Approved by curator
Added: Oct 01, 2020
Last edited: Aug 03, 2022
FABCYCLE is a textile waste collection service. They work directly with factories, fashion designers, and schools to collect leftover textile waste from the garment production process (waste, offcuts, dead material, and roll ends) and reuse or recycle what they can't use.
According to the Metro Vancouver Regional District (MVRD), textiles represent one of the fastest-growing waste streams, accounting for 7.7 percent of all solid waste produced in the region. Half of the Vancouver region's textile waste is made up of commercial, recreational, and residential textiles, such as filters, upholstery, tents, towels, and bedding. The other half is made up entirely of discarded clothing, of which up to 95% could be reused, repaired, or recycled. FABCYCLE currently does not have a collection center; it is limited to Metro Vancouver; it does not have delivery space. They collect the different textiles, then take them to the reuse center, then sort them into different categories to finally put them on the shelves.
FABCYLE has been trying to provide a solution since 2017, collecting over 140,000 pounds of reusable and recyclable fabrics and supplies from the venues, as well as providing an open and inclusive physical space for the local creative community to come together and experiment with textile waste.
They provide a delivery service in Canada and the United States and you can contact them directly if you need the service outside of the coverage area with the aim of having used and unwanted textiles reach people, designers, and manufacturers for reuse. Also, they collect the small "scraps" and offer them free for craft and sewing projects. This helps minimize the amount of waste going to landfill.
FABCYCLE reuses existing packaging from neighboring companies or any other sustainable packaging such as compostable or biodegradable sachets.
Photo credit: Daily Hive
textile waste management
textile recycling
textile collection
Zero waste designs
circular textile