Value Village brings attention on clothing and textile waste to Toronto

By

Jennifer Braun

Published
Jun 24, 2016

Value Village is pursuing its efforts to bring attention to clothing and textile waste as part of its Rethink Reuse initiative.
 
On Tuesday, the global thrift retailer together with the National Zero Waste Council facilitated a conversation in Toronto on how to mitigate clothing and textile waste as part of their Reuse Summit. Members from business, nonprofit organizations, government and academic institutions discussed the state of reuse in Canada and the role of the circular economy in the textile and fashion industries.

 
"Value Village convened this conversation on textile waste and reuse to further call attention to the amount of unwanted, or unneeded, clothing and textiles that are ending up in the waste stream,” says Tony Shumpert, Vice President, Recycling and Reuse, Value Village, in a news statement.
 
"To move Canada toward a green economy, it's critical we collaborate across sectors. This will help us develop new solutions to minimize waste generation and encourage a culture of reuse in textiles, alongside greater recycling,” adds councilor Mike Layton, City of Toronto, and Board Member, National Zero Waste Council.  

Value Village also brought attention to this issue with an artistic installation in Yonge-Dundas Square, titled "Give a Sh!rt". The installation represented the amount of water used in the textile manufacturing process, which can use up to 700 gallons to produce one t-shirt. The piece drew tens of thousands of visitors throughout the day.
 
Value Village is a for-profit, privately-held global thrift retailer offering clothing and accessories for men, women and children and household goods.