A new program could reduce the number of items ending up at the Timmins landfill and generate extra cash for the city.
At this week's council meeting, a new textile diversion program pilot project was approved.
Items such as clothing, footwear, linens and damaged or ripped textiles will be collected curbside four times a year, and there will be drop-off bins throughout the city.
It will be run by Talize Inc.
“They need about four weeks to mobilize and they’re going to...work with us to provide proper media instructions on how to prepare the items,” explained Scott Tam, environmental services manager.
According to Talize.com, it's a Canadian-owned, for-profit retailer offering resale apparel and housewares.
It has thrift stores in a number of locations in Ontario.
“Based on how this first year goes, they are considering putting an investment up in the north,” Tam said.
While Coun. Noella Rinaldo said the program is a good thing, she noted there are groups in the city already collecting clothing.
She's concerned that people will become lazy and put "perfectly great clothing" in a bag to collect curbside that could be going to, for example, St. Anthony's.
“We may be seeing good clothing going to get reprocessed when it could have the capability to be passed on throughout the community,” she said.
Coun. Kristin Murray has met with staff to learn about the program and sees it as a benefit.
“I think people will definitely do what they’ve always done and if they feel they want to donate to the church, they’ll do that,” she said
She said if people aren't donating to charity, the items are being thrown out.
"It’s ending up at our landfill and that’s what’s going to cost us money because in the end we’re going to have to have a new landfill built. I think this is a great option for us to have another organization take care of that and we don’t have to have any part of paying for it so I think it’s kind of like a win-win," said Murray.
Tam said the program is about options.
According to his report, it's expected that 160 tonnes of solid waste could be diverted from landfill with the program. The municipality also receives 11 cents per kilogram on all the textiles collected.
