QUEZON CITY Mayor Joy Belmonte on Monday said she signed an ordinance institutionalizing the QC Textile and Circularity Program to advance its circular economy and sustainability initiatives.
Belmonte told The Manila Times that she approved the passage of the measure dubbed “Textile Sustainability and Circularity Ordinance” of Quezon City.
“The enactment of this ordinance is a great way of observing Zero Waste Month,” Belmonte said.
“With a program on textile waste in place, we can ensure that scrap fabric will not end up in landfills, but will be repurposed and upcycled to become more useful and fashionable products and, at the same time, provide opportunities for aspiring entrepreneurs and artisans,” the mayor added.
She said circularity hubs will be established to expedite the processing of textile waste.
The materials would be collected, sorted, repaired, repurposed, and recycled to reduce textile waste and generate livelihood for the residents, she explained.
This is in addition to the circularity hub in Barangay Payatas, which was launched last October, equipped with weaving looms, cutting machines, and a production and showroom area where artisans weave and display upcycled scraps into new items, and was established in partnership with Cebu-based social and cultural enterprise Anthill Fabric Gallery, according to the local government.
Partnerships with other government agencies, civil society organizations, and the academe will be strengthened to advocate sustainable textile consumption and production.
Incentives await businesses that promote the circular textile economy.
Moreover, the city government said that a textile sustainability and circularity committee will be convened to oversee the program, including the departments’ efforts.
According to the city’s Public Affairs and Information Service Department (PAISD), the city mayor will be the committee’s chairman, and the Climate Change and Environmental Sustainability Department and Small Business Cooperatives Development and Promotions Office will be the committee’s co-vice chairpersons.
They will also formulate a five-year Textile Sustainability and Circularity Action Plan to guide the city’s strategies and priorities, the PAISD said.
