Category: clothing

Great Glebe GREEN Garage Sale 2018

GreenLivingOttawa
Great Glebe GREEN Garage Sale – image courtesy Ecology Ottawa

It’s almost time again for the Great Glebe GREEN Garage Sale. The GGGGS happens on Saturday, May 26, 2018 as part of the Great Glebe Garage Sale.

Ecology Ottawa, which organizes the Great Glebe GREEN Garage Sale, is looking for volunteers. Here’s a message from Léna Ndoye at Ecology Ottawa:

(français suit)

The biggest garage sale in Ottawa is coming back to the Glebe! This year, we are continuing last year’s resounding tree giveaway success, which was the single largest one-day distribution of trees Ottawa has ever seen! The saplings will be available for free (or by donation), to be planted around the city and thus strengthen Ottawa’s urban tree canopy. To be able to make these saplings available to everyone during the garage sale, we need lots of volunteers!

SATURDAY, MAY 26, 2018, 8am-4pm – 640 Bank Street (at Clemow Avenue) – Boston Pizza parking lot

We are currently seeking:

  • Help the day before to set up tables and tents + organize material for the tree giveaway (Friday, May 25)
  • People with vehicles to help transport the trees, volunteer kits, and other items to the site (May 25 and 26)
  • Lots of help at the actual event : people to give away trees, to have a booth about it, to run the bakery sale, to paint kids’ faces, to take pictures and plenty of other help (Saturday, May 26)
  • People to clean up the space (May 26)

Get involved in one of the year’s most fun and exciting events. Learn more and sign-up to volunteer today at https://ecologyottawa.ca/events/annual-events/garage-sale/.

// Le plus grand vide-grenier d’Ottawa et son lot de joie et de bonne humeur reviennent dans le Glebe ! Écologie Ottawa sera là pour la plus grande distribution d’arbres jamais effectuée à Ottawa. Pour s’assurer que l’événement se déroule pour le mieux et afin de pouvoir distribuer tous ces jeunes arbres, nous avons besoin de nombreux bénévoles afin d’assurer différentes tâches.

SAMEDI 26 mai 2018, de 8h à 16h – 640 Bank Street – le parking Boston Pizza

Nous sommes actuellement à la recherche :

  • Des personnes avec une auto pour pouvoir amener sur place les arbres et et le reste du matériel (25 et 26 mai)
  • Des personnes pour nous aider la veille à installer les tables et tentes (vendredi 25 mai)
  • De beaucoup d’aide le jour de l’événement : des gens pour distribuer des arbres, pour tenir un stand à ce propos, pour gérer la vente de pâtisseries, pour peindre le visage des enfants, pour prendre des photos et plein d’autres choses (samedi 26 mai)
  • Des gens pour nettoyer l’endroit (26 mai)

Venez-vous engager dans un des événements les plus plaisants et excitants de l’année. Apprenez en plus et devenez bénévole aujourd’hui sur https://ecologieottawa.ca/more/evenements-annuels/vente-debarras/.

Balanced Clothing and Sweet Tea

GreenLivingOttawa

Posted by Denise Deby. Thanks to Francis Dellosa, B∆LANCE, for the information.

Image courtesy B∆LANCE Clothing
Image courtesy B∆LANCE Clothing

Two Ottawa companies are getting together to spread the word about their products and the benefits of collaboration among sustainable local businesses.

B∆LANCE Clothing uses organic cottons, bamboo blends and other eco-conscious materials to produce its hand-printed, made-in-Canada clothes. B∆LANCE’s team, led by Kim Kirton and Francis Dellosa–both international development specialists–wanted to create an ethical and sustainable alternative to the “fast-fashion industry.” A social enterprise, B∆LANCE supports the team’s efforts to build awareness about ethical and socially responsible consumerism. (Kim is also behind Sprout, an initiative to get fresh produce into convenience stores around town.)

My Sweet Tea offers bubble tea, fresh fruit smoothies and other enticing products as well as a place to socialize, with locations in Chinatown and the ByWard Market.

The two businesses are hosting a “pop-up show” at My Sweet Tea in the ByWard Market (11 William St.) on Saturday, Jul. 30, 2016 from noon-8 p.m. It’s an opportunity to meet the people behind the businesses, sign up for giveaways featuring products from other local businesses, and check out B∆LANCE, which doesn’t have a retail store yet. They’re online at http://www.becomebalanced.org/.

 

The Cost of Clothing

GreenLivingOttawa

Written by Denise Deby.

TheTrueCost_Poster_2764x4096

Ever wonder about the real cost of the clothes you buy? The real social and environmental costs?

The True Cost is a documentary about what it costs for people and their environments to produce the clothes we wear.

Inter Pares is screening The True Cost at its next film night, Thursday, May 12, 2016, 6:30-9 p.m. at its office (221 Laurier Ave. East). There’ll be a discussion afterward with David Bruer, Inter Pares and Sarah Carpenter, former researcher with the International Labour Organization in Bangladesh.

Check the Inter Pares website for more information and to RSVP.

*  *  *

Clothing swaps are a greener alternative to buying new. In clothing swaps, people pool their unused clothes, and everyone gets to choose some to take home. You can organize one with your friends, or head on down to Black Squirrel Books on Sunday, May 22, 2016 for their clothing swap. As well as an opportunity to swap your gently-used clothes for some that are new-to-you, it’s a fundraiser for the Ottawa Mission and St. Joe’s Women’s Centre.

Where to Donate Clothes and Furniture

GreenLivingOttawa

Written by Denise Deby.

Clothes - D. Deby

If you’re clearing out stuff you don’t need, and think someone else could use it, consider these options:

Agencies in Ottawa are co-ordinating to collect clothes and household items in good shape for refugees and residents in need. Councillor Rick Chiarelli has posted a handy map here of drop-off locations and links for Ottawa Neighbourhood Services, the Salvation Army, St. Vincent de Paul and other organizations.

Helping With Furniture collects used furniture and household goods from certain parts of the city for delivery to refugee families. See details here.

Matthew House operates a Furniture Bank for people in need.

Organizations such as the Ottawa Mission and Cornerstone that provide shelter and services to people sometimes accept clothing and personal items, but check first to see what they need.

Dress for Success and Suits His Style provide professional work clothing to women and men who are economically disadvantaged.

Clothing and other donations to the Youville Centre go to young mothers and their children.

The Snowsuit Fund makes winter jackets, mitts and other outerwear available to kids who need them.

Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore accepts furniture and e-waste.

St. Mark School is hosting an Electronic Waste Collection Depot this weekend. Find them on Sunday, Jan. 10, 2016 from 12-4 p.m. at 1040 Dozois Road in Manotick. (They’re also collecting gently used clothing.)

Alternatively, take your e-waste to EnviroCentre or another official centre or event near you.

You can consult the City of Ottawa’s Take It Back program to find out where to recycle or discard used clothes, household goods, electronics, hazardous materials and other things, or use their “Waste Explorer” to search for where to take a specific item.

There are lots of donation boxes around the city, but if you use them make sure they belong to a legitimate charity.

Remember to recycle only things in good condition that someone else will want—don’t use these services as a way to get rid of junk.

Recycling used items is good, but it’s also good to donate cash (or volunteer) for causes you care about, and/or groups helping people stay out of poverty and conflict in the first place.

Buying Recycled, and Recycling for Good

GreenLivingOttawa

Written by Denise Deby.

Blue reusable shopping bag by TooHotToHandle at en.wikipedia Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.
Blue reusable shopping bag by TooHotToHandle at en.wikipedia Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

September brings pressures to buy stuff, like fall clothes and school supplies. Buying sustainable is one option; re-using, recycling and buying local or handcrafted items can be great alternatives.

Here are a few opportunities to shop local and/or repurposed:

The Old Ottawa South Community Association holds its Community Wide Porch Sale on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2015. The sale includes a tool drive for the Ottawa Tool Library, and an e-waste depot that supports Hopewell School Council and HealthBridge. Centretown, Sandy Hill  and other communities are also holding neighbourhood-wide garage sales on Saturday.

Also on Saturday, Sept. 12, the new 613flea, a non-profit marketplace for artists, artisans, antique vendors, vintage clothing sellers and other creative types to sell their wares, launches at Lansdowne Park. At the annual punkottawa.com flea market at the Bronson Centre, you’ll find records, clothing, jewelry, art and more.

Update: Dress for Success Ottawa is holding a Fall Hidden Treasures Sale on Saturday, Sept. 12 until noon. Proceeds support DFS’s efforts to enable women in difficult circumstances to obtain clothes suitable for work.

(When you’re cleaning up at home this weekend, gather up any empty beer and wine bottles—if you return them to Beer Stores on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 12 and 13, 2015, all of the proceeds support Rogers House, which provides respite and palliative care to families at CHEO.)

Stock up on used books when Friends of the Ottawa Public Library hold their next Mammoth Book Sale on Saturday, Sept. 19, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at 100 Tallwood Drive. You can also purchase used books at many library branches; proceeds support the library through FOPL. If you’d like to donate books, check here for details on what’s needed.

Another place to find used books is at Karen Learning and Education Opportunities (KLEO)’s Annual Book Sale on Saturday, Sept. 19 at the Dovercourt Recreation Centre and Saturday, Sept. 26 at the Royal Canadian Legion’s Westboro Branch. Book purchases will support KLEO’s work to provide education for Karen children in Thailand.

If you’re looking for home renovation supplies, check out Habitat for Humanity’s ReStores—there’s one in Ottawa East and one in Ottawa West. Profits support Habitat for Humanity. They also accept donations of building and home décor materials, although it’s best to call to find out what they need. The stores also accept used electronics for recycling.

Need a bike to get to work or school, or just to ride? Try re-Cycles or Cycle Salvation. They sell refurbished bikes, and also accept bike donations. Check their websites for details.

Play It Again Sports and Tim’s Used Sports Equipment sell used athletic gear. Kunstadt Sports also has a selection of used equipment.

For second-hand clothes and accessories, in addition to thrift stores, try consignment stores like Rikochet Resale, Clothes Encounters of a Second Time, The Clothes Secret, AMH Style and Boomerang Kids.

Update: On Saturday, Sept. 19 during Tastes of Wellington West, if you buy a used t-shirt at St. Vincent de Paul, Twiss & Weber will help you upcycle it as part of their #FabCollab.

Update: Also check out Etsy Made In Canada Day on Sept. 26 and 27 for crafts and products made locally and/or from reclaimed materials. There’s a growing list of vendors here.

Need more suggestions? Try http://ottawastart.com/directory/shopping-services/used-stuff/. And please let us know in the comments if you have favourite sources.