Textile Recycling - The Clothing Provider Perspective · 12/5/2018 · Textile Recycling: The...
Transcript of Textile Recycling - The Clothing Provider Perspective · 12/5/2018 · Textile Recycling: The...
BusinessConsultingProject
Preparedfor:AndreaMcKenzie,ZeroWasteSpecialist,CityofVancouver&
IleanaCostrut,ProjectsCoordinator,CityStudioVancouver
Preparedby:
LaurenBostwick
DaveFerriday
DhilipVenkatachalam
BCITAdvisor:LindaButterfield
2018
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 1
Executive Summary
TheCityofVancouverisworkingtostrengthentheirresearchtobettersupporttheirZero
Waste2040StrategicPlan.Thisplanincludesanapparelwastereductionstrategywhich
aimstoeliminatethedisposaloftextilewastetotheCityofVancouverlandfill.Ourteam
wastaskedwithidentifyingtherolethatno-costclothingprovidershaveinthisinitiative
whilesupportingthecommunitysocialneedsofVancouver.
Key Findings
• Therearefourcharacteristicsofclothingdonationscausingissueswithinthecollectionandsortingprocesses:
o Non-applicableclothing
o Unusableclothing
o Damagedclothing
o Notenoughclothing
• Theproblemsfoundinthecollectionandsortingprocessesdirectlyimpacttheoutcomeofclothingdonations.Therearethreeoutcomesfordonations:
o Distribution
o Recycling
o Landfill
• Drop-offcollectionmethodsarepreferredbyclothingprovidersduetotheincreaseindonorownership.Donorownershipisdefinedashavinghigherownershipovertheclothingthatisbeingdonated,asthedonorisrequiredtointeractwiththepersonsortingtheirdonation.
• Donationdrop-offperiodsareaffectedbyseasonality.
• Laundryfacilitieshavealargeimpactonreducingtheamountofdonatedclothingdisposedtothelandfill.
Recommendations
Basedontheproblemscreatedbytheclothingdonationcharacteristics,thefollowing
short-termactionsarerecommended:
• Buildingrelationshipsbetweenclothingprovidersandsortergraderstopromotetextilerecycling.
• MarketingtheWasteWizardtooltoincreasepublicawarenessofdisposaloptions.
• AccuratelyrepresentclothingproviderrequirementsontheWasteWizardtoincreasepublicknowledgeofdonationconditions.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 2
Table of Contents Executive Summary ................................................................................................................ 1
Key Findings ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Recommendations ........................................................................................................................... 1
List of Figures ......................................................................................................................... 3 List of Tables .......................................................................................................................... 4 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 5 Key Findings ........................................................................................................................... 7
Primary Issues and Outcomes ........................................................................................................... 7 Drop-Off Collection Methods ............................................................................................................ 8 Unpredictable Clothing Donations .................................................................................................... 8 Laundry Facilities .............................................................................................................................. 9
Methodology ......................................................................................................................... 10 Phase 1: Data Gathering ................................................................................................................. 10 Phase 2: Data Analysis .................................................................................................................... 12
Analysis of Findings ............................................................................................................... 13 Phase 1: Data Gathering ................................................................................................................. 14 Phase 2: Data Analysis .................................................................................................................... 17
Collection .................................................................................................................................................. 18 Sorting ...................................................................................................................................................... 21 Distribution ............................................................................................................................................... 23 Recycling ................................................................................................................................................... 24 Landfill ...................................................................................................................................................... 24
Recommendations ................................................................................................................ 25 Short-Term Recommendations ....................................................................................................... 25
Sorter Graders ........................................................................................................................................... 25 Marketing the Waste Wizard ..................................................................................................................... 25 Detailed Representation ............................................................................................................................ 26
Future Recommendations .............................................................................................................. 26 Public Education ........................................................................................................................................ 27 Recycling Program ..................................................................................................................................... 27 Clothing Manufacturer Accountability ....................................................................................................... 27
Areas for Further Investigation ....................................................................................................... 28 Markham, Ontario ..................................................................................................................................... 28 Children’s Clothing .................................................................................................................................... 28 Laundry Services ....................................................................................................................................... 28
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................. 30 Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................... 31 Bibliography .......................................................................................................................... 32 Appendices ........................................................................................................................... 33 Appendix A: Terms of Reference ........................................................................................... 34 Appendix B: Interview/Survey Request Email ........................................................................ 40 Appendix C: Interview Questions ........................................................................................... 41 Appendix D: Survey ............................................................................................................... 44 Appendix E: Informed Consent Form ..................................................................................... 49 Appendix F: Thank You Email ................................................................................................ 51 Appendix G: Alphanumeric Coding ........................................................................................ 52
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 3
Appendix H: Process Maps .................................................................................................... 57 Appendix H-1: Working Gear Process Maps ........................................................................... 58 Appendix H-2: Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre Process Maps ....................................... 60 Appendix H-3: Salvation Army Process Maps ......................................................................... 63 Appendix H-4: Dress for Success Process Maps ...................................................................... 65 Appendix H-5: Union Gospel Mission Process Maps ............................................................... 67 Appendix H-6: Men’s Hostel Process Maps ............................................................................ 69 Appendix I: Qualitative Coding Results .................................................................................. 71 Appendix J: High-Level Process Map ...................................................................................... 77 Appendix K: Relationship Diagrams ....................................................................................... 78 Appendix K-1: Relationship Diagram – Distribution Outcome ................................................ 79 Appendix K-2: Relationship Diagram – Recycling Outcome .................................................... 80 Appendix K-3: Relationship Diagram – Landfill Outcome ....................................................... 81
List of Figures
Figure 1: City Strategies Contributing to the Zero Waste Strategy – initially set for 2020 ........ 5 Figure 2: Drop-off Collection and Sorting Process Map for Men's Hostel ................................ 16 Figure 3: Issues Found in the Collection Process .................................................................... 18 Figure 4: High-Level Process Map .......................................................................................... 23 Figure 5: Relationship Diagram for the Distribution Outcome ................................................ 23 Figure 6: Circular Laundromat Process Map ........................................................................... 29 Figure 7: Clothing Providers in the City of Vancouver Google Forms ...................................... 44 Figure 8: Working Gear Collection and Sorting Processes ....................................................... 58 Figure 9: Working Gear Distribution Process .......................................................................... 59 Figure 10: DEWC Collection Process ....................................................................................... 60 Figure 11: DEWC Sorting Process ........................................................................................... 61 Figure 12: DEWC Distribution Process .................................................................................... 62 Figure 13: Salvation Army Collection and Sorting Process ...................................................... 63 Figure 14: Salvation Army Distribution Process ...................................................................... 64 Figure 15: Dress for Success Collection and Sorting Process ................................................... 65 Figure 16: Dress for Success Distribution Process ................................................................... 66 Figure 17: Union Gospel Mission Collection and Sorting Process ............................................ 67 Figure 18: Union Gospel Mission Distribution Process ........................................................... 68 Figure 19: Men's Hostel Collection and Sorting Process ......................................................... 69 Figure 20: Men's Hostel Distribution Process ......................................................................... 70 Figure 21: Graph of Issues Found Within the Collection Process ............................................ 75 Figure 22: Graph of Issues Found Within the Sorting Process ................................................. 76 Figure 23: High-Level Process Map ........................................................................................ 77 Figure 24: Distribution Relationship Diagram ......................................................................... 79 Figure 25: Recycling Relationship Diagram ............................................................................. 80 Figure 26: Landfill Relationship Diagram ................................................................................ 81
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 4
List of Tables
Table 1: Sample of Interview Questions ................................................................................. 10 Table 2: Coded Answers ........................................................................................................ 12 Table 3: Completed Coding Sample ....................................................................................... 17 Table 4: Alphanumeric Coding Format ................................................................................... 52 Table 5: Coding Results .......................................................................................................... 72
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 5
Introduction
WeareastudentteamfromtheBCITSchoolofBusinessintheBusinessOperations
Managementprogram.Ourteamincludesthreestudents:LaurenBostwick,DaveFerriday,
andDhilipVenkatachalam.
OurteamhascollaboratedwiththeCityofVancouverandCityStudioVancouverbetween
themonthsofSeptember2018–December2018.Wehavebeentaskedwithcompleting
backgroundresearchtosupportthedevelopmentofanApparelWasteReductionStrategy
bytheCityofVancouver.ThisstrategyisoutlinedintheZeroWaste2040StrategicPlan
whichfocusesonthelong-termeliminationofthedisposalofsolidwastetolandfillsand
incineratorsbytheyear2040(TheCityofVancouver,2018).
Figure 1: City Strategies Contributing to the Zero Waste Strategy – initially set for 2020
(The City of Vancouver, 2018)
Apparelwasteisoneofthefastestgrowingwastestreamsintheworld.NorthAmerican’s
send9.5milliontonnesofclothingtothelandfilleveryyear(TextilesWaste:TheFacts,
2018).InCanada,itisestimatedthat500,000tonnesofapparelaredisposedofannually,
withtheCityofVancouveralonedisposingof6,500tonnesofappareleachyear(Storry&
McKenzie,2018).
Thepurposeofthisprojectistounderstandhowclothingproviderscurrentlyhelpto
reduceapparelwastewhilesupportingVancouver’scommunitysocialresponsibilities.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 6
Clothingprovidersaredefinedasorganizationsthatcollectclothingtodirectlydistributeto
individualsinneedatnocost.Theseorganizationsmayinclude:
• Shelters
• Communitycentres
• Thriftstoresofferingfreeclothingprograms
• Othernon-profitorganizations
OurprojectwillnotincludeclothingprovidersoutsidetheCityofVancouver.Thetermsof
thisprojectareoutlinedinAppendixAfortheTermsofReference.
Thisreportwilldiscussthesesixtopics:
1. KeyFindings
2. Methodology
3. AnalysisofFindings
4. Short-TermRecommendations
5. FutureRecommendations
6. AreasforFurtherInvestigation
Ourfocusisontheservicesprovidedbyclothingprovidersincludingthecollection,
distribution,anddisposalofdonatedapparel.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 7
Key Findings
Theprimaryfindingsfoundduringtheinterviewandsurveyprocessaredetailedinthis
section.
Primary Issues and Outcomes
Wediscoveredfourkeycharacteristicsofclothingdonationsthathaveahighimpactona
clothingprovider’scollectionandsortingprocesses.Thefactorsare:
• Non-applicableclothing
o Itemsdonotmeettheneedsoforganization’stargetdemographic
• Unusableclothing
o Soiledbeyonduse
• Damagedclothing
o Torn,ripped,orstained
• Notenoughclothing
o Shortageofclothingdonationsingoodcondition
Thesecharacteristicsarecausingnineproblemsinthecollectionandsortingprocesses.
Clothingprovidersarecurrentlyexperiencingfiveproblemsfoundwithinthecollection
processandfourwithinthesortingprocess.
Collection:
• Toomuchclothing
• Toolittleclothing
• Insufficientstoragecapacity
• Improperadvertising
• Easeofdonation
Sorting:
• Torn,ripped,stainedclothing
• Non-applicableitemsfor
demographic
• Unusablecondition
• Availablepersonnel
Theproblemsfoundwithinthecollectionandsortingprocessesdirectlyimpactthe
outcomeofdonatedclothing.Therearethreeoutcomesthatmayoccurtoeachdonated
clothingitem.Theoutcomesaredistribution,recycling,ordisposaltothelandfill.Donated
itemsmaybedistributedtoindividualsinneedortootherclothingproviderorganizations.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 8
Clothingitemsmayalsoberecycledbysellingorgivingdamagedornon-applicableitems
tosortergraders.Sortergradersaredefinedasbusinessesthatcollectorbuyclothingand
sortforrecycling,resaleoverseas,andothermarkets.Thethirdoutcomeisthedisposalof
unusableitemstothelandfill.
Drop-Off Collection Methods
Duringourinterviews,welearnedthatfiveclothingprovidershaveselecteddrop-off-only
collectionmethods.Therearetwofactorsforchoosingthismethod:lackofresourcesand
ownershipofdonatedclothing.Itisnotsustainableforthesefiveorganizationstouse
volunteeroremployeehourstopick-upclothingorsortdonationbinitems.
Expandingtopick-uporothercollectionmethodsisnotapriorityfortheorganizations
whousedrop-off-onlymethods.Thisisduetotheincreaseofdonorownershipduring
drop-off.Theseorganizationsbelievethatadonorismorelikelytodrop-offdonationsin
goodconditionbecausetheyarerequiredtointeractwiththepersonsortingtheir
donation.Donorownershipreducestheamountofnon-applicableorunusableclothing
received,whichreducesthetimerequiredforthesortingprocess.
Unpredictable Clothing Donations
Thetiming,amount,andtypeofclothingdonationsreceivedbyeachorganizationis
consistentlyunpredictable.Ourteamlearnedoftwofactorsthatresultinvarying
donations.
Clothingdonationsareoftenseasonal.Clothingprovidersseeaninfluxofdonationsduring
springcleaning,back-to-school,andChristmas.Lowdonationperiodsoftenoccurduring
thesummermonths.Seasonaldonationperiodsfrequentlyincludeclothingfromthe
previousseason,wherewinterclothesarereceivedinthesummerandsummerclothesin
thewinter.
Welearnedthatorganizationshaveunpredictableshortagesofspecificclothingitems.A
recurringconcernwastheshortageofmen’sclothing.Menaremorelikelytowearclothing
eitherlong-termoruntiltheitemisnolongerdonatable.Thisresultsinclothingproviders
issuingcall-outstomeettheirdemand.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 9
Laundry Facilities
Fiveoftheorganizationsthatparticipatedintheinterviewandsurveyprocessdonothave
theresourcestolaunderdonationspriortodistribution.Thetwoclothingprovidersthat
arelaunderingclothinghavesignificantlyreducedtheamountofclothingthatisdisposed
tothelandfill.UnionGospelMission(UGM)hasimplementedlaundryfacilitiesandaRepair
toWearprogram,whichcleansandrepairsclothingdonations.Sincetheseprogramshave
beenimplemented,UGMestimatestheyhavereducedtheamounttheysendtosorter
gradersfrom15-20%to7-8%.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 10
Methodology
Thequalitativeandproblem-solvingtoolsusedtounderstandclothingproviderrolesare
outlinedinthefollowingtwophases.
Phase 1: Data Gathering
InPhase1,ourteamusedfourtoolstogatherqualitativedata.
ThefirststepofthisprojectwastoemailclothingprovidersintheCityofVancouverto
determinewhichorganizationswereinterestedinparticipatinginourinterviews(see
AppendixBforInterview/SurveyRequest).Ourteamcreatedaninterviewquestionnaire,
whichincluded39questions,andaGoogleFormsurveyquestionnaireof32questions.See
Table1forsampleinterviewquestions.
Table 1: Sample of Interview Questions
See Appendix C for Interview Questions
TheinitialquestionlistwasprovidedbytheCityofVancouver.Thequestionsfocusedon
theservicesprovidedbyclothingprovidersandwhathappenstounusedclothing
donations.ThesequestionswerepreviouslyusedtoestablishtheCity’scurrentknowledge
baseoftheflowofapparelinVancouver.Weadaptedtheinitialquestionlisttomeetthe
specificneedsofthisproject.SeeAppendixCforinterviewquestionsandAppendixDfor
Do you feel "clothing provider" is an appropriate term for describing the
services of distributing clothing at no cost?
Do you parter with other organizations who collect, process, or distribute
clothing?
How do you collect clothing? What is your maximum capacity for clothing donations?
What do clients have to do to access your services?
Do you launder clothing donations before distributing?
How do you get the word out to clients that you provide clothing at no cost?
How do you get the word out to clients that you accept donations of clothing?
What do you do with any unusable or excess items you end up with? Do you dispose anything to landfills?
Organizational Questions
Collection Process Questions
Distribution Process Questions
Advertising Questions
Unused Apparel Questions
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 11
surveyquestions.Eachinterviewandsurveyparticipantwererequiredtosignan
InformedConsentForm,showninAppendixE.Weconductedinterviewswithsix
organizationsthatprovideclothingfreeofcost.Wereceivedonesurveyresponsefroman
organizationwhowasunabletoparticipateinaninterview.Theinformationwecollected
provideduswithdetailsofeachorganization’s:
• Generaloperations
• Collectionprocess
• Sortingprocess
• Distribution,recycling,anddisposalprocess
Ourteamfollowedupwiththankyouemailstoeachclothingprovider,showninAppendix
F.Wecreatedaprocessmapforeachinterviewparticipanttovisualizethesix
organization’sprocesses.Aprocessmapisavisual,step-by-step,breakdownofthework
flowrequiredtocompleteanyprocess.Thecollection,sorting,anddistributionprocesses
beginwhenclothingdonationsareacceptedbyanorganizationandendwhenthedonated
clothingleavestheorganizationsfacility.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 12
Phase 2: Data Analysis
InPhase2,ourteamusedthreetools:qualitativecoding,processmaps,andrelationship
diagrams,toanalyzethedatacollectedfromtheinterviewsandsurvey.
Webeganouranalysiswithqualitativecoding;theprocessoforganizingresponsesto
intervieworsurveyquestionsbycommonalityortheme.Weassignedanalphanumeric
code(1A,2B,3C…)toeachpotentialansweroreachinterviewandsurveyquestion(see
AppendixGforcodingformat).Table2showsthecodedanswerstoourfirstinterview
question.Oncetheinterviewandsurveyprocesswerecompleted,theresponsesgivenby
eachorganizationwereassignedanapplicablecode.Thisprocessallowedourteamto
identifyandcategorizecommonresponses.
Table 2: Coded Answers
Followingthequalitativecoding,ourteamcreatedahigh-levelprocessmap.Thisprocess
maphighlightstherecurringissuesinthecollectionandsortingprocesseswhichwere
foundduringthecodingprocess.Theprocessmapresultsinthreepotentialoutcomes;
donateditemsbeingdistributed,recycled,ordisposedtothelandfill.Eachoutcomeisa
resultofspecificrecurringissuesfoundinthecollectionandsortingprocesses.Usingthe
high-levelprocessmap,ourteammappedtherelationshipsbetweenthecollectionand
sortingissuesandtheresultingoutcomes.
Question Coded Answers1A: Clothing1B: Housing, shelter1C: Food1D: Medical1E: Legal1F: Other
What services do you offer?
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 13
Analysis of Findings
Thesevenorganizationswhoparticipatedinthisprojectfollowsimilarprocessesto
providetheirservices.Thecollectionprocessbeginswhenclothingisdonatedtothe
organization.Clothingitemsarethensortedbasedonmultiplefactorswhichinclude:
• Targetdemographic
o Gender
o Age
• Condition
o Usable
o Unusable
• Clothingstyle
o Casual
o Business
o Formal
o Work-related
o Recenttrends
Onceclothingissorted,itisdisplayedintheorganization’sfacilityanddistributedto
individualsinneedatnocost.Allorganizationsareoccasionallyrequiredtodisposeof
clothingtothelandfill,duetopoorcondition.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 14
Phase 1: Data Gathering
Thequestionsourteamaskedduringtheinterviewandsurveyprocessfocusedonfive
areas:organization,collection,distribution,advertising,andunusedapparel.Wereceived
onesurveyresponsefromFirstUnitedChurchandconductedsemi-structuredinterviews
withsixorganizations:
1. WorkingGear
2. DowntownEastsideWomen’sCentre
3. SalvationArmy
4. DressforSuccess
5. UnionGospelMission
6. Men’sHostel
Interviewingtheseclothingprovidersgaveusinsightintotheirday-to-dayoperationsand
theopportunitiesandchallengestheyface.Thenaturalflowofourconversationscreateda
comfortableenvironmenttodiscussthepositiveandnegativeaspectsofeach
organization’sprocesses.Weconductedinterviewsbothin-personandbyphone.During
ourthreein-personinterviews,wehadtheopportunitytotoureachorganization’s
facilities.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 15
OurinterviewwithWorkingGearwasparticularlyeye-openingforourteam,asitwas
conductedduringtheirhoursofoperation.Wewitnessedvolunteerinteractionswith
clients,donationdrop-offs,andhowdonationsaresorted.Wewereabletowatch
volunteerssortincomingdonations,whichallowedustoseehowthesortingcriteriawas
appliedtodonateditems.
Image 1: The Beginning of the Sorting Process at Working Gear
Followingtheinterviewandsurveyprocess,wecreatedprocessmapsforeach
organization.Theprocessmapsfocusontwoprocesses:
• Collectionandsorting
• Distribution
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 16
Figure2representsthecurrentcollectionandsortingprocessatMen’sHostel(see
AppendixHforProcessMaps).
Figure 2: Drop-off Collection and Sorting Process Map for Men's Hostel
See Appendix H-6 for Detailed Men’s Hostel Process Maps
Akeystepinthedrop-offcollectionandsortingprocessofMen’sHostelis“washclothing”.
Thisisanotablestepasonlytwoparticipatingclothingproviderslaunderclothingbefore
distribution.HavingalaundryfacilityreducestheamountofclothingdisposedbyMen’s
Hostel.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 17
Phase 2: Data Analysis
Phase2beganwithcodingthedatacollectedduringtheinterviewandsurveyprocess.
Usingtheassignedalphanumericcodes,ourteamestablishedcommonthemeswithinthe
interviewandsurveyresponses(seeAppendixIforCodingResults).Table3showsa
sampleofacodedquestionresponse.
Table 3: Completed Coding Sample
See Appendix I for Coding Results
*Providers are abbreviated based on name
Followingourcodingmethod,wefoundfourkeyareasthatleadtofurtherissuesfor
clothingproviders.Theareasare:
• Non-applicableclothing
• Unusableclothing
• Damagedclothing
• Seasonaldonations
Wehavedefined“non-applicable”asitemsofclothingthatarenotsuitableforthe
organization’stargetdemographic.“Unusable”isdefinedasanarticleofclothingthatis
soiledbeyonduseandmustbedisposedof.“Damaged”isdefinedasitemsthataretorn,
ripped,orstained.Theseitemsmaystillhavefurtheruse,requiringminorrepairor
laundering.SeasonaldonationscouldbeaninfluxofdonationsbeforeChristmasora
decreaseofdonationsduringthesummer.Wefurtheranalyzedthesekeyareasandfound
fiveissueswithinthecollectionprocessandfourissueswithinthesortingprocess.
Question Coded Answers Providers*27A: Give to other providers DEWC, WG, DFS, UGM, MH, FU27B: Sell in thrift stores UGM, SA27C: Consign WG, DFS27D: Throw away DEWC27E: Sorter graders/upcycle WG, DFS, UGM, SA27F: Other WG, MH
What do you do with not applicable or excess items you end up with?
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 18
Collection
Ouranalysisincludeddefiningthefiveissuesfoundinthecollectionprocess.Figure3
showstheidentifiedissues.Thedarkestshadeindicatesthehighestoccurringissueandthe
lightestshadethelowestoccurring.Theuseofthesameshadeshowsthatthesame
numberoforganizationsindicatedtheissue.
Figure 3: Issues Found in the Collection Process
Too Much Clothing
Arecurringproblemamongclothingprovidersisreceivingtoomuchclothing.Ourteam
dividedtheissueoftoomuchclothingintotwoareas:toomuchforanorganization’s
capacityandtoomanynon-applicableorunusableitems.Storageandpersonnelcapacity
arefurtherdiscussedasseparateissues.
Allsevenclothingprovidersindicatedthattheyreceivetoomanynon-applicableand/or
unusabledonations.Non-applicableitemswillbesortedandsenttootherclothing
providersandunusableitemswillbedisposedtothelandfill.Significantvolunteerand
employeehoursarerequiredtosortnon-applicableandunusabledonations.Thisissueis
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 19
causedbyalackofawarenessfromclothingdonorsofwhichorganizationsservicespecific
demographicsorwhenclothingisconsideredtobeingoodorpoorcondition.
Too Little Clothing
Duringtheinterviews,welearnedthatfiveorganizationsrequiremoredonatedclothingin
goodconditiontomeetdemand.Notmeetingdemandcouldinclude:
• Item-specificdemand,suchassocks,underwear,orouterwear
• Gender-specificdemand
• Shortageofitemsduringlowdonationperiods
Arecurringcommentduringourinterviewswasthatmendonotdonateasmuchclothing.
Menaremorelikelytoweartheirclothinguntilitisunusable,whichresultsinahigher
demandofmen’sclothing.Itemsincludingsocksandunderweararealsohighlydemanded
butaredonatedinfrequently.
Organizationsoftenovercomeashortageofspecificclothingitemsbyissuingacall-outto
thepublic,retailers,churches,schools,andotherorganizations.Acall-outisarequestto
thepublicorspecificorganizationsforclothingdonations.Organizationsmaypurchase
itemsasnecessary,butitisnotasustainablepractice.Clothingproviderslooktosource
partnershipswithlargeretailersbutdonothavethepersonneltocreatethese
relationships.
Storage Capacity
Storagecapacityisanissuethataffectsfiveoftheclothingprovidersweinterviewedor
surveyed.Thefiveorganizationsarelimitedtothespacewithintheircurrentworkplace.
Thishasresultedintwoprovidershavingtoturningdonorsaway.SalvationArmyand
UnionGospelMissionhavedistributioncentrestosorttheiritems,thereforestorage
capacityisnotafactor.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 20
Improper Advertising
Welearnedthatclothingprovidersarereluctanttopubliclyadvertisethattheyaccept
donatedclothing.Althoughadvertisingtheirservicesleadstoaninfluxindonations,
organizationsareoftenoverwhelmedbytheamountofnon-applicableorunusableclothing
received.
TheCityofVancouverhascreatedtheWasteWizard,anonlinetoolforVancouver
residentstolearnwheretoproperlydisposeofwaste.Thiswebsiteallowstheuserto
searchtheitemfordisposal,whichthenshowsallthewaysforproperdisposalandwhere
theitemcanbetakenfordisposal.AlthoughtheWasteWizardfeaturesanareaspecificto
clothingdonationandrecycling,onlythreeclothingproviderparticipantsarelistedonthis
website.TheWasteWizarddoesnotdetailwhichitemsareacceptedbyeachorganization
ordefinetheexpectedconditionofclothing.Thisresultsinmisrepresentationofclothing
providersandcreatesaninfluxofnon-applicableorunusableclothingdonations.
Ease of Donation
Drop-offclothingdonationsaremorelikelytooccurifthelocationoftheclothing
provider’sfacilityiseasilyaccessedbythedonor.Thelayoutofthefacilityisalsoa
contributingfactortotheeaseofdonation.WelearnedthatDressforSuccessfaces
difficultywiththeircurrentlocation.DressforSuccesshasbeentoldbydonorsthatthey
finditdifficulttodropoffdonations.Thisisbecausetheirreceivingareaisonthesecond
floorofthebuilding,intheheartofdowntownVancouver.Donorsmustfindaplacetopark
andwalkupstairstodrop-offdonations,hinderinglargedonations.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 21
Sorting
Wedefinedthefourrecurringissuesfoundwithinthesortingprocess,whichareshownin
Figure4.Thedarkestgreenindicatesthemostfrequentlyoccurringissue,withthelightest
greenindicatingtheleastfrequent.
Figure 4: Issues Found in the Sorting Process
Torn, Ripped, and Stained Donations
Receivingdamagedclothingisthemostfrequentissuefoundinthesortingprocessandis
commonamongallsevenorganizations.Damageddonationshavethepotentialtobeused
byorganizations,butfeworganizationshavetheresourcestomanagedamageditems.
ClothingproviderslikeUnionGospelMissionhaveimplementedprogramssuchas“Repair
toWear”tofixandreusedonations.UGMhasalsoinvestedinlaundrymachinestowash
stainedordirtyitemsforreuse.Generalpracticeforotherorganizationsistodominor
repairforrippedclothing.Ifthedamageditemcannotbesewnbyhandorthestainistoo
severe,clothingwilleitherbedistributedtootherorganizations,recycled,orthrownaway.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 22
Non-applicable for Target Demographic
Fourclothingprovidersarecurrentlyreceivingclothingthatdoesnotapplytotheirtarget
demographic.Onceanon-applicableitemisreceived,itwillbedistributedtootherclothing
providersorsoldinconsignmentstores.Thisresultsinadditionalsortingforvolunteers
andemployeesandexcessuseofstoragecapacity.
OrganizationssuchasFirstUnitedChurchhavetakenstepstoeliminatereceivingitems
thatarenon-applicabletotheirclients.Theyhaverecentlypartneredwithalargeresale
chainandnolongeracceptpublicdonations.Withthispartnership,FirstUnitedwilldoa
call-outtoasneeded,resultinginreceivingonlyclothingitemsthatmatchtheircurrent
demand.
Unusable Condition
Receivingunusabledonationsisaninfrequentoccurrencebutallsevenorganizationshave
receiveditemsinpoorcondition.Welearnedthatorganizationshavereceivedinfested
donationbagsandevenitemssoiledwithfecalmatter.Clothingprovidershavefewchoices
besidesdisposingoftheseitemstothelandfill.
Fourofthesevenclothingprovidersprefertohavedonationsdroppedoffattheirfacility.
Drop-offispreferredbecausetheseorganizationsbelieveadonorismorelikelytodrop-off
goodconditionclothingversusunusableclothing.Usingthismethodincreasesownership
ofdonatedclothing.
Personnel Capacity
Personnelcapacityaffectseachoftheissuesuncoveredintheanalysisofthesorting
process.Donationsthatarenon-applicable,damaged,orunusabletakeupvaluable
volunteerandemployeetime.OrganizationssuchasWorkingGearhaveexpressedinterest
inexpandingtheirbusinessbutdonotcurrentlyhavethevolunteerorcapacityresources.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 23
Onceourteamhaddefinedeachissue,wecreatedahigh-levelprocessmap.Figure4shows
theprocessmapwhichillustratesthecurrentprocessesofclothingproviders(see
AppendixJforHigh-LevelProcessMap).
Figure 4: High-Level Process Map
Distribution
Theobjectiveofclothingprovidersistodistributedonationstoindividualsinneedof
clothingatnocost.Wehaveestablishedtwooutcomesofdistribution.Donatedclothing
thatisconsideredapplicabletotheorganizationwillgotoaclient.Iftheclothingisnon-
applicable,itwillgotoanotherclothingprovider.
Withthedefinedcollectionandsortingissues,wecreatedrelationshipdiagramsforeach
potentialoutcome.Therelationshipdiagramforthedistributionoutcomeisshownin
Figure5.
Figure 5: Relationship Diagram for the Distribution Outcome
See Appendix K-1 for Distribution Relationship Diagram
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 24
Recycling
Ifdonateditemsarenotapplicabletotheclothingprovidernorsuitablefordistributionto
otherproviders,theitemsmaybesentorsoldtosortergraders.Twoorganizationsare
currentlyparticipatinginarecyclingprogramwithsortergraders.Thisformofrecycling
mayincluderepurposingclothingbycreatingmultipleragsfromonegarment.The
relationshipdiagramfortherecyclingoutcomeisshowninAppendixK-2.
Landfill
Disposingitemstothelandfillisthethirdoutcomeforclothingdonations.Each
organizationfacesoccasionalsituationsthatrequiredisposal.Thesesituationsinclude
infestedandsoileddonations.SeeAppendixK-3forthelandfillrelationshipdiagram.
Ourteamidentifiedfiverelationshipsbetweenthecollectionandsortingprocessissues,
andthedistributionoutcome.Wealsoidentifiedtworelationshipsthatresultinthe
recyclingoutcome,andtwodifferentrelationshipsthatresultinthelandfilloutcome.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 25
Recommendations
Ourteamhasmaderecommendationsfor:
• Short-term
• Future
• Areasforfurtherinvestigation
Short-Term Recommendations
Basedonouranalysisoftheinformationcollected,werecommendtheCityofVancouver
supportclothingprovidersreducewasteintheshort-termby:
• Connectingsortergraderstoclothingproviders
• MarketingtheWasteWizard
• RepresenteachconsentingorganizationontheWasteWizardwhichdetailsspecific
donationrequirements
Sorter Graders
Arecurringtopicdiscussedinourinterviewswasthatitwouldbehelpfultohaveaclothing
recyclingbinpickedupbytheCity.Ourteamrecommendsbridgingarelationshipbetween
sortergradersandclothingproviderstoeducatetheorganizationsonsortergrader
recyclingmethods.Scheduledpick-upscanbearrangedwiththesortergraderstoensure
thatclothingprovidersarenotoverwhelmedwithexcessclothing,similartoaCity-run
recyclingprogram.Additionally,organizationscangeneraterevenuefromthesaleof
clothingtosortergraders.Thiswillimprovethecurrentsortingprocessandreducethe
disposalofclothingtothelandfill.
Marketing the Waste Wizard
IncreasingtheawarenessoftheWasteWizardtoMetroVancouverresidentswillalert
userstotherecyclingoptionsavailable.WerecommendthattheWasteWizardismarketed
higher,inaccessiblelocationssuchaspublictransit.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 26
Detailed Representation
WerecommendthattheCityissueasimplesurveytoeachclothingproviderthatprovides
consenttobeincludedontheWasteWizard.Thesurveyshouldincludethreetopics:
1. General
o Organizationname
o Address
o Contactinformation
o Hoursofoperations
2. TargetCustomerBase
o Detailedinformationabouttheorganization’sclothingserviceandwhothey
serve
3. DonationRequirements
o Whatisconsidered“clothingingoodcondition”
o Howtodonate(drop-off,pick-up,etc.)
o Specificarticlesthatarealwaysrequired
Oncethesurveyhasbeencompletedbyclothingproviders,theinformationcanbe
displayedontheWasteWizardforVancouverresidentstoaccess.Thiswillimprovethe
currentcollectionandsortingprocessesbyreducingtheamountofunusableandnon-
applicableitemsreceivedbyclothingproviders.
Future Recommendations
Followingtheshort-termrecommendations,ourteamhasdevelopedthree
recommendationsforfutureconsideration.Theserecommendationsfocusonthefollowing
topics:
1. Publiceducation
2. Recyclingprogram
3. Clothingmanufactureraccountability
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 27
Public Education
Priortothisstudy,ourteammembersdidnotknowwhereourclothingdonationswent.
Oncethisprojectbegan,wewereprovidedtheopportunitytosee,first-hand,howour
clothingissortedandwhereitisdistributed.
Duringtheinterviewandsurveyprocess,welearnedthatthegeneralpublic,likeus,is
unawareofwheretheirclothingdonationsgo.Similartotheeducationofsoftplastic
recyclingorcomposting,theCityshouldincreasepublicknowledgeabouttheservices
providedbyclothingproviders.Publicunderstandingofproperdonationmethodswill
improvethecollectionandsortingmethodsforclothingproviders.
Recycling Program
OurteamrecommendsimplementingclothingrecyclingresourcesatCitytransferstations.
Thepurposeoftheserecyclingbinsistoreducethedisposalofclothingatthelandfill.The
binswillbeaccessiblebythegeneralpublicandwillacceptclothingthatisnotfitfor
donation.Itemsthatarenotfitfordonationmayincludeitemssuchasrippedsocksor
underwear.ThisrecyclingprogrammaygenerateadditionalrevenuefortheCitywiththe
saleofclothingtosortergraders.
Clothing Manufacturer Accountability
Ourthirdlong-termrecommendationfocusesonclothingmanufacturersandretailers.We
recommendthattheCityregulatethedisposaloflike-newclothinginVancouver.Retailers
andmanufacturerscreatewastefromtheirunsolditems,factoryseconds,andreturnedor
damageditems.Althoughtheseitemsarenotfit-for-sale,theseitemsareacceptableto
donatetoclothingproviders.Partnershipswithclothingprovidersandmanufacturers
wouldreducethefollowingrecurringproblems:
• Highdemandformen’sclothing
• Toolittleclothing
• Unusableclothing
• Non-applicableclothing
• Volunteerandemployeehoursconsumedbysorting
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 28
Areas for Further Investigation
Werecommendthatthefollowingareasarefurtherinvestigated:
1. Howothercitiesareeffectivelyreducingtextilewaste
2. Children’sclothingprovidersandwaste
3. Howlaundryserviceswouldimpactclothingprovidersandclothingwaste
Thesethreetopicsaddressareasthatwerediscussedduringourinterviewsandsurveys
butwerenotincludedinourstudy.
Markham, Ontario
TosupporttheZeroWaste2040StrategicPlan,ourteamrecommendsthattheCity
continuestoconductresearchofthesustainablepracticescurrentlyusedinothercities.
Since2013,theCityofMarkhamhasprioritizedthereductionoftextilewastetothe
landfill.Thishasbeenexecutedusingnewcity-rundonationbinswhichutilizesmart
technology.Thebinsareequippedwithvolumeandtrackingsensors,aswellascameras.
Markhamhasclearlyoutlinedwhatitemsareacceptedfordonation,theconditionof
accepteditems,andwherethesmartbinsarelocated.ArecentstepforMarkhamto
supporttextilediversionwasthedecisiontobantextilewastefromcurbsidecollection
services(Markham,2017).
Children’s Clothing
Ourstudydidnotinvolveclothingproviderorganizationsthatprovidechildren’sclothing
freeofcost.Childrenwearthroughclothingatafasterratethanadultsandaremorelikely
todamageitems.Thisfactorcouldmakeitmoredifficultforparentstodonatetheir
children’sclothingandcouldincreasetheamountofclothingdisposedtothelandfill.
Furtherresearchintotheflowofchildren’sclothingwouldbebeneficialfortheCity.
Laundry Services
Duringtheinterviewandsurveyprocess,ourteamdiscoveredtheimpactthatlaundry
facilitieshasonreducingclothingproviders’textilewaste.Werecognizedthatthe
individualsaccessingclothingprogramslikelydonothaveaccesstolaundryfacilities.To
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 29
strengthentheZeroWaste2040StrategicPlan,werecommendtheimplementationofa
circularlaundromatforindividualsinneed.
Currently,theindividualsusingclothingproviders’servicesaredisposingtheirworn
clothing.ThecircularlaundromatwouldfollowtheprocessshowninFigure6.
Figure 6: Circular Laundromat Process Map
Thegoalofacircularlaundromatistoreducetheamountofclothingbeingdisposedtothe
landfill,whilesupportingVancouver’scommunitysocialresponsibilities.Individualsin
needwillhavetheopportunitytokeepvaluableitemsandreceivecleanclothesinreturn
fortheirwornclothes.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 30
Conclusion
Theinterviewandsurveyprocessindicatedthattherearefourkeyfactorsthatcause
problemswithintheclothingproviders’collectionandsortingprocesses.Thesefactorsare:
• Non-applicableclothing
• Unusableclothing
• Damagedclothing
• Notenoughclothing
Ourshort-termrecommendationswillresultinadecreaseofthesefactorsbyensuringthat
eachconsentingproviderisaccuratelyrepresentedontheWasteWizard.Indicatingwhat
clothingisacceptedbyeachclothingproviderandtheproperconditionofdonatedclothing
willreducethenon-applicable,unusable,anddamagedclothingreceived.Marketingthe
WasteWizardwillbringawarenesstothedonationoptionsavailabletothepublic,
resultinginaninfluxofapplicabledonationsinpropercondition.
Buildingrelationshipsbetweenclothingprovidersandsortergraderswillresultinthe
reductionofclothingdisposedtothelandfill,supportingtheCityofVancouver’sZero
Waste2040StrategicPlan.Clothingproviderscansendunusableclothingforrecyclingand
utilizethescheduledpick-upoptiontoeasevolunteerandemployeehours.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 31
Acknowledgements
Ourteamwouldliketothankthefollowingpeopleforprovidinguswiththeopportunityto
applyourknowledgeandexecutethisproject.
Clients:
• AndreaMcKenzie,CityofVancouverZeroWasteSpecialist
• IleanaCostrut,CityStudioVancouverProjectsCoordinator
BCITinstructors:
• LindaButterfield,ProjectAdvisor
• JasonYoung,ProjectCoordinator
• RichardVurdela
• RichardRanftl
BCITSchoolofBusiness
Allparticipatingclothingproviderorganizations:
• Sarah,StevenandteamatWorkingGear
• SarahandteamatDowntownEastsideWomen’sCentre
• DanandteamatSalvationArmy
• Natasha,CourtneyandteamatDressforSuccess
• AdrienneandteamatUnionGospelMission
• ScottandteamatMen’sHostel
• KristineatFirstUnitedChurch
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 32
Bibliography
Markham,C.o.(2017).CityofMarkham-CollectionServices.Retrievedfrom
http://www.markham.ca/wps/portal/Markham/Residents/RecyclingWaste/Collec
tionServices/sa-textilerecycling/textilerecycling/
Storry,K.,&McKenzie,A.(2018).UnravellingtheProblemofApparelWasteintheGreater
VancouverArea.Vancouver.
TextilesWaste:TheFacts.(2018).RetrievedfromWasteReductionWeekinCanada:
https://wrwcanada.com/en/get-involved/resources/textiles-themed-
resources/textiles-waste-facts
TheCityofVancouver.(2018,May).ZeroWaste2040TheCityofVancouver'sZeroWaste
StrategyPlan.Vancouver,BC,Canada.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 33
Appendices
AppendixA:TermsofReference
AppendixB:Interview/SurveyRequestEmail
AppendixC:InterviewQuestions
AppendixD:Survey
AppendixE:InformedConsentForm
AppendixF:ThankYouEmail
AppendixG:AlphanumericCoding
AppendixH:ProcessMaps
AppendixH-1:WorkingGearProcessMaps
AppendixH-2:DowntownEastsideWomen’sCentreProcessMaps
AppendixH-3:SalvationArmyProcessMaps
AppendixH-4:DressforSuccessProcessMaps
AppendixH-5:UnionGospelMissionProcessMaps
AppendixH-6:Men’sHostelProcessMaps
AppendixI:QualitativeCodingResults
AppendixJ:High-LevelProcessMap
AppendixK:RelationshipDiagrams
AppendixK-1:RelationshipDiagram–DistributionOutcome
AppendixK-2:RelationshipDiagram–RecyclingOutcome
AppendixK-3:RelationshipDiagram–LandfillOutcome
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 34
Appendix A: Terms of Reference
ThisistheTermsofReference(TOR)forunderstandingclothingprovidersintheCityof
Vancouver.TheTORoutlinestheprojectgoals,scope,andsuccessmeasures.
TermsofReference
Version:6.0Date:November22,2018ProjectName:ClothingProvidersintheCityofVancouverNameandAddressofClientandOrganization:AndreaMcKenzie,ZeroWasteSpecialistCityofVancouver1100-450SWMarineDr.Vancouver,[email protected],ProjectsCoordinatorCityStudioVancouver1800SpyglassPl.Vancouver,[email protected]:[email protected]@[email protected]:[email protected]
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 35
OpportunityStatement:
Thisprojectisdesignedtocompletebackgroundresearchinsupportofthepriorityaction
todevelopanApparelWasteReductionStrategy,asdescribedintheCityofVancouver’s
ZeroWaste2040StrategicPlan,whichisalong-termvisiontoeliminatethedisposalof
solidwastetolandfillsandincineratorsby2040.
ProjectGoal:
Thegoalofthisprojectistounderstandtheservicesofferedbyclothingproviders,defined
asorganizations(suchasshelters,communitycentres,andsomethriftstores)thatcollect
clothingtodistributedirectlytoindividualsinneed,atnocost,intheCityofVancouver.
Thisincludesthecollection,distribution,anddisposalofdonatedclothingitems.
ScopeoftheStudy:
Thescopeofthisstudyincludes:
● ContactingaminimumoffiveclothingprovidersinthecityofVancouver
● Developinginterviewandsurveyquestionsforclothingproviders
● Holdingsemi-structuredinterviewsand/orprovidingsurveyswithclothing
providers
● Analysisofthecurrentprocesswhichbeginswhentheclothingprovideraccepts
donationsandendswhendonationsleavetheirfacility
● Analysisofthecurrentchallengesandopportunitiesfacingclothingproviders
Thescopeofthisstudydoesnotinclude:
● ClothingprovidersoutsidetheCityofVancouver
● Analysisofotherstakeholders’processesoutsideofclothingproviders
● Implementationofrecommendations
Symptoms:
● Apparelwasteisoneofthefastestgrowingwastestreamsintheworld
● InCanada,anestimated500,000tonnesofapparelwastegoestodisposalannually
● InVancouver,approximately6,500tonnesofapparelisdisposedannually
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 36
SuccessMeasures:
Deliverable SuccessMeasure Responsibility Status
InformedConsentFormfilledin
SubmittedtoclientbySeptember19
Team Complete
InterviewRequestandThank-Youemailsdrafted
SubmittedforapprovalbySeptember19
Team Complete
Interviewandsurveyquestionsdrafted
SubmittedforapprovalbySeptember26
Team Complete
Pre-InterviewPrepSkypecallwithIleana
Asscheduled,onOctober3at9:00am
Team,Ileana Complete
Post-initialinterviewconferencecallwithAndrea
Asscheduled,onOctober18at2:30pm
Team,Andrea Complete
Initialinterviewtranscriptforreview
SubmittedonOctober18by10:00am
Team Complete
Completedinterviewandsurveytranscript/data
SubmittedtoAndreabeforeanalysisNovember7,2018
Team Complete
Processmapforeachorganization
Toinclude:- Processofeach
organization- Inflow/outflowof
clothingCompletedbyNovember21,2018.
Team Complete
Formalreport Toinclude:- Resultsofsurveys
andinterviews- Analysisand
recommendationsinresponsetochallengesfoundduringinterviews
- Discussionoflimitationsofresearchandidentificationofoutstandingknowledgegapsandareasforfurtherresearch
SubmittedtoclientsonNovember28,2018.
Team
PostercreatedforHUBBUB!Event
- 28”x4”- Includesphoto(s)- Largeprojecttitle
Team Complete
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 37
- Mediumsubtitle- Detailedpurpose,
outcomes,process- Nameofteam- Nameofcourse,
instructor(s),Citypartner
- CityStudiosummary
- BCITlogoPrintedonNovember29,2018.
AttendanceatHUBBUB!Event
9:00amonNovember30,2018withposter
Team
Oralpresentationoffindings
PresentedtoclientsandadvisorsonDecember5,2018at3:00pm.
Team
Deliverables:
● InterimdeliverablestobeapprovedbyClient:
○ DraftemailstoclothingprovidersbySeptember19
○ InformedConsentFormforparticipantsbySeptember19
○ DraftinterviewandsurveyquestionsbySeptember26
○ Apre-interviewprepmeetingwithIleanaonOctober3
○ Apost-interviewconferencecallafterourfirstinterviewwithAndreaand
IleanaonOctober17
○ Completedinterviewandsurveytranscriptpre-analysis
● AformalreportwillbesubmittedbyNovember29,2018andwillinclude:
○ Theresultsofsurveysandinterviewsconducted
○ Analysisandrecommendationsinresponsetochallengesfoundinsurveys
○ Discussionoflimitationsofresearchandidentificationofoutstanding
knowledgegapsandareasforfurtherresearch
● PostercreatedforHUBBUBEventatCityHallbyNovember29
● AttendanceatHUBBUBEventonNovember30,2018
● AnoralpresentationoffindingswillbegivenonDecember5,2018
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 38
Action:
Weeks1-3:GatherInformation
● Initialclientinterview
● Draftandsendemailstoclothingprovidercontactstorequestinterviewsand/or
surveys
● CompletetheInformedConsentFormforinterviewandsurveyparticipants
● ResearchclothingproviderorganizationsanddevelopacontactlistwithintheCity
ofVancouver
Weeks3-5:InterviewandSurveyQuestionnaire
● Draftinterviewandsurveyquestions
● Approveandfinalizeinterviewandsurveyquestions
● Confirminterviewsand/orprovidesurveystoparticipants
Weeks5-9:InterviewandSurvey
● InformedConsentFormssignedbyparticipants
● Meetwithparticipantsforsemi-structuredinterviews
● Receivecompletedsurveysfromparticipants
Weeks9-12:AnalysisandRecommendation
● Analysisofresultsfrominterviewsand/orsurveys
● Recommendationsbasedonanalysisoffindings
Constraints:
● Projecttimelineislimitedto13weeks
● CityStudioworkspaceisatcapacitywhichlimitstheopportunitytomeetwith
clientsin-person
● Privacypreferencesofeachinterviewand/orsurveyparticipant
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 39
Assumptions:
● Consentingparticipantswilldiscloseinformationaboutcurrentprocessesand
challenges
● Andreawillbeavailablebyemailforclarificationandsupportthroughoutthe
project
● Ileanawillbeavailablebyemailorphoneforclarificationandsupportthroughout
theproject
ProjectRisks:
● Lackofconsentingparticipants
● LocalelectionscouldchangeprioritiesofCityofVancouver
● Clothingprovidersdonothavequantifiabledata
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 40
Appendix B: Interview/Survey Request Email
Thisistheemailtemplatecreatedforcontactingclothingprovidersanddetermining
interestintheproject.
Helloteamat[insertnameof]organization,
MynameisDaveFerriday,aBusinessOperationsManagementstudentatBCIT.IampartofastudentteamthatiscollaboratingwiththeCityofVancouverandCityStudiotoworkonaprojectinspiredbytheCity’sZeroWaste2040strategicplan.ThefocusofourprojectistobetterunderstandhowclothingprovidershelptoreduceapparelwastewhilealsosupportingcommunitysocialgoalsinVancouver.
OurAsk
Myteamwouldliketheopportunitytoconductashortinterviewwithyourorganization.Wewouldliketoscheduleaonehour-longinterviewbetween[insertdates],atalocationandtimethatisconvenientforyou.Youmaychoosetobeidentifiedorremainanonymousforthisinterview.Ifyouareunabletoparticipateinanin-personinterview,youmayalsoparticipateinourstudybyfillingoutasurvey.
ProjectDescription
Clothingprovidersaredefinedasorganizations(suchasshelters,communitycentres,andsomethriftstores)thatcollectclothingtodistributedirectlytoindividualsinneed,atnocost.Wewouldliketogainabetterunderstandingofhowyourorganizationdeliversthisservice,andofanychallengesandopportunitiesyouexperiencerelatedtoclothing.
WhyParticipate
Weaimtofindwaystoaddressanychallengesandopportunitiesyouidentify,whilealsosupportingthegoalsofZeroWaste2040.ResearchfindingswillalsobeusedbytheCityofVancouvertohelpinformplanninganddevelopmentofafutureapparelwastereductionstrategy.
Pleaseletusknowifyouareinterestedinparticipatinginanintervieworsurveyby[insertdate].Weappreciateanyhelpandinsightyoucanprovideus.
Thankyouforyourtime,
[InsertSignature]
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 41
Appendix C: Interview Questions
Thesearethequestionsdevelopedforthesemi-structuredinterviewswithclothing
providers.
OrganizationalQuestions:
1. Whatservicesdoyouoffer?
2. Isprovidingclothingyourprimaryservice?
3. Doyoufeel“clothingprovider”isanappropriatetermfordescribingtheserviceof
distributingclothingatnocost?
4. Ifnot,isthereanothertermyouwoulduseinstead?
5. Whatcommunitiesorclientsdoyoutargetwithyourservices,andespeciallyyour
clothingproviderservices?
6. Doyoupartnerwithotherorganizationswhocollect,process,ordistributeclothing?
a. Ifyes,canyouidentifywhoanddescribehowyouworkwiththem?
7. Howareyourservicesfunded?
8. Doanyfundingdollarscomefromthesaleofsecond-handclothing?
CollectionProcess:
1. Howdoyoucollectclothing?(drop-off,pick-ups,donationbins?).
2. Doyoueverpurchaseclothingnew?
3. Whodoyougetclothingfrom?(Residents,retailers,otherclothingproviders,thrift
stores,etc.)
4. Doyoureceiveitemsfromotherorganizationsthatcollectprocessordistribute
secondhandclothing?
5. Howoftendoyoutypicallyreceiveclothing?
6. Estimatetheamountofclothingyoureceiveeachyear(numberofitemsorby
weight)
7. Whattypesofclothingdoyoucollect?
8. Whydoyouusethesecollectionmethods?Whatdoesordoesn'tworkwellabout
thisapproachtocollection?
9. Whatisyourmaximumcapacityforclothingdonations?
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 42
10. Whatfactorsaffectyourmaxcapacity?(e.g.storagespace,stafforvolunteerhours)
11. Doyoualwayshaveenoughclothingtofulfillclients’demand?
a. Doesitvarywithseason?Typeofclothing?
12. Arethereanyitemsyoutendtogetmoreofthanyouneed?Ifyes,whatarethey?
13. Arethereanyitemsyoudon’tgetenoughof?Ifyes,whatarethey?
14. Whatdoyoudowhenyoudon’thaveenoughofcertainitemtypestomeetdemand?
DistributionProcess:
1. Whatdoclientshavetodotoaccessyourservices?
2. Istherealimitonthenumberofitemsyoudistributeperclient?
a. Ifyes,whatisit?
3. Describetheprocessofclientsselectingwhichitemstheyget.(e.g.dotheygetto
choose,tryon,etc.)
4. Doyoulaunderclothingdonationsbeforedistributing?
5. Howfastdoitemsgetdistributedafterbeingcollectedandprocessed?
6. Whyisthisyourapproachfordistributingclothing?Whatdoesordoesn'tworkwell
aboutthisapproach?
Advertising:
1. Howdoyougetthewordouttoclientsthatyouprovideclothingatnocost?
2. Howdoyougetthewordoutthatyouacceptdonationsofclothing?
3. Whydoyouusetheseadvertisingmethods?Whatdoesordoesn’tworkwellabout
thesewaysofadvertising?
UnusedApparel:
1. Whatdoyoudowithanyunusableorexcessitemsyouendupwith?
2. Ifyoupassontootherorganizations,pleaseidentifywhichonesandwhatyou
typicallypassontothem.
3. Doyoudisposeanythingtolandfill?Ifyes,canyoudescribethetypesofitemsthat
getdisposed?
a. Whatportionofclothingyoureceivedoesthisrepresent?
4. Doyousendorsellanythingtosortergraders?(businessesthatcollectorbuy
clothingandsortforrecycling,resaleoverseasandothermarkets)
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 43
a. Forexample:Trans-Continental,Cann-Amm,Pacific,Delta,Dominion,
Odyssey
5. Whatdoyoudowithdamagedclothing(ripped,stained,etc.)?
6. Whydoyouusethesemethodstomanageitemsyoudon’tneed?Whatdoesor
doesn'tworkwellaboutthisapproach?
AllTopics:
1. Whatwouldhelptoimprovehowyouprovideyourservices?
2. Anyotherinformationorcommentsyou'dliketoshare?
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 44
Appendix D: Survey
ThisistheGoogleFormssurveydesignedforclothingproviders.
Figure 7: Clothing Providers in the City of Vancouver Google Forms
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 45
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 46
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 47
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 48
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 49
Appendix E: Informed Consent Form
ThisistheInformedConsentFormprovidedtoeachparticipatingclothingprovider,prior
totheintervieworsurvey.
TitleoftheResearchProjectClothingProvidersinVancouverDescriptionoftheResearchThepurposeofthisresearchistobetterunderstandtheroleplayedbyclothingprovidersinVancouver.Clothingprovidersaredefinedasorganizations(suchasshelters,communitycentresandsomethriftstores)thatcollectclothingtodistributedirectlytoindividualsinneedatnocost.TheprojectseekstolearnwhatservicesdifferentclothingprovidersinVancouveroffer,howtheydeliverthoseservices,whytheirservicemodelisdesignedthatway,andwhatchallengesandopportunitiesexistforsupportingthedistributionofclothingdonationswithinVancouvercommunities.ThisprojectisacollaborationbetweenBritishColumbiaInstituteofTechnology(BCIT)andCityofVancouverthroughCityStudio.CityStudioisaninnovationhubwhereCitystaff,students,facultyandcommunityworktogethertodesignexperimentalprojectsthatmakeVancouvermoresustainable,liveableandjoyful.https://www.citystudiovancouver.com/TheresearchanalysisandrecommendationswillrespondtochallengesandopportunitiesidentifiedbyinterviewparticipantswhilealigningwiththeobjectivesidentifiedintheCityofVancouver’sZeroWaste2040strategicplan.TheprimaryobjectiveofZeroWaste2040istoeliminatethedisposalofsolidwastetolandfillandincinerationby2040throughwasteavoidance,reduction,reuseandrecycling.Animportantcomplementaryobjectiveistosupportcommunitysocialgoals.Forexample,bystrengtheningcommunityconnectionsandpursuingzerowasteinitiativesthatsupportsocialjustice.ResearchfindingswillbeusedbytheCityofVancouvertohelpinformplanninganddevelopmentofafutureapparelwastereductionstrategyforVancouver,apriorityactioninZeroWaste2040.https://vancouver.ca/green-vancouver/zero-waste-vancouver.aspxAccesstoResearchInformationThelistofinterview/surveyparticipantsandinterview/surveynoteswillbesharedwiththeprojectsponsor:CityofVancouverSolidWasteStrategicServices.Theinformationcollectedwillinformthefinalreport,whichwillbesharedwiththeprojectsponsorandallresearchparticipantsuponcompletioninDecember2018.ResearchparticipantswillalsobeinvitedtoattendapresentationoftheresearchfindingsattheCityStudioHUBBUB!ProjectShowcase.ConfidentialityYoumaychoosetobeidentifiedinthefinalreportasaresearchparticipantbynameand/orbytheorganizationyourepresent.Theinformationcollectedfromtheseinterviews/surveyswhichwillbesharedwiththeCityofVancouvermaybeaccessibletoothersthroughFreedomofInformationrequests.ParticipationTheinterviewwilltakeapproximately45minuteswhileweexpectthesurveytotakeapproximately20-30minutes.Youarefreetodeclinetoansweranyquestion.Youmaywithdrawyourconsenttoparticipateatanytimeduringtheintervieworsurveyandanyinformationyouhaveprovidedtothatpointwillbedestroyeduponyourinstruction.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 50
ProjectTeam:LaurenBostwick|(778)898-2530|[email protected]|(604)317-0028|[email protected]|(236)332-4449|[email protected],BusinessOperationsManagement,BritishColumbiaInstituteofTechnologyIfyouhaveanyfurtherquestionsorconcernsaboutthisstudy,pleasecontacttheprojectteam.Supervisor:JasonYoung|604.412.7510|[email protected],SchoolofBusiness,BritishColumbiaInstituteofTechnologyIfyouhaveanyconcernsregardingtheconductoftheprojectteam,pleasefeelfreetocontactthesupervisor.ProjectSponsor:AndreaMcKenzie|604.873.7777|[email protected],CityofVancouverIfyouhaveanyquestionsabouttheZeroWaste2040strategicplanorafutureapparelwastereductionstrategyforVancouver,pleasecontacttheprojectsponsor.Consent:
HaveyoureviewedtheProjectInformationandInformedConsentsheet? YESNO
Doyouagreetoparticipateinaninterviewforthisproject? YESNODoestheprojectteamhavepermissiontotakephotosofyourfacility,whichmaybeusedfortheHUBBUB!ProjectShowcaseand/orfinalreport.
YESNO
Pleaseindicatetheidentifyinginformationyouconsenttobeusedinthefinalreport.Selectoneorboth:
Firstandlastname
Organization:_____________________________________________
______________________________________________________SignatureofParticipant NameofParticipant__________________________Date
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 51
Appendix F: Thank You Email
Thisistheemailtemplatecreatedtofollow-upandthankeachparticipatingorganization
fortheircontribution.
Helloteamat[insertnameof]organization,
OnbehalfofmyteamandCityStudio,thankyouforparticipatinginourresearchprojecton
clothingprovidersinVancouver.
Thetimeandinformationyougenerouslyprovidedhasbeenhelpfulandgaveuswith
usefulinsightssuchas[insertexample].Inourfinalreport,weaimtofindwaysto
addressthechallengesandopportunitiesyouidentified,whilesupportingthegoalsofZero
Waste2040.ResearchfindingswillalsobeusedbytheCityofVancouvertohelpforma
futureapparelwastereductionstrategy.OurreportwillbefinalizedbyDecember5,2018
andwillbesharedwithallresearchparticipants.
Tolearnaboutourfindings,wewouldliketoinviteyoutoaneventatCityHall,called
HUBBUB,wherewewillbepresentingasummaryofourproject.Thiseventisashowcase
forcollaborativeprojectsbetweentheCityofVancouver,CityStudio,andstudentteams
fromlocalcollegesanduniversities.Byattendingthisevent,youwillbeabletoseehow
yourinputhashelpedguideourproject.
Theeventdetailsare:
Date:November30,2018
Place:453W12thAve,Vancouver,BCV5Y1V4(VancouverCityHall)
Time:09:30-12:30
Thankyouagainandwehopetoseeyouthere!
[InsertSignature]
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 52
Appendix G: Alphanumeric Coding
Thesearethealphanumericcodesourteamassignedtothepotentialanswersofeach
interviewandsurveyquestion.
Thefollowingmethodologywasusedtocreatealphanumericcodes:
1. Establishpotentialanswersforeachinterviewandsurveyquestions,usingthe
surveyasabaseline.
2. Determinethemethodofcoding,forwhichwechosealphanumeric.
3. Sequentiallyassignanalphanumericcodetoeachpotentialanswer.
Table4showsthealphanumericcodesforeachquestion.
Table 4: Alphanumeric Coding Format
Question Coded Answers1A: Clothing1B: Housing, shelter1C: Food1D: Medical1E: Legal1F: Other 2A: Yes2B: No3A: Yes3B: No3C: For that area of service4A: Male4B: Female4C: Male & Female4D: Age 0-124E: Age 13-214F: Age 22-544G: Age 55+4H: Other5A: Yes5B: No5C: No, send excess clothes5D: No, refers clients
What services do you offer?
Is providing clothing your primary service?
Do you feel “clothing provider” is an appropriate term for describing the service of distributing
clothing at no cost?
What communities or clients do you target with your services, and especially your clothing
provider services?
Do you partner with other organizations who collect, process, or distribute clothing?
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 53
6A: Government6B: Monetary Donations6C: Sale of Clothing6D: Other7A: Drop-off7B: Pick-up7C: Donation bins7D: Clothing drives7E: Purchased new7F: Other8A: Residents8B: Retailers, corporate8C: Clothing brands8D: Thrift stores8E: Other clothing providers8F: Other9A: Everyday9B: 1-3x/week9C: 4-5x/week9D: 1-3x/month9E: Other10A: Number of Items10B: Weight in lbs.11A: Men's11B: Women's11C: Children's11D: Towels/blankets11E: Other12A: Yes12B: No13A: Storage Space13B: Volunteer hours13C: Other 14A: More Ownership14B: Fewer volunteer hours14C: Community involvement14D: Community needs met15A: Location of facilities15B: Unusable donations
How are your services funded?
How do you collect clothing?
Who do you get clothing from?
How often do you typically receive clothing?
Estimate amount of clothing received
What types of clothing do you collect?
What is your maximum capacity for clothing donations?
What works well about collection methods?
What factors affect your maximum capacity?
What doesn't work well about collection methods?
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 54
16A: Yes16B: No17A: Yes17B: Nov/Dec = high17C: Summer = low17D: No17E: Other18A: Purchase New18B: Turn Away18C: Call-Out to Orgs18D: Call-Out to Public19A: Socks/Underwear19B: Shoes19C: Pants19D: Shirts19E: Outerwear19F: Other20A: Socks/Underwear20B: Shoes20C: Pants20D: Shirts20E: Outerwear20F: Other20G: All21A: Live in DTES21B: Referral21C: Outreach Centre21D: Walk-in21E: Other22A: Yes22B: No22C: 1-10 Items22D: 10-20 Items23A: Yes23B: No23C: Yes, can't try on23D: Yes, can try on
Do you always have enough clothing to fulfill clients’ demand?
Is donation demand seasonal?
What do you do when you don't have enough clothing to meet demand?
Are there any items you tend to get more of than you need?
Are there any items you don’t get enough of?
What do clients have to do to access your services?
Is there a limit on the number of items you distribute per client?
Do clients get to choose their items?
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 55
24A: Yes24B: No24C: Upon Request25A: Yes25B: No26A: Immediately26B: 1-2 Weeks26C: 3-4 Weeks26D: Over 1 Month26E: Other 27A: Send to other providers27B: Thrift Stores27C: Consign27D: Throw away27E: Sorter graders/upcycle27F: Other28A: Throw away28B: Repair28C: Wash28D: Give elsewhere28E: Sorter graders28F: Other29A: Public education29B: Monetary donations29C: Industry accountability29D: Recycling program29E: Other 30A: Volunteers30B: Employees30C: Both31A: Volunteers only31B: Employees only31C: Both32A: Word-of-Mouth32B: Social Media32C: Website32D: Other32E: Do not advertise
Are clients provided assitance when choosing?
How fast do items get distributed after being collected and processed?
Do you launder clothing donations before distribution?
What do you do with any not applicable or excess items you end up with?
What do you do with damaged clothing?
What would help to improve how you provide your services?
Who distributes clothing directly to clients?
Do you have volunteers or employees?
How do you get the word out to clients that you provide clothing at no cost?
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 56
29A: Public education29B: Monetary donations29C: Industry accountability29D: Recycling program29E: Other 30A: Volunteers30B: Employees30C: Both31A: Volunteers only31B: Employees only31C: Both32A: Word-of-Mouth32B: Social Media32C: Website32D: Other32E: Do not advertise33A: Word-of-Mouth33B: Social Media33C: Website33D: Other 34A: Live within city34B: Live outside city 34C: Clean clothing34D: No returns from client34E: Still useable34F: Other 35A: Turn donors away35B: Ask to come back35C: Store off-site36A: Yes36B: No37A: Yes37B: No37C: Occassionally38A: 1-10 people38B: 11-20 people38C: 21-30 people38D: 31-40 people38E: Other
Do you ever sell clothing items?
How many people access your clothing provider services per week?
How do you get the word out to clients that you provide clothing at no cost?
How do you get the word out that you accept donations of clothing?
Are there requirements for donors to follow?
What do you do when you are at maximum capacity for clothing donations?
Do you ever purchase clothing new?
What would help to improve how you provide your services?
Who distributes clothing directly to clients?
Do you have volunteers or employees?
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 57
Appendix H: Process Maps
Theprocessmapscreatedareincludedinthefollowingsixappendices.Processmapswere
createdfortheclothingproviderswhoparticipatedintheinterviewprocessonly.
Eachclothingproviderweinterviewedexplainedtheircurrentcollection,sorting,and
distributionprocesses.Theseprocessesweretranslatedintoprocessmaps.Themapswere
dividedintoeither:
• Thecollection&sortingprocessandthedistributionprocessor
• Thecollectionprocess,sortingprocess,anddistributionprocess
Theuseofseparatecollectionandsortingprocessesoccurredfororganizationsthat
collecteddonationsusingmethodsotherthandrop-offonly.Italsooccurredfor
organizationsthatdonotimmediatelysortdonations.
Thefollowingmethodologywasusedtocreateeachprocessmap:
1. Definethestartingtask,illustratedasanoval.
2. Determinethemacrostepsrequiredtoexecutetheprocess,illustratedasa
rectangle.
3. Determinewhereayesornodecisionismade,illustratedasatriangle.
4. Definetheoutcomeofthedecision.
5. Definetheendresultoftheprocessordecisionoutcome,illustratedasanoval.
Oncetheprocessmapswerecompleteforeachclothingprovider,processstepswere
colourcodedtorevealcommonalitiesbetweenorganizationprocesses.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 58
Appendix H-1: Working Gear Process Maps
ThesearetheprocessmapscreatedforWorkingGear.Theprocesseshavebeendivided
intothecollectionandsortingprocessandthedistributionprocess.
Figure8showsthecollectionandsortingprocessesatWorkingGear.Figure 8: Working Gear Collection and Sorting Processes
WorkingGearindicatedthreeoutcomesforclothingdonations:
1. Hangitemsfordistributiontoclients
2. DistributetoPowellStreetGetawayCentre
3. Putclothingoutsidetheirentranceforindividualstosortandtake
TheonlyitemsdisposedtothelandfillbyWorkingGearareitemsthataresoiledbeyond
use,whichisarareoccurrence.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 59
Figure9showsthedistributionprocessatWorkingGear.
Figure 9: Working Gear Distribution Process
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 60
Appendix H-2: Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre Process Maps
ThesearetheprocessmapscreatedforDowntownEastsideWomen’sCentre.The
processeshavebeendividedintothecollectionprocess,sortingprocess,andthe
distributionprocess.
Figure10showsthecollectionprocessatDEWC.Figure 10: DEWC Collection Process
Therearetwooutcomesforclothingdonationsfollowingthecollectionprocess:
1. Donationbagsarestored
2. Donationbagsaredisposedtothelandfill
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 61
Figure11showsthesortingprocessatDEWC.
Figure 11: DEWC Sorting Process
DEWCindicatedtherearethreeoutcomesfordonatedclothing:
1. Hangclothinginclothingroomtodistributetoclients
2. DistributeitemstoCrabtreeCorner
3. Throwitemsaway
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 62
Figure12showsthedistributionprocessforDEWC.Figure 12: DEWC Distribution Process
Duringthisprocess,clothingdonationscanbedisposedoftothelandfillorkeptfor
distribution.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 63
Appendix H-3: Salvation Army Process Maps
ThesearetheprocessmapscreatedforSalvationArmy.Theprocesseshavebeendivided
intothecollectionandsortingprocessandthedistributionprocess.
Figure13showsthecollectionandsortingprocessforSalvationArmy.Thethreecollection
methodsare:
1. Drop-offataSalvationArmylocation
2. Drop-offattheSalvationArmyDistributionCentre
3. Pick-updonationsfromSalvationArmydonationbinsFigure 13: Salvation Army Collection and Sorting Process
SalvationArmyindicatedtwooutcomesforclothingdonations:
1. Hangitemsfordistributioninthriftstores
2. DistributeitemstoSalvationArmyThriftStores–includesnationallocations
3. Selltosortergraders
TheonlyitemsdisposedtothelandfillbySalvationArmyareitemsthataresoiledbeyond
use.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 64
Figure14showsthedistributionprocessforSalvationArmy.Figure 14: Salvation Army Distribution Process
TheSalvationArmydistributionprocessisunique,astheorganizationoperatesasa
clothingproviderandathriftstore.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 65
Appendix H-4: Dress for Success Process Maps
ThesearetheprocessmapscreatedforDressforSuccess.Theprocesseshavebeendivided
intothecollectionandsortingprocessandthedistributionprocess.
Figure15showsthecollectionandsortingprocessforDressforSuccess.Figure 15: Dress for Success Collection and Sorting Process
DressforSuccesshasindicatedfouroutcomesfordonatedclothing:
1. Distributetoclients–hanginboutique
2. SendtoTurnaboutLuxuryResaleforconsignment
3. SellthroughDressforSuccess’“ShopforaCause”program
4. Distributetootherorganizations–itemsarepickedupbyBigBrotherorWISH
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 66
Figure16showsthedistributionprocessforDressforSuccess.
Figure 16: Dress for Success Distribution Process
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 67
Appendix H-5: Union Gospel Mission Process Maps
ThesearetheprocessmapscreatedforUnionGospelMission.Theprocesseshavebeen
dividedintothecollectionandsortingprocessandthedistributionprocess.
Figure17showsthecollectionandsortingprocessforUnionGospelMission.Figure 17: Union Gospel Mission Collection and Sorting Process
UGMhasindicatedfouroutcomesfordonatedclothing:
1. DistributetotheUGMclothingroom
2. Distributetoothernon-profitorganizations
3. DistributetotheUGMthriftstore
4. Selltosortergraders
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 68
Figure18showsthedistributionprocessforUnionGospelMission.
Figure 18: Union Gospel Mission Distribution Process
ThedistributionprocessisdifferentformenandwomenaccessingUnionGospelMission’s
clothingservices.Womenmustbookanappointmentthroughanoutreachworkerpriorto
usingtheclothingroom.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 69
Appendix H-6: Men’s Hostel Process Maps
ThesearetheprocessmapscreatedforMen’sHostel.Theprocesseshavebeendividedinto
thecollectionandsortingprocessandthedistributionprocess.
Figure19showsthecollectionandsortingprocessforMen’sHostel.Figure 19: Men's Hostel Collection and Sorting Process
Men’sHostelhasindicatedfouroutcomesfordonatedclothing:
1. Distributetoclients–placeinclothingroom
2. DistributetoShewayorDEWC
3. Sendtosortergraders
4. Throwaway
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 70
Figure20showsthedistributionprocessforMen’sHostel.
Figure 20: Men's Hostel Distribution Process
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 71
Appendix I: Qualitative Coding Results
Thesearetheresultsofthequalitativecodingprocess.Ourteamreviewedeachinterview
transcriptandthesurveyresponseandcodedanswersappropriately.
Thefollowingmethodologywasusedtocompletethequalitativecodingprocess:
1. Revieweachinterviewtranscriptandthesurveyresponse.
2. Identifytheapplicablecodeforeachanswer.
3. Makenoteofwhichorganizationappliedtoidentifiedcodeinthe“Provider”column
ofTable5.
Thekeyfindingsfromourqualitativecodinginclude:
• Whatdoesn’tworkwellaboutcurrentcollectionmethods
o Allsevenorganizationsindicatedthatwellintentionedpeopledrop-off
unusableornon-applicableitems
• Amountofdonationsreceivedvariesthroughouttheyear
o Highperiods–Christmas,springcleaning
o Lowperiods–summermonths
• Howclothingprovidersovercomenon-applicable,damagedorunusableitems
o Distributetoindividualsorotherorganizations
o Repair,launder
o Recyclewithsortergraders
o Disposetolandfill
• Whatcouldhelpclothingprovidersimprovetheirservices
o Education
o Manufactureraccountability
o Recyclingprograms
Table5showstheresultsofthecodingprocess.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 72
Table 5: Coding Results
Question Coded Answers Providers1A: Clothing DEWC, WG, DFS, UGM, SA, MH, FU1B: Housing, shelter DEWC, UGM, MH, FU1C: Food DEWC, UGM, SA, FU1D: Medical1E: Legal FU1F: Other DEWC, WG, DFS, UGM, MH, FU
2A: Yes WG2B: No DEWC, DFS, UGM, MH, FU, SA
3A: Yes WG, UGM, SA3B: No FU3C: For that area of service DEWC, DFS, MH
4A: Male MH4B: Female DEWC, DFS4C: Male & Female WG, UGM, SA, FU4D: Age 0-12 -4E: Age 13-21 DEWC, WG, DFS4F: Age 22-54 DEWC, WG, DFS4G: Age 55+ DEWC, WG, DFS4H: Other DEWC, DFS, FU
5A: Yes DFS5B: No UGM, SA, FU5C: No, send excess clothes WG, MH5D: No, refers clients DEWC, WG
6A: Government DEWC, MH, FU6B: Monetary Donations DEWC, WG, DFS, UGM, MH, FU6C: Sale of Clothing DFS, UGM, SA, FU6D: Other DFS, UGM, MH, FU
7A: Drop-off DEWC, WG, DFS, UGM, SA, MH, FU7B: Pick-up UGM, SA7C: Donation bins SA7D: Clothing drives WG, DFS, MH7E: Purchased new DFS, UGM, MH
7F: Other DFS
8A: Residents DEWC, WG, DFS, SA, MH
8B: Retailers, corporate WG, DFS, UGM, SA
8C: Clothing brands WG, DFS, UGM, MH
8D: Thrift stores FU
8E: Other clothing providers SA
8F: Other
9A: Everyday UGM, SA
9B: 1-3x/week WG, DFS, FU
9C: 4-5x/week DEWC
9D: 1-3x/month
9E: Other MH
10A: Number of Items
10B: Weight in lbs. DEWC, WG, DFS, SA, FU
How are your services funded?
How do you collect clothing?
Who do you get clothing from?
How often do you typically receive clothing?
Estimate amount of clothing received
What services do you offer?
Is providing clothing your primary service?
Do you feel “clothing provider” is an appropriate term for describing the service of distributing
clothing at no cost?
What communities or clients do you target with your services, and especially your clothing
provider services?
Do you partner with other organizations who collect, process, or distribute clothing?
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 73
11A: Men's WG, UGM. SA, MH, FU
11B: Women's DEWC, DFS, UGM, SA, FU
11C: Children's SA11D: Towels/blankets DEWC, SA, MH11E: Other WG, DFS, UGM, SA, MH
12A: Yes DEWC, DFS, MH12B: No WG, UGM, SA
13A: Storage Space DEWC, DFS, MH, FU13B: Volunteer hours DEWC, DFS, FU13C: Other FU
14A: More Ownership WG, DFS, MH14B: Fewer volunteer hours DFS14C: Community involvement UGM, MH14D: Community needs met UGM
15A: Location of facilities DFS15B: Unusable donations WG, DEWC, UGM, DFS, SA, MH, FU
16A: Yes WG, SA16B: No DEWC, DFS, UGM, MH, FU
17A: Yes DEWC, WG, DFS, UGM, SA, MH17B: Nov/Dec = high DEWC, WG, DFS, UGM, SA, MH17C: Summer = low WG, DFS, UGM, SA17D: No17E: Other DEWC, DFS, MH
18A: Purchase New WG, DFS, MH,18B: Turn Away18C: Call-Out to Orgs FU - Previously
18D: Call-Out to Public MH, FU - Currently, UGM
19A: Socks/Underwear19B: Shoes19C: Pants19D: Shirts19E: Outerwear19F: Other WG, DFS, MH, FU
20A: Socks/Underwear WG, UGM, FU20B: Shoes20C: Pants SA20D: Shirts SA, MH20E: Outerwear FU20F: Other DFS20G: All WG, UGM
21A: Live in DTES DEWC21B: Referral WG, DFS21C: Outreach Centre UGM, SA
21D: Walk-in MH21E: Other DFS, FU
22A: Yes DEWC, WG, DFS, SA22B: No UGM, MH, FU22C: 1-10 Items DEWC22D: 10-20 Items
What do clients have to do to access your services?
Is there a limit on the number of items you distribute per client?
Do you always have enough clothing to fulfill clients’ demand?
Is donation demand seasonal?
What do you do when you don't have enough clothing to meet demand?
Are there any items you tend to get more of than you need?
Are there any items you don’t get enough of?
What types of clothing do you collect?
What is your maximum capacity for clothing donations?
What works well about collection methods?
What factors affect your maximum capacity?
What doesn't work well about collection methods?
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 74
23A: Yes DEWC, SA, MH23B: No FU23C: Yes, can't try on DEWC23D: Yes, can try on WG, DFS, UGM, SA, MH24A: Yes DFS, MH24B: No DEWC24C: Upon Request WG25A: Yes UGM, MH, FU25B: No DEWC, WG, DFS, SA26A: Immediately DEWC, WG, DFS, UGM26B: 1-2 Weeks DEWC, WG, DFS26C: 3-4 Weeks DFS26D: Over 1 Month WG, DFS26E: Other MH, FU27A: Send to other providers DEWC, WG, DFS, UGM, MH27B: Thrift Stores UGM, SA27C: Consign WG, DGS27D: Throw away DEWC, FU27E: Sorter graders/upcycle WG, DFS, UGM, SA27F: Other WG, MH28A: Throw away DEWC, MH, FU28B: Repair DFS, UGM, MH28C: Wash UGM, MH, FU28D: Give elsewhere WG, DFS, SA28E: Sorter graders FU, SA, UGM, MH28F: Other FU29A: Public education WG, DFS, UGM, MH, DEWC, SA29B: Monetary donations DFS29C: Industry accountability DEWC, UGM, MH29D: Recycling program DEWC, WG, DFS, UGM, MH29E: Other DEWC, WG, DFS, UGM, SA30A: Volunteers DEWC, WG, DFS30B: Employees SA, MH30C: Both31A: Volunteers only WG31B: Employees only SA31C: Both DEWC, DFS, MH 32A: Word-of-Mouth DEWC, WG, MH32B: Social Media32C: Website32D: Other DFS32E: Do not advertise UGM, SA, MH, FU33A: Word-of-Mouth UGM, MH33B: Social Media WG, DFS33C: Website DEWC, WG, DFS, UGM, SA33D: Other UGM, MH, FU34A: Live within city34B: Live outside city DEWC34C: Clean clothing DEWC, WG, DFS34D: No returns from client DEWC34E: Still useable DEWC, MH, WG, DFS, UGM, SA34F: Other WG, DFS, SA
How do you get the word out to clients that you provide clothing at no cost?
How do you get the word out that you accept donations of clothing?
Are there requirements for donors to follow?
What do you do with any not applicable or excess items you end up with?
What do you do with damaged clothing?
What would help to improve how you provide your services?
Who distributes clothing directly to clients?
Do you have volunteers or employees?
Do clients get to choose their items?
Are clients provided assitance when choosing?
How fast do items get distributed after being collected and processed?
Do you launder clothing donations before distribution?
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 75
Figure21showsthenumberofoccurrencesofeachissuefoundwithinthecollection
process,establishedusingthequalitativecodingprocess.
Figure 21: Graph of Issues Found Within the Collection Process
35A: Turn donors away DEWC35B: Ask to come back DFS35C: Store off-site SA36A: Yes WG, DFS, MH36B: No DEWC, SA37A: Yes DFS, UGM, SA37B: No DEWC, MH37C: Occassionally WG38A: 1-10 people38B: 11-20 people38C: 21-30 people WG38D: 31-40 people DEWC38E: Other DFS, SA, MH39A: Yes WG, DEWC, UGM, DFS, MH, FU39B: No SA40A: Yes WG, DEWC, UGM, SA, MH, FU40B: No DFS41A: Yes WG, DEWC, UGM, DFS, SA, MH, FU41B: No
Do or have you received clothing that is not applicable to your target demographic?
Do or have you received clothing that is beyond use?
Do or have you received clothing that is damaged beyond repair?
Do you ever sell clothing items?
How many people access your clothing provider services per week?
What do you do when you are at maximum capacity for clothing donations?
Do you ever purchase clothing new?
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Too MuchClothing
Too LittleClothing
Storage Capacity ImproperAdvertising
Ease ofDonation
Clot
hing
Pro
vide
rs E
xper
ienc
ing
Issu
es
Issues
Issues Found Within the Collection Process
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 76
Figure22showstheoccurrencesofeachissuefoundwithinthesortingprocess,
establishedduringthequalitativecodingprocess.
Figure 22: Graph of Issues Found Within the Sorting Process
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Torn, Ripped, orStained Items
Non-applicable forDemographic
Unusable Condition Personnel Capacity
Clot
hing
Pro
vide
rs E
xper
ienc
ing
Issu
es
Issues
Issues Found Within the Sorting Process
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 77
Appendix J: High-Level Process Map
Thisisthehigh-levelprocessmapthatillustratesthecommonmacrofunctionswithineach
clothingprovider’sprocess.
Thehigh-levelprocessmapshowsthecommonfunctionswithineachorganization.Once
theindividualprocessmapswerecreatedforeachprovider,itwasclearthateach
organizationmustcompletethefollowingsteps:
• Collectclothingdonations
• Sortclothingdonations
• Distribute,recycle,orthrowawayclothingdonations
Figure23showsthehigh-levelprocessmapforeachclothingprovider.
Figure 23: High-Level Process Map
Thishigh-levelprocessmapindicatesthatclothingmusteitherbedistributed,recycled,or
thrownaway.Eachofthesethreeoutcomesisaresultofissuesfoundinthecollectionor
sortingprocess,whichweredeterminedduringthecodingprocess.SeeAppendixLfor
relationshipdiagrams.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 78
Appendix K: Relationship Diagrams
Thesearetherelationshipdiagramsthatindicatetherelationshipsbetweentheissues
foundinthecollectionprocess,theissuesfoundinthesortingprocess,andthethree
outcomes:distribution,recycling,andthedisposaltolandfills.
Thecodingprocessindicatedthattherearefiveissueswithinthecollectionprocessand
fourwithinthesortingprocess.Eachissueisdefinedwithin“Phase2:DataAnalysis”inthe
AnalysisofFindingssectionofthereport.
Thefollowingmethodologywasusedtocreatetherelationshipdiagrams:
1. Determinewhichissueswithinthecollectionprocessdirectlyimpactedissues
withinthesortingprocess
2. Determinehowtheissuewithinthesortingprocessimpactedtheoutcomeofthe
clothingdonation
Usingthismethod,weestablishedfiverelationshipswithinthedistributionoutcomeand
tworelationshipseachbetweentherecyclingandlandfilloutcomes.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 79
Appendix K-1: Relationship Diagram – Distribution Outcome
Thisistherelationshipdiagramthatindicatestherelationshipsbetweentheissuesfound
inthecollectionprocess,theissuesfoundinthesortingprocess,andthedistribution
outcome.
ThefiverelationshipswefoundareshowninFigure24.
Figure 24: Distribution Relationship Diagram
Therelationshipsaredefinedas:
1. Toomanynon-applicableitemsarereceivedinthecollectionprocessandtheseitemsarefoundduringthesortingprocess.Thisrelationshipresultsindistributiontootherclothingprovidersthatcangivethenon-applicableitemstotheirclients.
2. Toolittleclothingdonationsmaybereceivedduringcertainperiodsoftheyearandoftenincludenon-applicableclothingitems.Thenon-applicableitemsaredistributedtootherclothingproviders.
3. Improperadvertisingresultsinclothingprovidersreceivinganexcessamountofnon-applicableitems.Thenon-applicableitemsaredistributedtootherclothingproviders.
4. Improperadvertisingresultsinexcessuseofvolunteerandemployeehours,sortingdonationsinimproperconditionornon-applicableitems.Thisresultsinthedistributionofapplicableandgoodconditionclothingtoclientsandnon-applicableitemstootherproviders.
5. Providerswhoarelocatedinareasthatarenoteasilyaccessibleareusingexcessvolunteerandemployeehourshelpingdonorsbringtheirdonationstotheirfacilities.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 80
Appendix K-2: Relationship Diagram – Recycling Outcome
Thisistherelationshipdiagramthatindicatestherelationshipsbetweentheissuesfound
inthecollectionprocess,theissuesfoundinthesortingprocess,andtherecyclingoutcome.
ThetworelationshipswefoundareshowninFigure25.
Figure 25: Recycling Relationship Diagram
Therelationshipsaredefinedas:
1. Toomanytorn,ripped,orstaineditemsarebeingreceivedduringcollectionandare
discoveredduringthesortingprocess.Thisresultsintheitemsbeingconsidered
unwearableandaresoldorsenttosortergradersforrecycling.
2. Improperadvertisingresultsinreceivingexcessitemsthataretorn,ripped,or
stained.Theitemsareconsideredunwearableandarerecycledwithsortergraders.
TextileRecycling:TheClothingProviderPerspective 81
Appendix K-3: Relationship Diagram – Landfill Outcome
Thisistherelationshipdiagramthatindicatestherelationshipsbetweentheissuesfound
inthecollectionprocess,theissuesfoundinthesortingprocess,andthelandfilloutcome.
ThetworelationshipsfoundareshowninFigure26.
Figure 26: Landfill Relationship Diagram
Therelationshipsaredefinedas:
1. Toomanyitemsinunusableconditionarereceivedanddiscoveredduringthe
sortingprocess.Clothingprovidershavenochoicebuttodisposeofunusable
clothingtothelandfill.
2. Improperadvertisingresultsinanexcessofunusableclothingitemsreceivedand
discoveredduringsorting.Theoutcomeisthelandfill.