Municipal Getting Started

Municipal
Resources

Partnering for Textile
Management

Getting Started

Welcome to our “Getting Started” guide, designed to help municipalities kickstart their journey towards effective textile recycling initiatives. Whether you’re just beginning to explore textile diversion programs or looking to enhance existing efforts, this resource is your roadmap to success. From understanding the basics of textile recycling to implementing best practices and leveraging valuable partnerships, we provide practical insights and actionable steps to guide you every step of the way. Together, let’s make a positive impact on our communities and the environment through sustainable textile management.

Steps to Consider

1 Determine purpose and scope:

The goal of your municipal donation site or drop-off event could revolve around ensuring the proper disposal and potential reuse of unwanted items, fostering community awareness about reuse and recycling options, and making these options more accessible to residents across the municipality.
Review best textile diversion practices from other municipalities which can be found here.

To define scope consider:

Will this be a static location, a recurring event, or a one-off?
Will this occur in multiple locations or just one?
Will the initiative be coupled with existing municipal infrastructure?

2 Partner with local NACTR members who can offer reuse or recycling options for donations

Partnering with different organizations can create a broader range of disposal and reuse streams for items brought in by participants.
This will ensure many different types of items can be accepted (e-waste, clothing, bulky items, household items), contributing to the convenience and impact of the drop-off centre or event.

3 Become familiar with regulatory requirements involved in collecting and handling the items you plan to accept

e.g. E-waste can be hazardous

4 Determine logistics

Determine the location, accessibility considerations
Date and time (if it is a pop up event)

5 Consider what you will need for setup

(Refer to Guidance Document – Secretary for Environmental Protection for an example)

Traffic Control
Traffic Barriers
Signage
Donation Form Completion
Unloading & Loading Vehicles/Receptacles
Volunteer Schedule, Parking
Advertising/Pre-event Fliers and Post-event Branding
Photography to document your event

6 Gather support and engage the community

Publicize the new drop-off location or event: Put up posters in various locations like apartment complexes, student dorms, and community centers. Use fliers, mass emails, and collaborate with community resources. Seek coverage from local media and community radio stations.
Recruit volunteers: Enlist volunteers to help with event setup, item categorization, and crowd management. Partner organizations may be able to provide volunteers.

7 Track the impact

Document donations and attendance of the drop-off centre or the event with photography and metrics to provide a report to stakeholders involved after the fact.
Consider including the tonnage of items donated, the number of volunteers, number of daily visitors, etc.