PRO FILES

85%

of discarded textiles end up in a landfill.

“If people love a garment but don’t have use for it anymore, they should find it a new home that isn’t in a landfill.”

Textile diversion initiative

School of Fashion gives used clothing a second chance

FAST FASHION forces consumers to buy cheaper clothes and throw them away more often. Over 80 per cent of discarded textiles end up in a landfill site, instead of being recycled or repurposed. This causes smog and greenhouse gas emissions when the textiles decompose.

The School of Fashion has partnered with Textile Waste Diversion (TWD), an Ontario-based textile reclamation company, in an effort to reduce piles of unwanted clothing from reaching landfills.

A student-led research group, part of Seneca’s Fashion Business program, is working with TWD to understand shopping frequencies and the influence of social marketing campaigns on consumer attitudes towards textile recycling.

The project is supported by Seneca’s Applied Research Fund and aims to change consumer behaviours and increase awareness of environmentally sustainable alternatives to clothing disposal. Data received from the study will support the development of related guidelines, activities and curricula at Seneca.

“We created this project because our students love fashion,” says Sabine Weber, Seneca Professor and lead researcher on the project. “If people love a garment but don’t have use for it anymore, they should find it a new home that isn’t in a landfill.”

The project also included a series of textile diversion events such as an exhibition held by students, a clothing donation bin, a vintage fashion sale in The Boutique at Seneca and a styling event using secondhand garments.

“The School of Fashion is involved in several sustainability-focused initiatives,” says Chair Gitte Hansen. “This is part of a larger effort to promote and embed sustainability in the Seneca culture and the values and learnings we impart on our students.”

Learn more about Seneca’s sustainability initiatives: senecacollege.ca/sustainability