Our motto... Saving the Planet 1 Sale at a Time! OutGROW OutPLAY is an Eco-Friendly Green Company! The very essence of our sales is about reusing resources, recycling items and reducing carbon footprints.

In 2010, over a hundred thousand items will change hands at an OutGROW OutPLAY sale with minimal packing and waste! What we can collectively achieve together when we act as one is astounding. By making better decisions about what you buy and how you dispose of it, you too can help protect our environment!

OutGROW OutPLAY is pleased to offer you some facts, tidbits and research links. DID YOU KNOW...

• Canadian Environment Week is the first week of June, and Earth Day is April 22, every year

• If everyone in Canada bought one reclaimed woolen garment each year, it would save an average of 300 million gallons of water and 400 tonnes of chemical dyes

• 85% of recyclable clothes are being needlessly thrown out while 80% of textiles thrown away still have 75% of their wear-ability

• There is an average of 7 kilograms of textile waste (clothes, bedding, curtains, etc.) per person in landfills throughout Canada. Canadians are amongst the most wasteful people in the world

• Textile waste accounts for more than 4% of materials in Canada's landfills. If all the textiles that are thrown away in one year were compressed together they could fill a solid structure, as wide and tall as the Skydome, 3 times over

• Synthetic (man-made fibres) products will not decompose, and while woolen garments do decompose, they produce methane gas which causes global warming. 38% of Canada's methane emissions (greenhouse gases) come from landfill sites

• Giving old clothing to local non-profit groups for reuse is suggested by Environment Canada as a way to reduce residential wastes

• Each year 75,000 tons of textile waste is recycled into new raw materials for the automotive, furniture, mattress, coarse yarn, home furnishings, paper, and other industries.

Environmental Alternatives: There are simple and effective alternatives for many potentially harmful chemicals used in the home. Here are a few examples:

• Saving the World Begins at Home: A household Guide to Waste Management.pdf
• AIR FRESHENERS: Use an open box of baking soda or a dish filled with vinegar
• ALL-PURPOSE CLEANER: 1⁄2 cup (125 ml) vinegar, 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) baking soda, 1 gallon (4 litres) hot water. Mix, label and use for general purpose cleaning
• CHEMICAL FERTILIZERS: Use compost, manure or fish fertilizer to enrich soil
• CHLORINE BLEACH: Use washing soda or non-chlorine bleach. (NEVER mix chlorine bleach with ammonia – a poisonous chlorine gas forms.)
• LAUNDRY DETERGENT: Use biodegradable products or pure soap with washing soda
• DRAIN CLEANER: 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) baking soda, 1⁄2 cup (125 ml) vinegar. Pour soda, then vinegar and close drain until fizzing stops. Flush with boiling water
• HERBICIDES: Use mulch in the garden to minimize weed growth. Hand-pick stray weeds
• INSECTICIDES: Wash or spray plants with soapy water. For major problems, call a professional
• OVEN CLEANER: Absorb fresh spills by sprinkling with table salt while still warm. When cool, brush and wipe off. Soften baked-on spills with a borax and lemon juice paste
• PAINTS AND THINNERS: Use latex or water-based paints whenever possible
• SCOURING POWDER: Make a paste of baking soda/water. Leave on a few minutes for tough stains
• TOILET BOWL CLEANER: Make a paste of borax and lemon juice. Rub the toilet bowl with the paste and leave on for a few hours. Scrub with a brush and flush
• TUB AND TILE CLEANER: Use baking powder for routine cleaning; a borax and lemon juice paste for tough soap scum
• WINDOW/GLASS CLEANER: 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) vinegar, 1 cup (250 ml) water. Mix and label in a pump spray bottle

Links To Environmental Websites

Environment Canada     Greenpeace Canada     

Earth Day Canada     Green Ontario

ENERGY SAVING TIPS: Turn off lights - Use energy-saving light bulbs - Lower the thermostat - Seal air leaks around windows

WATER TIPS: Turn off taps when brushing teeth - Run fully loaded dishwashers - Use rain barrels for plant watering - Use low flow shower heads

HOUSEHOLD TIPS: Worn towels and bedding can be used at animal shelters. Partially worn or outdated clothing can have a new life in the form of quilting patches or industrial rags