MOOSE JAW — The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council (SWRC) is asking the community to donate any warm winter coats in need of minor mending so volunteers can help keep Saskatchewan’s residents warm this winter.
The SWRC is operating out of three communities including Regina and Saskatoon. In Moose Jaw, jackets can be donated to The Wandering Market from Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“We are launching the Warm Hearts project to mark Waste Reduction Week… and (the donation process) will continue until spring,” announced Deirdre Fritsch, the council’s project co-ordinator in an official statement.
Waste Reduction Week is held during the third week in October. Established in 2001, the goal is to inform Canadians about waste issues and to transition into a circular economy — defined as a model of production and consumption where existing products and materials are shared, leased, reused, repaired, and recycled to last as long as possible.
When coats and other warm winter items are received, project volunteers match each item containing broken zippers, torn seams, or other minor damages with the appropriate volunteer menders. Once repaired, these items are then passed on to local groups to be distributed to those most in need.
Since the inception of the Warm Hearts project in 2021, volunteers have repaired a total of 632 coats and other warm winterwear items — which have also been kept out of landfills.
Nadine Lee, owner of , said she first got involved in the Warm Hearts project in 2022 and has received and forwarded 100 or more of those items over three years.
“We won a waste reduction award through the (SWRC) in Saskatoon,” Lee said. “So, they already knew about us through that and they approached us to do the program (in 2022).
“Our business mission is ‘Building community through local food,’” she continued. “So, any other opportunity to do that or to reduce waste is always something that we’re interested in.”
Lee said her business is open seven days a week and, with a large warehouse available to hold donations for the project, it was a natural fit.
“We just really want to be community focused, and this is something that we can do,” she said. “It’s something small that makes a big difference. (We just want to say) thank you from The Wandering Market to all the people who supported this program, either through donating jackets or the volunteers (who helped) fix the jackets.”
As an advocate for the community and the environment, the SWRC “leads in addressing the underlying causes of waste” by “identifying opportunities, creating connections, and promoting solutions,” an official statement reads.
The SWRC “strives for a waste-free Saskatchewan” and “provides accurate, balanced waste reduction information, encourages networking and partnerships, and offers input on policies that deal with solid and hazardous waste.”
“SWRC is grateful for its sewing volunteers, the groups that agree to be drop-off locations, and those who distribute the fixed items to the community,” Fritsch wrote.
For more information about the SWRC, visit .
The Wandering Market, Moose Jaw’s drop-off location, is located at 461 Athabasca Street East and is open seven days of the week. For more information call 306-690-3553, visit , or visit ‘’ on Facebook.
