A Quebec consortium is studying the conditions for establishing and implementing a textile recycling program in East Montreal

As part of a consortium, Logistik Unicorp, PME MTL Est-de-l'Île, Renaissance, TechniTextile Québec, and Vestechpro are pooling their expertise to assess the feasibility of a pilot plant for the sorting, processing, and mechanical recycling of end-of-life institutional textiles. These five Quebec organizations are conducting a preliminary study aimed at establishing Quebec’s first textile recycling supply chain, based in East Montreal and scalable to the provincial level.

Every year, large quantities of uniforms and work clothes reach the end of their useful life without finding a local market. Yet these institutional waste streams have a homogeneous composition and predictable volumes—two conditions that are conducive to mechanical recycling. The study aims to assess whether a sorting and recycling infrastructure dedicated to these materials is technically, economically, and organizationally viable in Quebec.

A Collaborative Approach Across the Entire Supply Chain
The initiative brings together stakeholders from every link in the chain: a major uniform management contractor (Logistik Unicorp), a regional economic development organization (PME MTL Est-de-l’Île), a collection and recovery organization (Renaissance), a sector-specific association for technical textiles (TechniTextile Québec), and a research and innovation center for apparel (Vestechpro), which is coordinating the study.
 

A Project Part of the Montreal Circular Innovation Campus
The project is part of the Montreal Circular Innovation Campus, a flagship initiative led by PME MTL Est-de-l'Île, which receives financial support from the City of Montreal. It contributes to the goals of circularity and local economic benefits for East Montreal.

This first phase, which will continue through the winter of 2027, is intended to provide consortium members with the information they need to decide whether to proceed with an implementation phase. No decisions have been made at this stage regarding the business model, governance, or location of a future pilot plant.

About the Consortium Members
Logistik Unicorp
A Canadian company specializing in the integrated management of uniforms and equipment, and a strategic player in the textile supply chain in Quebec.
 

PME MTL 
A catalyst for socioeconomic development in the East Island, specializing in supporting private and social economy enterprises at every stage of
their development. Its team provides support services in business management, innovation, human resources management,
sustainable development, and the circular economy. The organization promotes socioeconomic support measures, including funding programs,
and spearheads transformative projects, notably the Montreal Circular Innovation Campus and the Synergie Montréal symbiosis initiative.

Renaissance
Founded in 1994, Renaissance is a Quebec-based nonprofit organization focused on the circular economy, well known to the general public for its extensive network of donation centers and thrift stores, which support its social and professional integration programs. Guided by a mission that is at once economic, social, and environmental, the organization is involved in various research and development projects in textile recycling to find new uses for the non-resalable materials it receives among the 36, 000 metric tons of goods diverted from landfills in 2025–2026.
 

TechniTextile Québec
TechniTextile Québec is an industry association dedicated to serving its members and fostering the development of the technical textiles sector in Quebec. As such,
the organization connects key players in the value chain: companies, research centers, support organizations, and end-users from various application markets.

Vestechpro
A clothing research and innovation center affiliated with Cégep Marie-Victorin, which specializes, among other things, in the circular economy as applied to the sector and in eco-design.

Contact Information
Enora Gauchin
Director of Business Development and Strategic Partnerships,
Vestechpro
enora.gauchin@vestechpro.com