Organizations like Fashion Takes Action (FTA) are striving to champion sustainable sourcing and manufacturing practices in the fashion industry and recently, the non-profit had a major win. Fashion Takes Action, with the support of Environment & Climate Change Canada, recently concluded an 18-month textile recycling pilot in Canada and it finished this project with a consumer-facing product—a laundry hamper.
This project began with the collector of post-consumer materials—individuals were asked to bring their unwanted activewear and other garments, for example—from Sport Chek stores in southwestern Ontario. Fashion Takes Action also partnered with Goodwill and Canadian Tire on this project, as well, making them part of the recycling supply chain. The resulting laundry hamper is made with 40% recycled polyester from textile waste, 50% recycled PET from plastic bottles, and 10% virgin polyester.
Upcycled Laundry Hampers
Fashion Takes Action Concluded Canada's First Textile Recycling Pilot
Trend Themes
1. Textile Recycling - The growing demand for sustainable fashion creates an opportunity for textile recycling, which not only addresses textile waste but also provides recycled materials for new products.
2. Circular Fashion - The circular economy principles applied in fashion can disrupt the industry by creating opportunities for closed-loop production, efficient resource use, and low-carbon impact.
3. Upcycling - The trend towards upcycling can drive innovation in the fashion industry by inspiring designers to create new products from waste materials and reducing the need for virgin materials.
Industry Implications
1. Sustainable Fashion - The sustainable fashion industry can benefit from adopting textile recycling, circular fashion, and upcycling practices, which align with consumers' values and preferences.
2. Waste Management - The waste management industry can diversify its services by offering textile waste collection, sorting, and recycling solutions that meet the needs of fashion brands, NGOs, and local communities.
3. Retail - The retail industry can differentiate itself by offering eco-friendly products made from recycled materials and promoting sustainable production and consumption patterns among customers.