Textile Recycling Program
13,008lbs. of textiles recycled!
We are continuously working on ways to reduce waste in our communities and we believe our textile recycling program is just another way we can achieve this!
Did you know that 80lbs of textiles are thrown out per person each year in North America?
In Canada alone 500 Million KG of textiles end up in Landfills every year.
Over 70% of these textiles can be reworn, repaired or recycled.
So we are taking action and working towards keeping these textiles out of Landfill's with our textile recycling program.
Our Criteria
- Must be clean
- Stains and holes are acceptable
- Absolutely no undergarments or socks
- We LOVE bedsheets
- No furniture or pillows
- Fabric pieces and scraps are A-Okay
Where to take them.
Our textile drop off locations are currently on pause as we are out of the studio for the month of August into early September. And we have a number of textiles to sort and process before re-opening up our drop off locations .
How do we recycle the textiles?
Our first step is picking up the textiles from our drop off locations. From there we sort them into different categories.
- textiles for upcycling
- garments still in great condition to be recirculated
- garments that need light mending before recirculating
- textiles to be shred
All the textiles for upcycling and shredding are then put through a laundry strip, then a wash and dry cycle before entering the manufacturing part of the studio. When we are ready to use them they are cut and sewn into the products they fit best. For the shred fabric we currently hand shred those textiles and use them in products like yoga blocks, or projects for custom yoga cushions or chair cushion.
With the garments that need light mending, like a button, or needing to resew a seam, we will mend those once we get a bin full. Then those along with all the other good textiles are distributed to shelters, and to second hand clothing resellers to recirculate back into the community.
Textile recycling has a long way to go to become fully circular so we are doing what we can by recreating them into new products. Most textiles cannot be recycled like bottles and cans, there are so many different fiber types and weaves, that it would be very difficult to process fibers in the same way. We are doing whatever we can to divert these textiles from landfills with the knowledge we have.
With the rise of textile waste here are a few things to consider before making new clothing purchases.
- repair clothing you love to make it last longer
- shop second hand
- purchase from brands who upcycle
- purchase from brands who make clothing with natural fibers and dyes
- ask yourself, do I really need this?
