CORNWALL, Ontario – The City is hoping to collect over 5,000 lbs of shirts and other clothing items from Oct. 15 to 19 as part of the second annual I Give a Shirt campaign.
The campaign, held during the 17th annual Waste Reduction Week, encourages residents to leave a bag of gently used clothing alongside their garbage that is to be picked up during the week of Oct. 15—even if it’s just a shirt.
The clothing should be in a sealed, waterproof bag that is clearly labeled so it is not confused with garbage. Donations will be delivered to Baldwin House, The Salvation Army and Agapè Centre for resale purposes.
“It’s trying to really get the community involved in thinking about how they can make a difference,” said Danielle Watson, Waste Management Supervisor for the City. “Instead of throwing something out of value, give it to someone else who may not have the value to get those items”
Danielle MacNeil, Public Educator and Volunteer Coordinator of Baldwin House, said that ideally clothing should be gently used but slight flaws like missing buttons will also be acceptable.
Johanne Couture, Executive Director of Agapè Centre, reinforced that winter coats, blankets and clothing items for colder weather are the most desired donation items, given the change of season and an influx of summer clothing donations.
According to Watson, textiles are the heaviest items in garbage pickup aside from organics.
All community members who participate can claim a sticker for their recycling bin that prides their involvement.
The City encourages using any clear label (as provided in this article).
