Following a successful pilot project, a clothing donations program at a North Vancouver bottle depot is here to stay.
Since March, the North Shore Bottle Depot on Donaghy Avenue has been one of 13 Return-It locations in Metro Vancouver that have accepted textile donations – including clothing, shoes, sheets, blankets, towels and curtains – in addition to the usual items already accepted for recycling such as empty bottles, cans, electronics and other reusable goods.
The initiative has now been expanded from 13 to 32 depot locations across the region and the North Shore Bottle Depot will continue its clothing drop-off program after the successful pilot project, according to a press release from Return-It.
“The average adult throws out about 81 pounds of clothing and other textiles every year,” stated Return-It president and CEO Allen Langdon, in the release. “In Metro Vancouver alone, 40,000 tonnes of textiles end up in the landfill annually, making up approximately five per cent of the region’s municipal solid waste.”
During the last seven months when the non-profit organization experimented with its clothing drop-off program across B.C., Return-It collected 1,640 bags of textiles, such as shirts, coats, pants, children’s clothes, and much more, according to the release.
North Vancouver Bottle & Return-It Depot on Brooksbank Avenue is also participating in the program.
Visit return-it.ca/locations/textiles for a full list of the depots participating in the clothing drop-off program.
