Here at the TLC, we strongly advocate for environmental and social sustainability. Many of the same societal structures that put our climate in jeopardy (such as overconsumption and fossil fuel pollution) have also impacted the wellbeing of populations around the world. In order for environmental initiatives to be sustained, human needs have to be met. We are inspired by projects that beautifully weave together environmental initiatives with social justice action. This fosters a more regenerative environment where nature and humans can both thrive.
Victoria-based Basecamp Repairs was born when Alex and Nic met working for a national outdoor equipment retailer and realized many products were being returned or thrown away when they could be easily repaired. They had already been repairing their own gear for years, so why couldn’t they help others as well? The Basecamp mission is to reduce waste by extending the lifespan of outdoor equipment through repairs and maintenance.
Fashion Takes Action is running a mechanical textiles recycling pilot that started in Fall 2021, to show the business case for full-circle textile recycling technology in Canada. The pilot will recycle used 100% polyester activewear into a consumer facing product, which to our knowledge, has never been done before.
Building a recycling pilot is no small feat. As part of our collaboration with FTA, we are supporting them in open sourcing the learnings from the pilot project. This blog series will be one way we are sharing the tips and tricks gathered as the pilot progresses. Our goal at the TLC is to help map the path to creating more recycling pilots across Canada and elsewhere.
Shyne Eyewear is a student-run social enterprise from the University of Ottawa that aims to build a community of change makers who can move fashion forward into a sustainable future.
Up Pet is a Canadian brand, creating upcycled accessories for pets and their humans. Up Pet officially began in 2019, while founder Clavia Castilhos was doing her post grad in sustainable fashion production at George Brown. She already had 10+ years experience working in the fashion industry in Brazil, and understood the nature of the industry’s challenges, especially textile waste. She was excited to learn about the Salvation Army challenge encouraging designers to upcycle post-consumer textiles, particularly home textiles and linens, to divert them from landfills. Being a lifelong pet lover, Clavia had also noticed a gap in the market for sustainable pet accessories. And so Up Pet was born!
Victoria-based Basecamp Repairs was born when Alex and Nic met working for a national outdoor equipment retailer and realized many products were being returned or thrown away when they could be easily repaired. They had already been repairing their own gear for years, so why couldn’t they help others as well? The Basecamp mission is to reduce waste by extending the lifespan of outdoor equipment through repairs and maintenance.
Shyne Eyewear is a student-run social enterprise from the University of Ottawa that aims to build a community of change makers who can move fashion forward into a sustainable future.
Up Pet is a Canadian brand, creating upcycled accessories for pets and their humans. Up Pet officially began in 2019, while founder Clavia Castilhos was doing her post grad in sustainable fashion production at George Brown. She already had 10+ years experience working in the fashion industry in Brazil, and understood the nature of the industry’s challenges, especially textile waste. She was excited to learn about the Salvation Army challenge encouraging designers to upcycle post-consumer textiles, particularly home textiles and linens, to divert them from landfills. Being a lifelong pet lover, Clavia had also noticed a gap in the market for sustainable pet accessories. And so Up Pet was born!
Shred Neoprene is a social enterprise based in Tofino, BC with a mission to collect, grind and upcycle neoprene through innovative solutions and partnerships in Canada. Karen Hendry, Shred’s passionate founder, started the organization in 2021 after working in the surf industry and volunteering with Surfrider Foundation for many years, and learning about the wetsuit waste problem. With Tofino being a popular surf destination for both locals and tourists, surf shops and resorts offer wetsuit rentals year round, resulting in a high turnover of wetsuits. While the Surfrider Foundation has been collecting wetsuits through their Wetsuit Reincarnation Program for recycling in California since 2017 (saving 4.5 tonnes of neoprene from landfill), Hendry saw the need for a more local solution.
Fashion Takes Action (FTA) is a non-profit organization established in 2007 to advance sustainability in the fashion industry through education, awareness, research and collaboration. They have gained global recognition over the last year through their successful WEAR Webinar Series, and the release of their latest report A Feasibility Study of Textile Recycling in Canada. Here at the Textile Lab for Circularity we are all about collaboration, and scaling existing projects that move the dial towards textile circularity. FTA Founder and Executive Director Kelly Drennan sits on the TLC’s expert advisory panel, and when we heard they were running a textile recycling project in Eastern Canada, we knew we wanted to get involved.
