We were lucky enough to have two guest speakers for our January meeting. Kate Simpson is the Waste Reduction Coordinator for the City of Stratford, and is responsible for the Diversion Programs. Jessika Guy is the owner of the Green Hair Spa, and is behind Stratford’s Trashion Week.
Kate explained that Stratford is one of the first cities in Ontario to provide both curbside and depot collection for textile waste. The program, which is run in conjunction with Diabetes Canada, has kept more than 18 tons of textiles from the landfill since the program started in 2018.
More information can be found on the Textile Recycling page of the City website, or by phoning 1-800-505-5525.
Jessika spoke about how the fashion industry impacts the environment, including the fact that it’s the second most most polluting industry after oil. 2700 litres of water are required to create just one T-shirt, and 7000 litres for one pair of jeans. Also, “Fast fashion” dictates that clothing companies are required to rapidly change their collections.
During Earth Week in 2018, Jessika launched Stratford’s first Trashion Week. This year the even will be held from April 14th to 20th. More information can be found on the Stratford Trashion Week Website as well as Instagram.