MOOSE JAW — The Saskatchewan Waste Reduction Council (SWRC) is asking the community to donate any warm winter coats in need of minor repairs so volunteers can help keep Saskatchewan residents warm this winter.

The SWRC operates out of three communities, including Regina and Saskatoon. In Moose Jaw, jackets can be donated at the Wandering Market 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 the spring,” Deirdre Fritsch, the council’s project coordinator, announced in an official statement.

Waste Reduction Week takes place the third week of October. Created in 2001, the goal is to inform Canadians about waste issues and transition to a circular economy — defined as a model of production and consumption in which existing products and materials are shared, rented, reused, repaired and recycled to last just as long. possible.

When coats and other warm winter items are received, project volunteers match each item containing broken zippers, torn seams or other minor damage to the appropriate volunteer repairers. Once repaired, these items are then passed on to local groups for distribution to those who need them most.

Since the Warm Hearts Project launched in 2021, volunteers have repaired a total of 632 coats and other warm winter clothing, which were also kept out of landfills.

Nadine Lee, owner of The wandering marketsaid she first became involved with the Warm Hearts Project in 2022 and has received and forwarded at least 100 of these items over three years.

“We won a waste reduction award through the (SWRC) in Saskatoon,” Lee said. “So, they already knew us from that and they approached us to do the program (in 2022).

“Our business mission is to ‘build community through local food,’” she continued. “So any other opportunity to do that or reduce waste is always something we’re interested in.”

Lee said his business was open seven days a week, and with a large warehouse available to store donations for the project, it was a natural fit.

“We really want to focus on the community, and that’s something 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 everyone who supported this program, either by donating jackets or by volunteering (who helped) repair the jackets.

As an advocate for the community and the environment, the SWRC “leads the fight against the underlying causes of waste” by “identifying opportunities, creating connections and promoting solutions,” an official statement said.

The SWRC “strives to create a waste-free Saskatchewan” and “provides accurate and balanced information on waste reduction, encourages networking and partnerships, and offers input on policies that address solid and hazardous waste.”

“SWRC is grateful to its sewing volunteers, the groups who agree to be drop-off points, and those who distribute repaired items to the community,” Fritsch wrote.

For more information about the SWRC, visit SWRC.ca.

The Wandering Market, Moose Jaw’s drop-off point, is located at 461 Athabasca Street East and is open seven days a week. For more information, call 306-690-3553, visit TheWanderingMarket.comor visit ‘The wandering market” on Facebook.