Canadian clothing recycling company Debrand opens U.S. 'flagship' in central Ohio

The Canadian clothing recycling company Debrand has opened its "flagship" U.S. facility in Delaware.

Founded in 2008 by Amelia Eleiter and Wes Baker, Debrand partners with clothing companies to collect and sort damaged, returned and unsold inventory for resale, donation, recycling, repair or disposal. Debrand said it diverted nearly 1,000 tons of used textiles in 2022 from landfills through "resale, recycling and repurposing channels."

“We recognized the necessity of investing in a central U.S. location that was both environmentally and economically viable,” Eleiter, CEO of Debrand, said in a news release. “Not only is Columbus home to some of the largest apparel companies, but its location brings us closer to our reuse and recycling partners.”

The Delaware facility puts the company near two of its partners, Abercrombie & Fitch and Victoria's Secret .

“We are thrilled that Debrand is opening a new facility in our hometown,” Meghan McLane, Victoria Secret's director of product sustainability said in a news release. “As our partner, Debrand has been instrumental in advancing our end-of-life garment program. This facility is another step in building the infrastructure needed in North America to enable brands to move towards more circular models."

Other partners include Everlane, Lululemon, Canada Goose, Aritzia and Guess.

More: Columbus residents say they want to recycle. So why don't we do it more?

This is the company's second facility following its original center in Vancouver. Debrand also operates in two U.S. facilities owned by its investment partner, VM.

The facility employs 20 to 25 people "with more growth anticipated in the coming years," according to Debrand Director of Marketing Melanie Mok.

The 32,000-square-foot facility is in the 89-acre Sawmill Pointe Business Park, off Sawmill Parkway on the southwest side of the city.

“Delaware prides itself on welcoming new businesses that embrace innovation and diversify our economy," Delaware Mayor Carolyn Kay Riggle said in a news release. "Debrand does that in spades, utilizing our central location and access to some of the biggest names in textile manufacturing."

jweiker@dispatch.com

@JimWeiker

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Canadian clothing recycling company Debrand opens U.S. 'flagship' in central Ohio