Donate and recycle fabric and sewing supplies – Our Social Fabric

Donate and recycle fabric and sewing supplies

Rolls of donated fabric ready to be recycled

Textile recycling and saving waste fabric

Thinking about donating fabric? We accept donations of fabric and sewing supplies to keep these items out of the landfill. 

Working in partnership with our donors, we kept an astonishing 20 tons of textiles and sewing related materials out of landfill in 2021. Over the past five years we diverted a staggering 85.5 tons. That’s the equivalent of nearly seven school buses!

Textiles are one the most common household items and represent a staggering proportion of the solid waste stream: approximately 16 kg per person, or a total of 33,600 tonnes in Metro Vancouver in 2006.

What to donate

We are pleased to accept donations of:

  • unused fabric of 0.5 meter length or more (full width please) 
  • quilting cottons (fat quarter or larger scraps only please)
  • leather
  • sewing supplies such as trims, sewing tools and notions
  • patterns (uncut only please)
  • functioning sewing machines (but not table sewing machines, where the machine is built into a table, as we just don't have space for them at the moment)
  • knitting and embroidery supplies

Please note, we are unable to accept:

  • clothing, sheets, drapery or towels
  • books
  • sewing machines that are attached to tables
  • furniture and other large items
  • fabric scraps

We can only accept donations that are free of dirt and bugs, without pins or other sharp objects and free of odours (such as mothballs).

 

How to donate

To donate, please complete this form. Once completed our Donations Coordinator will contact you to confirm the next steps and book a drop-off appointment. 

We can accept large donations by appointment on Tues 10am-5pm, Wed 10am-2pm, and Thurs 10am-2pm.

If you live outside of the metro Vancouver area we do accept donations by mail if the cost is assumed by the donor.

We have a separate step-by-step guide on how to donate.

What happens next?

Textiles are sorted by staff and volunteers, priced and set out for sale in our store or our website. 

Prices are very affordable and proceeds from sales help to pay for rent and business expenses. Any surplus is reinvested in our operations or used to nourish and support Canada’s fibre arts community and slow-fashion movement.

Find out more about how we support our community

 

 

 

Photo courtesy of Ripple of Change magazine.