Hanky Panky Eco Rx

Model wearing Eco Rx Tank Top and Low Rise Thong in Sweet Lavender / Source: Hanky Panky

CottonEuropeLyocellNorth AmericaSilkTencel RefibraTextiles

4 MINUTE READ

Mayer Nissim

WHAT WE SAY:

Female-founded Hanky Panky built its brand around making thongs comfortable (i.e. invisible) to the wearer. Now it is trying to reduce the environmental impact of its intimates, by producing a range made from Tencel Refibra – a lyocell fabric made from a mix of wood pulp and upcycled cotton waste.

And while we would prefer it if the brand could eliminate spandex from the range, its Lingeriecycle mail-in programme is a great way to help reduce the volume of textile waste destined for landfill.

KEY FACTS:

Female-founded intimates and sleepwear brand Hanky Panky partnered with Lenzing’s Tencel brand, in April 2022, on its Eco Rx collection.
Eco Rx is an ultra-soft ribbed knit made from Tencel Refibra fibre, made from 70% sustainably-sourced Lyocell and 30% upcycled Cotton scraps.
The brand also used the launch of the collection to restart its Lingeriecycle initiative, which enables customers to return their unwanted old underwear to be recycled responsibly – into industrial insulation.
The series includes underwear and loungewear, and is widely available in-store and online.

Model wearing Eco Rx Babydoll Tee and V-Kini in Vintage Blue / Source: Hanky Panky

Model wearing Eco Rx Babydoll Tee in White and Jogger in Black / Source: Hanky Panky

DIVE DEEPER:

Underwear is often made from synthetic fabrics like polyester, which sometimes is chosen over cotton for its elasticity, heat resistance, colourfastness, and ability to resist creases and shrinkage. But intimates obviously are not going to be handed down, meaning these plastic-based items typically end up in landfill, leaching into the environment for decades, if not longer.
The Eco Rx range from Hanky Panky is made primarily from Tencel Refibra’s blend of 70% cellulose and 30% cotton waste from pre and post-consumer sources – all made in an efficient award-winning closed-loop process.
The collection is available in eight silhouettes: original rise thong, low rise thong, tank top, shorts, jogger, long-sleeved top, French brief and V-Kini. Pieces come in one of four colours: Vintage Blue, Cork, Sweet Lavender and Black. Items are priced from USD 24 to USD 87.
All the loungewear in the Eco Rx range is made from 95% Tencel Refibra and 5% spandex – a polyether-polyurea copolymer. The body of the underwear has the same composition, while the trims are made from 91% Repreve nylon made from pre-consumer waste and 9% spandex, and the crotch lining is 100% US-grown Supima cotton.
While the fabric is made in the USA, the garments in the Eco Rx collection are manufactured in the Dominican Republic.
To coincide with the launch of the Eco Rx range, Hanky Panky has relaunched its Lingeriecycle scheme, where consumers can request a free shipping label to send the company any brand of unwanted underwear, bras or socks. Returned underwear is sent to the brand’s recycling partner Green Tree Textiles, where any metal and plastic components are separated and the remainder shredded for use in carpet padding and insulation.
1% of the purchase price of any Hanky Panky products is donated to one of a selection of nonprofit organisations, such as Project Hope: Crisis in Ukraine Fund, One Tree Planted and the Child Mind Institute.

"Hanky Panky is thrilled to partner with Tencel brand to bring this innovative natural, upcycled offering to consumers and continue our long-standing efforts towards sustainability."

Brenda Berger - CEO, Hanky Panky

Key Design Considerations:

Is it possible to further reduce plastic use by using an alternative to spandex?

While it is disappointing to see spandex and recycled nylon featuring in the Eco Rx collection, we understand that designers have had few non-plastic-based options when it comes to giving fabrics stretch properties. However, this could be about to change, thanks to Natural Fiber Welding’s Clarus, which gives natural fibres synthetic qualities and was launched in early 2022.

Are the care instructions too stringent and does this risk reducing the number of wears per item?

While consumers accept that lace and Silk undergarments can only be washed by hand at cool temperatures, all the products in the Eco Rx collection, including the loungewear, have similar care instructions. Would a slightly different blend of fabrics offer the same feel and functionality, while allowing more convenient washing? This would drive a higher number of wears over the garment’s lifecycle, which is ultimately the most important metric in sustainable fashion.

Is there a better use for the Lingeriecycle programme’s returned items?

Too often, sending clothes for recycling is worse than simply burning them in your backyard - the industry is a form of waste colonialism that sees those in the affluent Global North outsource the issue to those least able to handle them. So it is encouraging to learn that Hanky Panky’s recycling partner, Green Tree Textiles, is committed to not exporting the clothes it receives and its downcycling of low-quality clothes into industrial insulation is one of the ‘least bad’ options. However, as new recycling technologies emerge, perhaps diverting this incoming post-consumer textile waste to a company like Renewcell or Infinited Fiber Company, could be a better option?