OutGROW OutPLAY SUSTAINABILITY

SAVING OUR PLANET… ONE SALE AT A TIME

OutGROW OutPLAY is proud to be an Eco-Friendly Green Company!  The very essence of our sales is about reusing resources, recycling items and reducing carbon footprints. It’s pretty cool too that the nature of our business makes OGOP an “organic” carbon neutral company - wooohooo!

Without a doubt, parents want to leave their children a better world than the one we’ve inherited. OGOP is here to help because the small things we do and teach our children... can have a huge impact!

RECYCLE: SELL YOUR GENTLY-USED CHILDREN’S ITEMS!

Over a hundred thousand items change hands annually at OutGROW OutPLAY sales coast-to-coast with minimal packing and waste. What we can collectively achieve together when we act as one is astounding!
The average OGOP consignor earns $550 each season reselling their like-new children’s items with us. Our top 20% consignors in 2015 earned an average of $1785 with our top consignor earning $10,800.

REUSE: BUY GENTLY-USED CHILDREN’S ITEMS!

• BENEFITS YOUR FAMILY BUDGET: Buying gently-used items vs new has an enormous impact on your family budget. To date OGOP has helped families save $2,437,500 on their children’s items
• BENEFITS ENVIRONMENT: Buying gently-used items is a sustainable GAME CHANGER for our environment because it allows a family to substantially reduce their carbon footprints and make a huge difference!

REDUCE: IMPACT OF BUYING AND SELLING GENTLY-USED HAS ON OUR WASTE

• WATER POLLUTION: Some 72 toxic chemicals reach our water supply from textile dyeing. Many of these chemicals cannot be filtered or removed. The textile industry is second only to agriculture as the biggest polluter of clean water globally. The use of harmful dyes is without a doubt seeping into our water systems. One new clothing item takes .5lbs of dye to produce. Buying gently-used clothing items eliminates any new contamination to our water supply
• WATER WASTE: This is a biggy! With climate change and a global water crisis making news daily, OutGROW OutPLAY is having a direct impact! Did you know it take 7.5 gallons of water to make one new garment?

• CARBON FOOTPRINTS: Roughly 70% of consumer goods are shipped via gas guzzling transport trucks (www.psmg.com - Pacific Standard magazine). This places a tremendous stress on our environment (air, water and emissions). No gas guzzling transport trucks hauling in merchandise when you buy gently-used children’s items from local parents.
• LANDFILL WASTE REDUCTION: Our merchandise has little to no packaging. Buying gently-used items means a lot less wasteful (pain in the butt to open too!) packaging is going to our landfills

OGOP is a part of the solution to real environmental issues. By making better decisions about what you buy and how you dispose of it, you too can be a part of our eco-revolution to save our planet...one sale at a time!

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

• 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