The European Environment Agency (EEA) reports that less than one per cent of textiles worldwide, of which is mostly discarded clothing, are recycled into new products. These surplus fabrics end up in landfill or are incinerated, lost from the textile cycle.
This amounts to millions of tonnes of clothing discarded each year, much of which has never been worn. In the European Union, the waste amounts to roughly 12 kg (more than 26 lbs) per person each year. What would help with this? Enter Bas Timmer.
Bas Timmer is a Dutch fashion designer. A homeless father of a friend of his died from hypothermia while sleeping outdoors near a shelter that was closed that night. This tragedy motivated Bas to design an emergency shelter garment for those who are forced to sleep outside.
In 2014, Bas created the “Sheltersuit”, a windproof and waterproof jacket onto which a sleeping bag can be zipped, with a backpack attached for carrying and storage. The Sheltersuit Foundation was created, and Bas is finding new ways to get these suits into the hands of those who need them.
The foundation produces the suits for homeless people, refugees and disaster victims, and most of the fabrics they use are upcycled and repurposed materials. Social sewing workshops and studios employ people who might face barriers in the mainstream labour market. The foundation is active in 26 countries. In 2024, 40 Sheltersuits were provided to unhoused individuals in Toronto, with the foundation partnering with local outreach.
The foundation tracks the number of suits that have been distributed, what employment opportunities have been created and the kilograms of textile waste that have been repurposed and kept out of landfill. The Sheltersuit has won the Dutch Design Award, Public Choice Award in 2017 and the German Design Award in 2018.
Bas sees his work as a response to what he considers a contradiction: large amounts of textile waste existing alongside “homelessness and exposure-related suffering”. The Sheltersuit is an immediate response to need while other solutions to being unhoused can be found. It is an emergency measure, not a solution for homelessness.
Discarded clothing and textile waste have significant impacts on the environment. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reports that the textile industry is responsible for two to eight per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Baas Timmer’s use of upcycled textiles helps ease the impact associated with the manufacture of new textile products and hopefully will create other initiatives.
In 2021, a federal report estimated approximately 1.3 million tonnes of apparel were available in Canada, and nearly 1.1 million tonnes of that clothing ended up in landfill—shocking. The European Union (EU) is taking much more aggressive action to control the waste of textiles, while Canada is still at the development and consultation level.
The EU has regulations in place, not merely relying on voluntary initiatives. The EU has required that textiles be more durable, repairable, reusable, recyclable and free from harmful substances wherever possible. The EU requires a separate collection system for textiles, keeping them out of landfills and incinerators and providing a consistent supply of material for reuse and recycling.
In Canada, textile collections are run by municipalities, charities and private organizations, resulting in uneven coverage across the country. The EU is moving forward to make producers financially responsible for the collection, sorting, reuse and recycling of textiles after consumers have discarded them.
No such system exists in Canada. The EU is highly critical of fast fashion because of the waste it generates. Canada is more focused on waste reduction and recycling rather than directly regulating fast-fashion business models. Measures being discussed by the EU include “digital product passports, disclosure of environmental impacts, anti-greenwashing rules and requirements for durability and repairability.” The EU has invested in “fibre-to-fibre recycling technology, automated textile sorting, circular business models, repair and resale markets.”
The world needs more people like Bas Timmer, more types who look outside the box for symbiotic solutions. BAAM Couture is a Quebec-based social enterprise that upcycles discarded textiles into clothing and other products of which one is the “Cocoon”. This is a hybrid sleeping bag and mattress designed for people who find themselves unhoused.
Like Bas Timmer’s Sheltersuit, the Cocoon combines textile waste with practical and immediate support for those in vulnerable conditions. The CareMakers Collective is based in British Columbia and collects surplus textiles that were headed for landfill. Refugee and immigrant women transform the discarded textiles into bags and accessories, while creating income and reducing landfill waste.
Bas Timmer is part of a growing movement sometimes referred to as “social circularity” or “inclusive circular economy”. These initiatives aren’t just recycling but are creating multiple benefits from the same materials. The Sheltersuit has become the flagship of this model with its higher humanitarian purpose. This is the beginning of an encouraging shift in how we look at consumer products and how we address support and solutions for the unhoused.
