,071 unwanted bras were placed in the 11 local banks – similar to those used to collect paper, clothing or bottles – in the four weeks since their launch on August 19.
The UK’s average bra size is 36 inches around the back, which is the equivalent to one yard. There are 1,760 yards in a mile, and the Olympic-themed challenge is that women donate enough bras to measure the length of the marathon in time for the London 2012 games – to cover the race distance of 26 miles and 385 yards would require 46,145 bras to be donated in the next 22 months.
So far local women have donated the equivalent of 0.6 miles of bras, which when laid out would measure the length of 443 javelins used by female athletes such as World Heptathlon Champion Jessica Ennis.
The bras are recycled to raise money for Breast Friends, a Sutton Coldfield based charity that supports women with breast cancer. The collection is sold by weight and the first months gathering weighed 63kg.
BCR Global Textiles, a local recycling firm, then sells the bras to traders in developing countries, giving women there a garment they may otherwise not have access to.
Sharon Lea, Strategic Director for Environment and Culture at Birmingham City Council, said: “I am delighted that this imaginative council recycling service has been such an immediate success.
“These generous and environmentally-friendly donations will play a great part in helping women both locally and in the developing world.
“I urge everyone to take up our challenge and enable Birmingham to go for gold with our marathon challenge between now and 2012.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
The full list of locations for the bra recycling banks is as follows:
- Sainsbury’s, Castle Vale Retail Park, Chester Road, Castle Vale, Birmingham, B35 6HB
- Sainsbury’s, 1059-1061 Alcester Road South, Maypole, Birmingham, B14 5TN
- Sainsbury’s, Frankley Beeches Road, Northfield, Birmingham, B31 5AA
- Tesco, Ridgeacre Road, Quinton, Birmingham, B32 1EG
- Cocks Moors Woods Leisure Centre, Alcester Road South, Kings Heath, B14 6ER
- Tesco, Coleshill Road, Hodge Hill, Birmingham, B36 8DT
- Sainsbury’s, 1 Chapel Lane, Selly Oak, Birmingham, B29 6SJ
- Lidl, 33 Kings Road, Sutton Coldfield, B73 5AB
- Silver Street Pay & Display car park, Kings Heath, Birmingham, B14 7QU
- Four Oaks railway station car park, Off Lichfield Road, (A5127), Four Oaks, Birmingham, B74 2TD
- Tesco, 278-299 Aston Lane, Witton, Birmingham, B5 5QR.
A picture gallery, featuring hi-res images, supporting this release can be found here.
For further information contact Laura O’Meara on 0121 303 2555
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