Giving fabric a new life: Quebec business tailors a new role in the circular economy
Montreal - A Quebec-based company is breathing new life into discarded fabric and tailoring itself a place in the upcycling industry. Maude Girard and Gabrielle Huppé founded Next Chance six years ago, using discarded textiles from the fashion industry to create reusable gift wrapping, decorative items and other products. Discarded textiles account for 12 per cent of all textiles produced worldwide, and nearly 344,000 metric tons of textiles were disposed of in Quebec in 2023, according to Recyc-Québec data.
The pair collect fabric scraps, end-of-run lots, or rolls with manufacturing defects from designers and manufacturers to give them a second life. Girard and Huppé aim to reach 90,000 metres of salvaged fabric by next Earth Day, April 22, 2027. The holiday season is when they collect the most fabric, and they currently employ 14 people.
The company plans to expand beyond Canada in the coming years, targeting markets such as New York, California and Europe.
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