Markham’s award-winning recycling program keeps 20M pounds of textiles out of landfill

City committed to educating, enabling and inspiring residents to achieve net zero emissions by 2050

Yorkregion.com
April 27, 2021
Scarlett Liu

The City of Markham’s award-winning textile recycling program has reached a major milestone: keeping more than 20 million pounds (907,000 kilograms) of unwanted textiles out of landfill.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Markham has safely maintained textile program operations to protect the planet and support local charities when they need it most.

In the past 13 months alone, residents have dropped off more than 3.5 million pounds of textiles at Markham’s 160 city-operated bins.

“The City of Markham’s textile recycling program continues to reach new heights with over 20 million pounds diverted from landfills, and further advances and strengthens our sustainability goals and objectives,” said Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti.

The textile program has been recognized with awards from both the Institute of Public Administration of Canada and the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators.

The success of the program, Scarpitti added, is a testament to the determination and commitment of Markham residents who want to shape a greener future and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The program was made possible through a $67,000 grant from the Federation of Canadian Municipalities under the Green Municipal Fund, and it was launched as a response to findings that each household in the community was sending approximately 33 pounds of textiles to landfill every year when an estimated 95 per cent of this could be reused, resold or recycled into new products.

In October 2016, city-managed donation bins were installed across Markham in convenient high-traffic locations, replacing more than 200 unlicensed textile bins.

In April 2017, Markham became the first Canadian city to ban textiles from collection in the garbage or blue box.

The city encourages residents not to let fashion go to waste. The recycling program accepts all textiles, even items that are torn or stained, including:

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• Bathing suits, bathrobes, bibs, boxers and bras;
• Boots, shoes, belts and backpacks;
• Pants, shirts, sweaters and jeans;
• Curtains, cushions, pillows, blankets, sleeping bags and quilts;
• Rags, small rugs, oven mitts and towels.

Items in good condition will be sold at thrift stores, diverting unnecessary waste from landfills, saving natural resources and helping to generate funding and jobs for those in need through The Salvation Army Thrift Store, Diabetes Canada and Value Village.

Items that cannot be reused or re-worn will be recycled into new products, such as rags, paper or insulation, or shredded for stuffing or fibre recycling.

Remember that you can reduce, reuse and recycle by:

• Cleaning out your closet and dropping off your unwanted textiles at one of Markham’s donation bins;
• Recycling Styrofoam packaging at Markham’s community recycling depots;
• Shopping with reusable bags to reduce the use of single-use plastics;
• Applying for one of Markham’s sustainability grants to bring your green ideas to life;
• Using the “What Goes Where” tool on the Access Markham mobile app or on the city website.

As a leader of sustainable practices in North America, the City of Markham prides itself on its eco-friendly infrastructure and facility improvements, its 80 per cent curbside waste diversion rate, the Greenprint -- Markham’s Community Sustainability Plan and its commitment to educating, enabling and inspiring members of the community to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.

Find the nearest textile recycling bin at markham.ca/recycling