tagged: recyc quebec, secon-hand clothing

Nouvelle Tendance: recycled clothing becomes Quebec’s fashion alternative

Posted by Montreal Environment in Consumer Life

A trip to Village des Valleurs used to be stigmatized as a low-income family affair or for finding a Halloween costume, but today for Quebecers buying used clothing means making an ecological choice. Certex, a textile recycling business in suburban Montreal, goes through 120 tons of used clothing a week, the equivalent weight of a blue whale. For Sonia Matte a Quebec City resident and employee of Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CSST), buying used clothes has nothing to do with an individual’s income but more so of a using-less life choice: “It makes no sense to pay $300 for a new suit.” Fashion trends are also becoming the new fads to be snubbed: “there’s no manufacturer that will oblige me to wear something that it decided to be in fashion” she says.

The short lifespan of clothes, especially women ware, and high donation rates means that second-hand stores only keep a small percentage of their stock, rejecting up to 50% or 70%, which find their way in recycling facilities such as Certex. Overconsumption of clothes is good news for textile recyclers and creates jobs. Village des Valeurs employs 10.000 people across 10 provinces in Canada and 23 states in the US, plus a couple of locations in Australia. Most of the recycled clothes are sold to international markets in Africa and Latin America where a ballot of bras is most profitable at $100. Between 40% and 50% of recycled clothing is sold on international markets, about 20% become industry rags , 20% is destined as insulating material, and the reminding is thrown.

In 2006 Quebec households consumed 200,000 tons of textile and clothing of which 112,000 tons were recycled or recuperated. Between 1996 and 2006, consumer textile recycling and recuperation in Quebec has increased by 8% from 27,000 tons to 41,000 tons according to Recyc Quebec 2006 report. In 2006 textile recycling accounted for 3% of the total weight of recycled material for the municipal sector. Between 2004 and 2006 industrial and commercial textile recycling rate increased by 25% from 12,000 tons to 15,000 tons although the total recycled material in 2006 was down from 17,000 tons in 1996.

Second-hand clothing also brings in a good profit. For each donated item, a ‘high scale’ thrift store can charge up to four times the price it paid to a charity or other organization which sell or give away up to 100 tons of donated clothes. An additional 20 tons come from retailers, wholesalers and manufacturers. One problem in this chain is the costs of pick-up and transport. Some textile recyclers hope that municipalities increase their subventions since they reduce waste by a couple of tons every year. Some retailers such as Patagonia and Mountain Equipment Co-op have put in place recycling programs encouraging clients to bring in their polyester items to be later recycled into new wear. For those who want to buy items containing recycled textiles they can consult the Recyc Quebec’s Répertoire des produits à contenu recycle fabriqués au Québec available on their website: www.recyc-quebec.gouv.qc.ca

For those who prefer a more socially responsible take on second-hand clothing and other apparel the Fondation québécoise de la déficience intellectuelle, an NGO established in 1988, accepts donations either though drop-off at its 200 locations in the Montreal metropolitan area (see full list here) or through their residential collection program (make sure you consult their list of accepted items). The Greater Metropolitan Area of Quebec City also offers this list of used item sources.