Leah Sanchez, Textile Museum of Canada head of programs and outreach.SUPPLIED
With financial support from both private and public-sector donors, the Toronto-based Textile Museum of Canada is helping build awareness of the need for a more sustainable and environmentally acceptable use of textile products.
Founded in 1975, the museum has grown to become a highly regarded incubator for artistic practice, research and education, with a global collection of over 15,000 textiles.
In 2020, the museum began a program to educate consumers on the importance of reusing textiles and reducing waste. This led to the creation of the Textile Learning Hub, which provides visitors with immersive, experiential and hands-on learning opportunities that highlight issues around environmental stewardship and sustainability.
Leah Sanchez, the museum’s head of programs and outreach, says the global textile industry has a significant impact on the environment, ranging from unsustainable production to labour injustices. However, companies around the world have begun shifting towards environmentally friendly alternatives to harmful practices, and consumers are making better choices that lessen their impact on the environment.
“The textile industry must take the lead in mitigating the climate emergency by working towards a closed-loop material cycle and producing ethical and sustainable textiles,” says Ms. Sanchez. “As consumers, we have the power to reduce our carbon footprint by shopping locally, finding creative ways to reuse and upcycle old garments and being informed about where and how our products are made.”
The museum’s education initiatives have included the Life Cycle of a Textile school program supported by the TD Friends of the Environment Foundation; online conversations featuring fashion designers and researchers exploring the themes of fashion, sustainability and design under the program series Social Being, funded by the Canada Council for the Arts Digital Strategy Fund; and monthly Sustainable Textile Teach-Ins, workshops focusing on repair, upcycling and natural materials.
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