Incorporating sustainable practices into your routine, does not need to be complicated nor cost a lot of money. These suggestions will not cost a penny and require nothing more except that “you start”

REDUCE - Reduce your overall consumption. Carefully consider and take inventory of what you already own. Consider new purchases only if they add value to your life. Start living a minimalist lifestyle by decluttering your home of needless items and rid your life of excess. If you have not used an item in the past six months to a year, you are unlikely to use it anytime soon.

REUSE - We live in a culture that values convenience, often times at the expense of Mother Earth. This attitude has led us to an array of disposable products that are not environmentally friendly. Single use plastics are the biggest violators - they do great harm to the environment when they fill up landfills or end up as ocean litter. These disposables are also a waste of money, since you have to continually buy the same items over and over.

REPURPOSE - Old items that are no longer useful in their original form, can be repurposed and find a new life. For instance, toothbrushes can be used as household scrub brushes for cleaning tile grouts, faucet handles, and other tight spaces. Ditch the plastic storage tubs in favor of cardboard shipping boxes or even shoe boxes which can be repurposed to become storage containers. With a little imagination, most items can find new uses.

RECYCLE - Get serious about recycling to conserve natural resources by keeping harmful items from entering our landfills. Participating in your town or city’s recycling program, whether it’s curbside pickup or drop-off locations - is easy! Most communities want you to “do your part” and supply residents with trash as well as recycling containers. Get into the habit of separating your trash from your recycling, many home stores offer divided waste receptacles to make it easy to keep your paper, glass and trash apart.

RETHINK - Your actions are the result of years of ingrained behavior. These habits can be a bit challenging to break at first but with a little perseverance you can make a difference. Transitioning from an environmentally unaware existence to zero waste, is a lifelong journey that will force you to adjust the way you view your relationship with yourself, your community, and the Earth. Your actions are now aligned to a bigger purpose.