Main Activitles
FABCYCLE is a ReUSE Centre and collection service for textile waste. We work directly with Vancouver apparel manufacturers like factories, fashion designers and schools to collect their scraps, off-cuts, deadstock and ends of rolls that are left over. At our ReUSE Centre we sort, classify, and organize these textiles and notions to be sold onto our community of customers who are home makers, sewists, and designers.
“It’s mind-blowing how much amazing stuff people don’t have use for anymore.” In 2017, Irina saw a gap in the Vancouver market regarding textile waste and looked to see if there were any other businesses disposing of it in a sustainable way. This led to her discovery of the New York-based company FabScraps. The founder, Jessica, had previously worked with the NYC Sanitation department, and was now offering a curbside collection of textile waste. After travelling to New York and meeting with Jessica, Irina decided: “...you know what? I’m doing this here.” Similar to FabScraps, FabCycle relies on donations of fabrics and textile waste from factories, sample rooms and fashion designers. Once collected, the textile waste is manually sorted into two groups: Reuse: “Often I feel like a matchmaker trying to figure out how to match the fabric with the people.” Fabric rolls, usable pieces of fabric, trims and threads are sold to the general public, students and small apparel brands. Recycle: Fabric scraps are industrially recycled by shredding and turned into underlay for carpets or insulation.
“It’s mind-blowing how much amazing stuff people don’t have use for anymore.” In 2017, Irina saw a gap in the Vancouver market regarding textile waste and looked to see if there were any other businesses disposing of it in a sustainable way. This led to her discovery of the New York-based company FabScraps. The founder, Jessica, had previously worked with the NYC Sanitation department, and was now offering a curbside collection of textile waste. After travelling to New York and meeting with Jessica, Irina decided: “...you know what? I’m doing this here.” Similar to FabScraps, FabCycle relies on donations of fabrics and textile waste from factories, sample rooms and fashion designers. Once collected, the textile waste is manually sorted into two groups: Reuse: “Often I feel like a matchmaker trying to figure out how to match the fabric with the people.” Fabric rolls, usable pieces of fabric, trims and threads are sold to the general public, students and small apparel brands. Recycle: Fabric scraps are industrially recycled by shredding and turned into underlay for carpets or insulation.
