Your Questions Answered

Yes — most recycled polyester comes from plastic bottles, not old clothes. The bottles are cleaned, melted, and turned into fibres for new fabric. While it keeps plastic out of landfills, it doesn’t close the loop on textile waste.

Closed-loop recycling means a material is recycled back into the same or similar product—like turning an old cotton T-shirt into new cotton fabric for another shirt. The material stays within the same product system and keeps its original quality and function.

Open-loop recycling, on the other hand, turns a material into something different—like using polyester clothing to make insulation or carpet padding. The material is still reused, but it’s typically turned into a lower-value product and may eventually end up as waste.

Textile-to-textile recycling (also called fibre-to-fibre recycling) is the process of turning old or used textiles back into raw fibres so they can be used to make new fabrics and garments. Unlike downcycling, this method aims to retain the quality of the material, keeping it in the fashion loop for longer. It’s a key part of building a more circular clothing system.

Great question! You can make a big impact by following the 7Rs: Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Repurpose, Resale, Rent and Recycle. This could mean buying less but better, supporting secondhand and sustainable brands, repairing your clothes instead of replacing them, donating responsibly, or even swapping clothes with friends. Every action helps extend the life of clothing and keeps textiles out of landfill.

There are 2 main recycling processes for textiles:

• Chemical or Advanced Recycling – uses chemical or thermal processes to break textiles down into their original building blocks — like monomers or polymers — which can then be used to make new fibres. Unlike mechanical recycling, advanced recycling can handle blended materials (like poly-cotton) and helps preserve fibre quality, making it possible to create “like-new” textiles from old clothes.
• Mechanical Recycling – the process of physically breaking down used textiles into fibres without using chemicals. This usually involves shredding or pulling apart garments to recover fibres, which can then be spun into new yarn or downcycled into products like insulation, stuffing, or industrial materials. However, it often shortens the fibre length, which can affect quality — and it’s most effective when textiles are made from a single fibre type, like 100% cotton or wool.

It’s possible. While some donated clothing is resold locally through thrift stores and charities, a large portion of what can’t be sold — often due to quality, seasonality, or surplus — is bundled and exported to countries in the Global South. In fact, Canada is one of the top exporters of used textiles globally.

Once overseas, some of these garments are sold in secondhand markets, but many end up in landfills, informal dumpsites, or burned — creating environmental and social challenges for receiving countries. That’s why it’s so important to donate mindfully, only give clean, wearable items, and consider repair, resale, or swapping before letting go of clothing. When we extend the life of our clothes, we reduce the chances they’ll become part of the global textile waste crisis.

If you have access to large amounts of textiles from a wider network, and you have time to collect this material, you might consider a partnership with a charity or for-profit organization. Fundraiser events are an excellent way to collect clothing and establish partnerships – simply organize for the charity or for-profit organization to collect the items at the end. Clothing drives are another excellent way to collect used textiles and fundraise for charities.

Currently, the majority of donated clothing and other textiles are reused as there is more value than in recycling. Some textiles are made into rags, insulation, or other products, while upcycling gives them a new life by transforming them into higher-value items, such as redesigned clothing or accessories. However, technology to create new clothing from used clothing is still in the very early stages. It is complicated by the fact that most of our clothing is made of blended fabrics (e.g. cotton and polyester), and it is costly to separate the fibres.

Clothing and other textiles should NEVER be put in your municipality’s Blue Bin/Box (recycling). They can get tangled in sorting machines, damage equipment and cause workplace injuries at the recycling facility. Putting textiles in the Blue Bin/Box can also increase recycling processing costs.

If a bin is full, please do not put your bag next to the bin. If the material in the bag gets wet, it can become moldy. Once this happens the items are contaminated and cannot be reused. Please return at another time to make your donation, or bring it directly to a second-hand retail store.

While no harm has come to those using clothing donation bins as intended, bin collectors retrofitted existing bins and changed the closing mechanism on new bins in January 2019. These modifications have resulted in a much safer bin if being used for unintended activities like trying to climb into the bin.

Textiles put into the garbage will end up in landfill, where they take up valuable space and contribute to climate change. Clothing that is reused or repurposed keeps the items in circulation and extends their life. Even if it has a stain or a button missing, it is best to donate to a larger organization who has downstream partners to reuse it. Simply label the bag as “not for resale” so that they don’t even have to open it up and sort it.