KAGAWONG—The first of several large shiny mauve bins that will be used to collect used textiles from local residents for resale and recycling—and kept out of local landfills—was officially installed and launched in two locations on Manitoulin Island last week.
“I’m excited to get this going on the Island,” stated Jerret Paquette of Sic Sox Circular, who delivered two bins in Kagawong on April 2. Earlier in the day he had delivered and installed a bin in Silver Water to be used by residents in both Robinson and Dawson Townships. Other Island communities that are interested in having a bin installed or considering it include Gore Bay, Gordon/Barrie Island, Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands and Central Manitoulin, the latter of which has indicated it is looking at two bins.
“This is one more way of diverting these materials from landfills, and will benefit the environment,” stated Billings Councillor Vince Grogan. “Without the Island Wide Waste Resource Committee support this wouldn’t have taken place. And hopefully this program will receive a warm and receptive response from other Island communities.”
Mr. Paquette said, “We’re hoping to get bins established in more communities on the Island, like Central Manitoulin, South Baymouth and others. I’m hoping once people see what we are doing and the benefits this provides to the environment we will receive a succession of requests for the bins.”
As has been reported previously, Mr. Paquette and his mother Doris Mitchell launched Sic Sox Circular in the community of Brunswick House First Nation near Chapleau last fall. They plan to repurpose unwanted textiles in a new type of home insulation and recycle the rest in a recycling facility at Brunswick House.
Clothing, bedding and pillows, industrial textiles, shoes, handbags and even stuffed animal toys can be dropped in the bins, which will be emptied once a week and transported to the recycling facility at Brunswick House.
Items that still have lots of life in them will be resold through the Sic Sox Thrift Store in Chapleau and online.
Mr. Grogan said data shows that on average each person throws out 47 kilograms of clothing and bedding per year. If Sic Sox can divert 60 percent by recycling 60 percent of what they pick up and 40 percent is used for spray insulation foam, that would definitely have an impact on these type of items going to landfills on the Island.”
Currently, Sic Sox Circular has recycling bins set up in 18 communities in Ontario and another 40 are ready to ship out.
