GORE BAY—The Town of Gore Bay has given its approval to have two new textile diversion bins established at the local transfer station, through Sic Sox Circular. The town, which operates the transfer station in partnership with Gordon/Barrie Island, is seeking the township’s approval with this proposal.
This comes after Vince Grogan and Bill Orford, members of the Island Wide Waste Resource Committee, met with Gore Bay council last week. In seeking support from council on an Island-wide initiative to deal with waste on Manitoulin, Mr. Grogan explained, “We have been able to bring on Sic Sox Circular, which will take all of our municipalities’ textile products. We have two Sic Sox Circular bins in Kagawong (that have been in place since early April) that are filled weekly,” said Mr. Grogan.
“Is there any cost to a municipality for being a participant in this program?” asked Gore Bay Mayor Ron Lane.
There is no cost to municipalities for having a textile recycling bin located in their community, said Mr. Grogan.
“We have room to have two bins at our transfer station,” said Roger Chenard, Gore Bay Public Works manager. He noted the town would have to confirm with Gordon/Barrie Island that they are in favour of having the bins set up at the transfer station.
Councillor Rob Dearing said the town would be saving money in getting rid of these materials if they went for the Sic Sox proposal.
Mayor Lane asked if this issue should be presented to the waste management committee or on the next council meeting agenda before a motion to go forward is considered.
“There is no point in waiting, let’s move on it tonight,” said Councillor Ken Blodgett and this motion was seconded by Councillor Kelly Chaytor.
The motion calls for two recycling bins to be located at the transfer station, through Sic Sox Circular, with no cost to the town, and that they are asking Gordon/Barrie Island council for their approval as well.
As has been reported previously 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 in April. There are two bins in Kagawong and a bin in Silver Water to be used by residents in both Robinson and Dawson townships. Several other Island communities have expressed interest in the bins as well.
Jerret Paquette and his mother Doris Mitchell launched the 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.
