Earlier this year, students on the Tecumseh Public School EcoTeam in Halton District School Board decided they wanted to take action against textile waste.
While conducting their own research on the subject, they discovered CBC Marketplace’s recent coverage on waste in the fast fashion industry.
“Before [the episode] was even over, [the students] were helping make posters and talking about who they were going to call to bring in their donations, and they got really excited about it,” says Jacey Jones, a teacher and EcoTeam lead at the certified Silver-level EcoSchool.
They opted to join the #RecycleTextiles campaign run by EcoSchools and Bag2School, a free fundraising platform for textile recycling. Soon after, CBC Marketplace’s Charlsie Agro and EcoSchools Executive Director Lindsay Bunce visited the school to get a first-hand look at their waste reduction experience, and feature them in a CBC Marketplace episode of their own.
Thrilled to be at @TecumsehHDSB with @bag2schoolna, @CBCharlsie and @cbcmarketplace to hear how students are tackling textile waste! #recycletextiles @ON_EcoSchools pic.twitter.com/GjLCukoV9f
— Lindsay Bunce (@lindsaybunce) December 7, 2018
Students created a multitude of displays with facts about the challenges of clothing recycling, and tips for extending the life of unwanted textiles. Used textiles “spoke” for themselves with speech bubbles that told their story: “Hello! I am a grey cardigan. I am from China (the other side of the world)” reads one poster, “And if you throw me out, I will go to the landfill…so please pass me on!”
The campaign culminated with a collection drive. After the final weigh in, Tecumseh students donated a whopping 530 kilograms of used textiles, redirecting them from landfill and helping emphasize the principle of “re-use,” a crucial pillar of the 3 Rs.
After a year of great success with environmental learning and action, Tecumseh Public School is now officially a Platinum-level EcoSchool and looking forward to a green future.
Watch the full CBC Marketplace story featuring Tecumseh Public School below:
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