Given the early success of its textile diversion program, the City of Stratford is planning to install a second recycling bin for clothes and other textiles at the Romeo Street landfill.
Started earlier this year, the initiative allows residents to recycle clothing and other textiles – such as shoes, towels, belts, fabrics and linens – that are not in a condition to be donated to charitable organizations by simply dropping them off at the local landfill.
And people seem to be embracing the program.
Since its inception in late March, the city has diverted over 3,200 lbs, or 1.5 metric tonnes, of textile materials from the landfill collected through the bin, prompting city officials to expand the program.
“We have had a very positive response and participation has been great,” said Kate Simpson, the city’s waste reduction co-ordinator. “We have generated so much material for diversion that we have requested a second bin at the landfill.”
Though highly recyclable, it is estimated that about 85 per cent of textile materials end up in landfills across the province. Locally, five per cent of residential waste, or about 300 tonnes a year, are textiles.
Simpson attributes some of the success of the program, run in conjunction with Diabetes Canada, to its convenience.
“People have been able to bring in their materials, the good, the bad, the ripped and the torn, as they bring to the landfill the other materials they would normally bring, like garbage, recycling and yard and electronic waste,” she said. “It’s almost like a one-stop dropping of materials, so that part is very beneficial.”
Though many other organizations like the Salvation Army, Goodwill and Value Village already run community-based textile recycling programs in communities across the region, what makes Stratford’s project unique is the addition of a curbside pick-up component.
The first of two scheduled pick-ups for this year took place during Earth Week, April 16-20, with mixed results.
Over 12,000 households were serviced across the city, with 174 people participating.
Simpson attributed the numbers to poor weather leading up to the first collection week.
“I had some calls from people saying, ‘I was going to put my material out but it was too icy,’ so that was a bit of a drawback,” she said.
Yet the city managed to collect 4,400 in materials, or two metric tonnes.
“Whenever we can divert anything from the landfill, we are saving space in the landfill,” Simpson said.
To read the full story, visit http://www.stratfordbeaconherald.com/2018/05/19/over-7000-lbs-of-textile-materials-have-been-diverted-from-local-landfill-since-march.