This Toronto centre is ‘saving the planet, one scrap, one stitch, one piece at a time’

By Raghad Genina

In a facility housed under a newly built condo building in the middle of the Parkdale community, the rhythmic hum of sewing machines breaks the silence. As you enter the centre on Abell Street, you are met by floor-to-ceiling windows that bathe the place in sunlight. The sounds of the sharp edges of scissors coming together as they slice through layers of fabric and the clink of buttons, as they’re being sorted into different piles, echo through the room. A wide variety of tapestries, baskets and crafts, made of repurposed materials, line the walls and shelves of the centre. Deep into the room lie countless stacked plastic containers filled to the brim with materials like yarn and different types of textiles that would have been thrown out if not for Creative Reuse Toronto. 

Unlike traditional recycling, where materials are recovered and then broken down and converted into something else, Creative Reuse Toronto keeps these materials out of landfills by repurposing them into art. Textiles like fabric take more than 200 years to decompose in landfills, making this an important initiative. A 2023 report by Fashion Takes Action, a Canadian non-profit organization focusing on ethics and sustainability in the fashion industry, estimated that about 500,000 tonnes of post-consumer clothing end up in Canada’s landfills each year. 

“We throw away things and don’t realize where they’re going or what their impact is,” says Helen Melbourne, retired artist and co-founder of Creative Reuse Toronto. 

  As Melbourne guides a visitor through the maze of shelves, each corner is filled with discarded items waiting to be repurposed. From stacks of abandoned fabrics to jars filled with an assortment of colourful buttons, this space is a sanctuary for those who see potential where others see waste. 

Melbourne views materials differently than most people. From baskets made out of plastic grocery bags to mats made from shreds of fabric masks and clothing made from 100 per cent repurposed textiles, when Melbourne sees any scrap material, she thinks, “What is the material? What could it be?” She says, “everything has potential.” 

This mindset has been ingrained in her since a young age. She recalls her childhood, filled with creativity. “I made my own dolls, bedspreads and even doll houses out of cardboard. It was so rewarding to do it as a child.”

The average Canadian throws away 37 kilograms of textiles each year, 95 per cent of which can be reused or upcycled. Creative Reuse Toronto is attempting to help combat this issue by taking textiles and other materials and upcycling them. 

The tipping point for Melbourne came when she took a tour of the Keele Valley landfill before it shut down in 2002. It was the largest landfill in Canada during its operation. Although she took the tour decades ago, she still remembers the moment as if it was just yesterday. She says the dump was unbelievable and overwhelming, reeking of mould. She describes it as “a colossal mess.” 

Melbourne first had the idea for the centre in 2017. She posted her idea of opening a Creative Reuse centre on Facebook to see if anyone would be interested in pursuing it with her. Now co-founder Sue Talusan responded to the post right away, as she has always been passionate about reducing waste and had worked on this issue during grad school. Talusan grew up collecting items from people’s curbs and garage sales and repurposing them, just like Melbourne.  She is also currently leading the design, strategy and product development of an innovation ecosystem impact accelerator.  

After three years of talking and bonding online, they finally set up a meeting at a church near the St. George subway station where they would discuss their plans. Laughter erupts around the Creative Reuse Centre as Talusan recalls the moment when she first saw Melbourne in the church and embraced her in a big hug. “I had no idea who she was,” says Melbourne. She never knew what Talusan looked like until that moment. After that big hug, they hit it off “to the point where we were finishing each other’s sentences,” says Talusan. 

As Melbourne continues to recall moments in her life when she felt she needed to help make a change, volunteers come in and out of the centre, greeting each other with excitement. Whispers can be heard amongst them about what they plan to create with all the materials that have been donated. While the volunteers continue to converse, a community member walks up to Melbourne, asking her for advice on how she would repurpose a book filled with colourful fabric samples. Melbourne, without hesitation, gives the idea of a flip book that would be filled with different images. “You were just flipping through it and it looked like a flipbook,” says Melbourne. 

“She gives good ideas. Helen is a wealth of information,” says Diane*, the community member.

Melbourne describes some of the centre’s artwork. One piece was created for a person with visual impairments. It contains parts of various-textured textiles such as corduroy, shag carpet and silk that have been sewn together to help enhance a blind person’s perception of tactile images. Like all the art made here, it is created out of 100 per cent repurposed fabrics.  

All the textiles and other materials in Creative Reuse Toronto have been donated by fabric stores and manufacturers that are either downsizing or closing. Some donations also come from clothing design studios, the estates of seamstresses, quilters and individuals who are clearing out their stashes. Much of their initial stock came from businesses that were closing just after the first lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time, businesses also donated most of the centre’s tools and equipment, such as sewing machines, storage containers, tables and art supplies like knitting needles. 

Talusan recalls that right after they signed their lease, as they were on the brink of opening, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. This set them back significantly. However, several years later, Talusan reflects on the journey of resilience that has led to the now thriving centre. During COVID-19, Creative Reuse Toronto survived because of the community’s support. Donations kept this place running, and volunteers contributed not just their own time but also dipped into their own pockets to help keep the place going. Now, Talusan says that a combination of sources, such as  paid sewing classes, workshops and donations, keeps the centre open. 

Talusan looks back at a moment a few years ago when a big company offered them 60 skids of gift boxes. Although they didn’t want to say no because they didn’t want the boxes to end up in a landfill, they had to as they didn’t have enough space for it in their centre. 

“Why would you be offering it in the first place?” asks Talusan. “The choice they made of producing too much with no repercussions. Then they try to put the responsibilities on us instead of taking responsibility for it.” 

The core of Creative Reuse Toronto is its commitment to “saving the planet, one scrap, one stitch, one piece at a time,” a phrase that echoes through the centre’s walls. 

“I believe in this, in a better world for both the people and the planet,” says Talusan. “In a perfect world, we would put ourselves out of business.”