My Internship Journey
Textile waste is a growing challenge in Nova Scotia, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. That is why, in March, Divert NS partnered with the Arthur L. Irving Entrepreneurship Centre to host the Textile Innovation Pitch Competition. Post-secondary students from across the province were invited to share bold, creative ideas to address the complex issue of textile waste. Daniella Akpoguma, a Computer Science and Business Administration student at Saint Mary's University, won first place in the competition. Below is the story of her five-week paid internship experience with Divert NS that was part of her award for winning the pitch competition.
When I first saw the posting for the Textile Innovation Pitch competition, I had no idea it would end up like this. The competition experience alone taught me so much. It was my first time diving into problem-solving for the sustainability industry, an area I had no background in, so there was a lot to learn and research. It was also my first time participating in a pitch competition at all. After the pitch was over, I got to meet and network with people I never would have crossed paths with otherwise. In the end, I won first place, taking home a $1,000 prize and a five-week paid internship.
With the competition behind me, it was time to start the internship. My first day began at the Divert NS office in Truro, where I got a tour of the space and met most of the team, including a fellow intern. The day was quite eventful, and I had the opportunity to visit an Enviro-Depot to see how materials are sorted and got a firsthand look at the new self-service drop & go station. followed by a stop at the Colchester Waste Management Park. Together, these gave me a good introduction to how recycling and waste management work once materials leave households and businesses, as well as how Divert NS is structured as an organization and how that structure supports its day-to-day operations.
During my five weeks, I had the opportunity to work with Charlotte Genge, founder of The Great Halifax Clothing Swap and EnsembleCo Consulting. Most of it revolved around helping with the Textile Transformation Nova Scotia (Phase II) research project, funded in part by Divert NS. Phase I focused on analysing the current state of textile waste management in Nova Scotia and identifying localised opportunities for reuse, recycling, and policy innovation.
I also had the opportunity to tour the Otter Lake Waste Management Facility and the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) with the Solid Waste Resources team at Halifax Regional Municipality. The tour provided valuable insight into the region's waste management system, including waste collection, sorting processes and the operational challenges faced by the sector. I gained a greater appreciation for the importance of public education and behaviour change, particularly in reducing contamination and improving waste diversion outcomes.
Working with Charlotte was a genuine pleasure. She brought so much insight from her years of experience working with different people and was always kind, friendly, and willing to explain things in more detail whenever I needed it. I also had the opportunity to attend and support a By the Pound Thrift event, where I helped sort through clothes that were put out on the floor for attendees. This gave me an understanding of how those types of events work organizationally, the work that goes into them, and how to sort clothes by quality and reusability, a skill that directly translates to Divert on Campus, the idea I pitched in the competition.
The remainder of my internship was dedicated to developing Divert on Campus, a student-focused initiative aimed at reducing textile waste through reuse, redistribution, and repair. During this time, I worked on transforming the concept into an actionable plan and identifying strategies for modular implementation across post-secondary institutions in Nova Scotia. Throughout this process, Charlotte and Sasha Barnard (Divert NS) provided invaluable guidance, offering constructive feedback and helping me think critically about how to move an idea from concept to implementation.
One of the highlights of my internship was attending the Divert NS Annual General Meeting, where I presented my Divert on Campus pitch to a broader audience. Observing discussions among the Divert NS staff and their partners gave me valuable insight into how environmental initiatives are supported. It also provided a firsthand look at stakeholder engagement and the decision-making processes that shape sustainability efforts across Nova Scotia.
