Textile Recycling Pilot Project
Description
An in-store take-back scheme will run in 10 Sport Chek stores (owned by Canadian Tire Corp) located in southwestern Ontario (aiming for 100% polyester). The material will be chopped, shredded, carded, and needle-punched to make a felted prototype. The new (recycled) material will undergo nonwoven testing for product compliance. This will result in a report that includes testing protocols, results, and technical recommendations, and will ultimately determine if the product qualifies to market or regulatory specifications (identified upon testing resulting fibre). It will also measure the density of the material, tensile strength, thickness, puncture testing, fire resistance, compression strength, etc. A workshop will be held at the recycling facility and mill to train the participants of the learning group so that the knowledge is shared among stakeholders. This will remove a common barrier to mechanical textile recycling which is that stakeholders who have the potential to replicate or scale are not knowledgeable about these processes. FTA will engage the learning group and product development teams in a co-creating workshop where we will explore the various ideas for potential end products based on the created fabric, supply chain, and market interest. This is an opportune time to gather feedback on what products could be made and sold by other retail partners. From the ideas selected in the workshop, we will explore and design end products (up to 3), and produce the prototypes that may include embellishment, pattern, cutting, assembling. The prototypes, similar products, and label regulations will be presented to the learning group and the final product will be selected. Production of the final prototype will begin and the remaining fibres will be produced into felted material (approx. 1000m) for Canadian Tire to go into product manufacturing. A marketing strategy will be developed and executed to sell the product in stores so that the public is aware of the new recycled product. The product will then go to market, which demonstrates to the industry that there is a business case for recycled content in the products they sell.
FTA has set up a recycling supply chain with the following stakeholders who play an active role in the pilot: Canadian Tire/Sport Chek, Goodwill Great Lakes Ontario, General Recycled, Texe, Marianne-Coquelicot Mercier. In addition to the supply chain partners, a learning group has been established with 20-25 stakeholders that consist of selected individuals who represent an organization interested in learning how to mechanically recycle textiles. While this pilot is focused on 100% polyester, the learning group will also be able to identify the opportunities and/or challenges in recycling other materials. The group members can observe and participate in workshops while connecting with potential partners for their own pilots. This group will be involved at each step of the pilot, participating in several workshops, and would therefore be “trained" on the entire process, while having the opportunity to connect with other potential partners. In addition, they will be involved at the product development stage and will have a better understanding of the potential for end products and markets. By bringing together key organizations & stakeholders (that could invest in a recycling infrastructure) to learn how to create new end products and markets, we can achieve success through the mutual learning process. Knowledge is shared, and barriers are removed, leading to the scaling of the technology. Over the course of 16 months (September 2021 – January 2023), the participants will attend approximately 6 workshops ranging in length from 2-4 hours. One workshop however will be held in Quebec as we hope the group can visit the facilities. Finally, a guidance document will be completed to demonstrate learnings and provide a useful tool for future textile recycling projects. FTA’s role is to manage the entire project, set up and organize the pilot supply chain partners, convene, design, and facilitate workshops, bring in experts when required, and produce the guidance document.
All of FTA’s work is governed by our Board of Directors which currently has 13 members including 3 appointed positions of Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary. This particular initiative has been funded by Environment and Climate Change Canada and therefore, in addition to our Board, as per the requirements of the grant, it will largely be governed by ECCC. This will consist of regular check-ins, cash flow reports, etc. The project will be co-led by our executive director Kelly Drennan and Sabine Weber who is a professor at Seneca College school of fashion.
SDGS & Targets
Goal 17
Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalize the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development
17.1
Strengthen domestic resource mobilization, including through international support to developing countries, to improve domestic capacity for tax and other revenue collection
17.1.1
17.1.2
17.2
Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments, including the commitment by many developed countries to achieve the target of 0.7 per cent of ODA/GNI to developing countries and 0.15 to 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries; ODA providers are encouraged to consider setting a target to provide at least 0.20 per cent of ODA/GNI to least developed countries
17.2.1
17.3
Mobilize additional financial resources for developing countries from multiple sources
17.3.1
Additional financial resources mobilized for developing countries from multiple sources
17.3.2
17.4
Assist developing countries in attaining long-term debt sustainability through coordinated policies aimed at fostering debt financing, debt relief and debt restructuring, as appropriate, and address the external debt of highly indebted poor countries to reduce debt distress
17.4.1
17.5
Adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for least developed countries
17.5.1
Number of countries that adopt and implement investment promotion regimes for developing countries, including the least developed countries
17.6
Enhance North-South, South-South and triangular regional and international cooperation on and access to science, technology and innovation and enhance knowledge sharing on mutually agreed terms, including through improved coordination among existing mechanisms, in particular at the United Nations level, and through a global technology facilitation mechanism
17.6.1
Fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 inhabitants, by speed
17.7
Promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies to developing countries on favourable terms, including on concessional and preferential terms, as mutually agreed
17.7.1
Total amount of funding for developing countries to promote the development, transfer, dissemination and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies
17.8
Fully operationalize the technology bank and science, technology and innovation capacity-building mechanism for least developed countries by 2017 and enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology
17.8.1
17.9
Enhance international support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support national plans to implement all the Sustainable Development Goals, including through North-South, South-South and triangular cooperation
17.9.1
Dollar value of financial and technical assistance (including through North-South, South‑South and triangular cooperation) committed to developing countries
17.10
Promote a universal, rules-based, open, non-discriminatory and equitable multilateral trading system under the World Trade Organization, including through the conclusion of negotiations under its Doha Development Agenda
17.10.1
17.11
Significantly increase the exports of developing countries, in particular with a view to doubling the least developed countries’ share of global exports by 2020
17.11.1
Developing countries’ and least developed countries’ share of global exports
17.12
Realize timely implementation of duty-free and quota-free market access on a lasting basis for all least developed countries, consistent with World Trade Organization decisions, including by ensuring that preferential rules of origin applicable to imports from least developed countries are transparent and simple, and contribute to facilitating market access
17.12.1
Weighted average tariffs faced by developing countries, least developed countries and small island developing States
17.13
Enhance global macroeconomic stability, including through policy coordination and policy coherence
17.13.1
17.14
Enhance policy coherence for sustainable development
17.14.1
17.15
Respect each country’s policy space and leadership to establish and implement policies for poverty eradication and sustainable development
17.15.1
17.16
Enhance the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources, to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals in all countries, in particular developing countries
17.16.1
Number of countries reporting progress in multi-stakeholder development effectiveness monitoring frameworks that support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals
17.17
Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships
17.17.1
Amount in United States dollars committed to public-private partnerships for infrastructure
17.18
By 2020, enhance capacity-building support to developing countries, including for least developed countries and small island developing States, to increase significantly the availability of high-quality, timely and reliable data disaggregated by income, gender, age, race, ethnicity, migratory status, disability, geographic location and other characteristics relevant in national contexts
17.18.1
Statistical capacity indicators
17.18.2
17.18.3
Number of countries with a national statistical plan that is fully funded and under implementation, by source of funding
17.19
By 2030, build on existing initiatives to develop measurements of progress on sustainable development that complement gross domestic product, and support statistical capacity-building in developing countries
17.19.1
17.19.2
Proportion of countries that (a) have conducted at least one population and housing census in the last 10 years; and (b) have achieved 100 per cent birth registration and 80 per cent death registration
Goal 12
Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
12.1
Implement the 10-Year Framework of Programmes on Sustainable Consumption and Production Patterns, all countries taking action, with developed countries taking the lead, taking into account the development and capabilities of developing countries
12.1.1
Number of countries developing, adopting or implementing policy instruments aimed at supporting the shift to sustainable consumption and production
12.2
By 2030, achieve the sustainable management and efficient use of natural resources
12.2.1
Material footprint, material footprint per capita, and material footprint per GDP
12.2.2
Domestic material consumption, domestic material consumption per capita, and domestic material consumption per GDP
12.3
By 2030, halve per capita global food waste at the retail and consumer levels and reduce food losses along production and supply chains, including post-harvest losses
12.3.1
(a) Food loss index and (b) food waste index
12.4
By 2020, achieve the environmentally sound management of chemicals and all wastes throughout their life cycle, in accordance with agreed international frameworks, and significantly reduce their release to air, water and soil in order to minimize their adverse impacts on human health and the environment
12.4.1
12.4.2
(a) Hazardous waste generated per capita; and (b) proportion of hazardous waste treated, by type of treatment
12.5
By 2030, substantially reduce waste generation through prevention, reduction, recycling and reuse
12.5.1
National recycling rate, tons of material recycled
12.6
Encourage companies, especially large and transnational companies, to adopt sustainable practices and to integrate sustainability information into their reporting cycle
12.6.1
12.7
Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities
12.7.1
Number of countries implementing sustainable public procurement policies and action plans
12.8
By 2030, ensure that people everywhere have the relevant information and awareness for sustainable development and lifestyles in harmony with nature
12.8.1
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment
12.a
Support developing countries to strengthen their scientific and technological capacity to move towards more sustainable patterns of consumption and production
12.a.1
Installed renewable energy-generating capacity in developing and developed countries (in watts per capita)
12.b
Develop and implement tools to monitor sustainable development impacts for sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products
12.b.1
Implementation of standard accounting tools to monitor the economic and environmental aspects of tourism sustainability
12.c
Rationalize inefficient fossil-fuel subsidies that encourage wasteful consumption by removing market distortions, in accordance with national circumstances, including by restructuring taxation and phasing out those harmful subsidies, where they exist, to reflect their environmental impacts, taking fully into account the specific needs and conditions of developing countries and minimizing the possible adverse impacts on their development in a manner that protects the poor and the affected communities
12.c.1
Amount of fossil-fuel subsidies (production and consumption) per unit of GDP
SDG 14 targets covered
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Kelly Drennan, Founding Executive Director
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