Problem Statement

Textile waste, stemming from the manufacture of clothes and ultimately their disposal into landfills, is one of the fastest growing waste streams in the world. In Canada, the average person throws out 81 pounds of textiles annually, while North Americans send 10 million tonnes of clothing to the landfill every year — most of which could be reused or recycled, according to statistics compiled by Waste Reduction Week in Canada.

Proposed Solution and Hub Activities

To reduce the amount of clothing that end up in landfills and give them a second useful life, the Ottawa Hub partnered with local non-profit Dress for Success to fundraise and collect clothing donations. The donations went towards helping women and gender nonconforming individuals achieve economic independence by providing them with professional attire, a network of support and development tools to help them thrive.

Available Metrics

• 43 clothing donors; 13 financial donors = 56 donors in total.


• 9 beneficiaries from the fundraiser.


• 542 clothing items donated

For more information: https://www.instagram.com/ottawashapers/?hl=en