Return-It Launches Clothing Recycling Pilot Program
Waste not, want not! In the dual spirits of eliminating waste and de-cluttering, Return-It has launched a pilot program in the Lower Mainland that will give residents another option to conveniently drop off old, unused or unloved clothing while they are dropping off other recyclables at select depot sites.
The pilot is being launched in partnership with Bank & Vogue to test the feasibility of using the province-wide Return-It depot network to help collect gently used clothing, shoes and other household textiles. Bank & Vogue is one of the largest traders of used clothes in North America, the parent company to the European vintage retail chain Beyond Retro, and they operate one of the largest re-manufacturing facilities in the world.
Every year, the average adult throws out about 81 pounds of clothing and other textiles. In Metro Vancouver alone, 40,000 tonnes of textiles go to the landfill every year making up approximately 5 per cent of the region’s municipal solid waste. By gathering data and working with government and other stakeholders, the pilot program will help Encorp Pacific evaluate how to integrate solutions for textile reuse at its 170 depots across the Province. All textiles collected through the pilot will be distributed to reuse organizations and companies within Western Canada.
“Our new textiles program is about convenience,” said Allen Langdon, President and CEO of Encorp Pacific. “We want to give British Columbians more options for safely giving their textiles a second life, with the ultimate goal of keeping those items out of landfills to support a circular economy.”
The pilot program allows people to drop off clothing at these supervised Return-It depots:
- Coquitlam Return-It, Coquitlam
- Edmonds Return-It, Burnaby
- Lougheed Return-It, Coquitlam
- Kensington Return-It, Burnaby
- North Shore Return-It, North Vancouver
- White Rock Return-It
- Fleetwood Return-It, Surrey
- Langley Return-It, Langley
- Ironwood Return-It, Richmond
- Go Green Return-It, Vancouver
- Yaletown Express Return-It, Vancouver
- Panorama Return-It, Surrey
- Ladner Return-It Depot, Ladner
“We want to leverage the public’s familiarity and comfort with our trusted depot system,” added Langdon. “In the spirit of organizing guru Marie Kondo of KonMari, if we help people de-clutter along the way, that’s a bonus!”
About Bank and Vogue
Ottawa-based Bank & Vogue works with suppliers across Canada and the U.S., from thrift stores and manufacturers to large retailers. Leveraging their logistics expertise and a global distribution network, Bank & Vogue is working towards a solution for the ‘Crisis of Stuff’. With increasing awareness of the Circular Economy, they are committed to diverting waste from landfill, and finding new homes and alternative uses for used goods.
www.bankvogue.com