Textiles, old clothes valuable for charities, recycling in Nova Scotia

Members of the Association for Textile Recycling are encouraging people to donate things they might otherwise throw out — single socks, shirts with holes and worn-out jeans.  

AFTeR is a group of six organizations in the province, including Salvation Army and Red Cross, that say overlooked textiles can be valuable to charities. 

"People think that if it's not perfect, they're embarrassed to donate it," said AFTeR Vice President Reg Chitty, who is also store manager of Value Village, a for-profit thrift shop that buys donated items from Red Cross and Big Brothers Big Sisters, by the pound.  

Chitty said some of the clothing not sold in thrift shops ends up in open-air markets overseas.  Unsold books are recycled for paper, after their hard covers are torn off.

"There's 30,000 tonnes of clothing going to landfill each year, in Nova Scotia," said Chitty.

Hand-me-down fibres

The group formed in 2013 to raise awareness about textile recycling in Nova Scotia. 

According to Ken Donnelly, a solid waste consultant contracted to create the association's website, heavily-worn clothing can be sold to companies that break down textiles into fibres. Those fibres can be used as lower-grade material for products such as upholstery in cars and carpet underlay.  

Carol Goddard, executive director of Big Bothers Big Sisters of Greater Halifax, said the charity is paid by the pound for clothing donations. Donations create at least $180,000 in revenue each year, allowing it to match up to 120 adults and youth, she says.  

"We get paid for every pound, whether it ends up in the store or whether it goes to recycling," said Goddard.

"However they use it."