Collection

Biodegradable

Period and pee-proof undies that break down when buried in active soil

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the Biodegradable Briefs fully biodegradable?

The underwear is 97% biodegradable. The waist and leg elastic contain a small amount (less than 3% of the total garment) of elastane that is not biodegradable. The tiny amount of elastane will eventually degrade however it will take a longer time than the rest of the garment. You will be able to see the garment start biodegrading in active soil within weeks, however, the elastane will take up to 3-5 years.

When your underwear arrives it will come in a FSC recycled kraft envelope and compostable satchel both which are 100% biodegradable.

How can you dispose of the Biodegradable Brief?

Cut off the waistband and leg elastics and discard with your landfill waste where they will gradually biodegrade through contact with microorganisms that live in the landfill’s anaerobic environment (without oxygen). The elastics have been designed to degrade specifically in anaerobic landfill.

Bury the main pant in active soil (which is soil full of bugs or microorganisms), where the garment will break down into natural elements and return back to the environment. Generally, if you water your garden and plants are growing in it, the soil will be relatively active. Warmer moist conditions will breakdown the fibres quicker than cooler climates.

If you would like to compost the underwear cut off the waistband and leg elastic and remove the bottom waterproof film layer of the gusset and discard in landfill to biodegrade. Cut the main body of the underwear (being TENCEL™ and Merino wool) into small pieces to mix with your compost.

What is unique/innovative about the products fabrication that makes it biodegrade?

The main fabric is a blend of TENCEL™ and Merino wool (both of which are biodegradable fibres), and the construction is super fine 1x1 rib knit that is used to maintain garment shape, rather than an elastane blend (as used for other undies).

The Merino wools' natural crimp helps to allow the knit to retain its shape (it is the Merino in the blend, rather than the TENCEL™ that provides the fabric structure, with TENCEL™ providing a finer, soft hand-feel).

The unique innovation is partly this unique blend of outer pant fabrics, but the real innovation is the fabric combinations that create the absorbent layers and leak-proof fit needed for Modibodi underwear (the multiple layers and waterproofing this entails), while still being biodegradable at their end of life:

Most leak-proof undies	Our Biodegradable Pant
Use a synthetic (non-bio) wicking top layer for the gusset.	Use 100% Merino wool (which forms part of our Modifier Technology ™ patent) wicking top layer for the gusset.
Use a synthetic (non-bio) absorbent layer in the gusset.	Feature a 100% bamboo terry fabric absorbent layer in the gusset.
Have a polyester/plastic based waterproof layer as the bottom layer to protect from leaks. This does not breakdown.	Uses a biodegradable film made from a thermoplastic polymer, as the bottom layer to protect from leaks. This layer is proven to biodegrade within 3-5 years.

Most undies (not just leak-proof ones)	Our Biodegradable Pant
Use nylon or polyester elastane blends in their elastics.	We have used a nylon yarn with enhanced biodegradability combined with standard elastane (non-biodegradable elastane makes up 11% of the waist elastic and 14% of the leg elastic, or less than 3% of the total garment). The enhanced biodegradable nylon used in our waist and leg elastic will biodegrade in 3 – 5 years when disposed of in landfill compared to over 50 years (or more!) for synthetics.
Use a non-biodegradable polycotton blend thread.	Uses a cotton thread, which is naturally biodegradable.