Textiles
Circularity: A Problem for the Fast Fashion Industry?
Wait – did I remember to
get dressed in clothes this morning? I sure did and most likely we all did. And
thus – textile waste issues affect all of us – it’s not a “fashion” issue.
The Recycling Council of
Alberta held their annual Explore Circularity Day in March, with a focus this
year on textiles. Textiles are actually the fifth-largest category of plastic
waste sent to landfills in Canada, and unfortunately about 98% of plastic
textile waste ends up in landfills.1 If you check your labels, it’s
likely that your clothes contain some plastic products. Although apparently
there is enough clothing currently on the planet for the next six generations
of people, global production is still rising. We do have some systems in place
for collection, sorting, and resale, often through charitable organizations,
however recycling options for materials are still extremely limited.
Circularity is about
designing systems without waste – where materials get reused. Alberta is
uniquely positioned to lead in textiles circularity, especially since polyester
is the most widely used fibre. Alberta has materials and polymer expertise,
advanced manufacturing capacity, and this is a stellar opportunity for economic
diversification. We already have some impressive textile leaders and
responsible businesses trying to reduce waste and look for opportunities to
become more sustainable, right from the design stage.
An innovative Canadian
company called Sixone has recently started transforming post-consumer
polyester-blended textiles from landfill waste into high-quality polyester
pellets. They are using artificial intelligence and materials science to map
post-consumer plastics waste data and navigate the intricacies of recycling
blended textiles.
Tersus Solutions is
planning to bring their circular textile infrastructure to Calgary within the
next couple of months, so watch for that. They are working with a local outdoor
gear/clothing repair and alterations guru, the owner of Spirit West, which also
creates custom gear locally. It will be exciting to learn more as information
becomes available.
What Can You Do?
Support businesses that
are making efforts to reduce waste, promote product reuse and repair, and
showing creativity to reuse materials. Ask questions, and if you’re shopping
online, read the company’s sustainability information, thus showing that consumers
care about the issue. Help support and encourage policies such as extended
producer responsibility, which is designed to encourage manufacturers to
consider the product life-cycle during design. Environment and Climate Change
Canada consulted on a draft Roadmap to address plastic waste and pollution from
the textile and apparel sector, so the issue is starting to get more attention.
We need to show support to keep the ball rolling.
Other local opportunities
include learning to repair your own clothing (and more!) through Repair
Exchanges hosted in partnership with the Arusha Centre. Mount Pleasant had our
first Repair Exchange a couple of years ago, and Capitol Hill is working on making
theirs an annual event. The focus is on repairing items to promote reuse and
keeping things in use longer rather than discarding them when broken. The
volunteer “fixers” at these events help you in repairing the item(s) you bring,
teaching you potential new skills in the process. Or if you’re one of those
skilled/handy people already, you could consider volunteering at an event like
this.
There is an incredible
diversity of second-hand stores in Calgary promoting keeping clothing in use
longer (reuse!). Shopping at these stores helps promote the circular economy
and also saves you money. Or you can get together with a group of friends and
have a clothing swap. If you’re donating clothing, make sure you wash it first
so it’s clean, otherwise it’s more likely that it’ll just end up getting thrown
out. Sheets with holes in them can be cut up and used (and washed and reused!)
as napkins or homemade “paper towels”, as handkerchiefs and for cleaning.
If you want to get
involved and be a part of making Mount Pleasant a greener community, we would
love to have you join the committee. Please email [email protected] for more
information or to get added to our email list; you can also find us on the
Mount Pleasant Community Association page as well.
Have a great month,
The MPCA Green
Initiatives Committee
Click here to the Mount Pleasant Community News home page for the latest Mount Pleasant community updates.
