One frequently cited piece of advice is to make and stick to a shopping list to ensure that you buy only what you need, hence creating less rubbish to throw out. Organized shopping is one thing, but how else can you avoid buying things in such a way that you create a minimal amount of refuse?

An obvious path to take is to buy used items. The packaging has already been thrown away, but it’s still usable, so why not use that instead of something new? Admittedly, a new coffeemaker is shinier, but it won’t make your coffee taste better, nor will a secondhand coffeemaker brew a vile cuppa (unless it’s in really bad shape). Moreover, buying secondhand is usually cheaper.

Paying only with cash tends to make you think twice about buying something “just because you can afford it.” The reason it’s easier to spend more using a credit or debit card is that it doesn’t feel like you’re spending real money, which makes it easy to quickly accumulate things you don’t need. Paying cash should go hand-in-hand with setting a budget each time you go out.

Think about it: you’re at the mall, you’re bored, you try on some clothes that look decent on you, and you buy them because swiping the card is so easy. Then, you get home and remember that you don’t need new clothes, nor do you have the space for them, so you return them (using more fuel in the process to travel). Alternatively, you stick them in your wardrobe where they will languish unused, taking up space until you decide that you need a bigger wardrobe (thus spending even more and using more resources).

Another way to avoid buying new things is by getting them for free. This includes frequenting (online) venues such as Freecycle, where you can also get rid of things you don’t want/need, or organizing barter/trades in your community. Alternatively, borrow the item if you only need it for a short while.

If you feel that you must buy that item, try asking yourself if you’ll use it often enough to justify the purchase, how long did you work to be able to afford it, and if you’ve never needed it before, is it really necessary now?

That was flippant, but I was at a loss for what to do to comply with this idea. Not to mention it was suddenly Thursday, and I still didn’t know what I could do to be part of those who do their bit. We’ve already replaced all the incandescent light bulbs with the compact fluorescent type, we don’t drink bottled water anymore, lights are switched off when not in use, all plumbing is low-flow, and appliances are energy-conserving. We take shorter showers. We practice locavorism when we can. We go meat-free once a week! We grow our own greens!

We’re particularly proud of that last thing, because it means we don’t spend so much on organic greens anymore. Not that there’s anything wrong with them, but they do eat into the monthly budget. In fact, buying fewer greens means that we drive less frequently, which leads to lower carbon emissions.

There are two things I’d like to try though:

Guerilla gardening – what could be more green, and subversive, than to garden on someone else’s land without permission, more so if the land is completely cemented over?

Doing a grocery run, literally – I’ve read about people running to the grocery store and trotting home with the spoils in a backpack. The store we usually shop at is approximately 2 miles away, and it’d be a great way to train for a 10K race.

In any case, I think that doing one thing that leads to a billion other little things doesn’t mean doing something completely brand new; there’s something to be said for keeping calm and carrying on.

Reduce

We stopped buying brand names a few years ago and never felt the difference in terms of quality. What has changed is the amount of trash we leave out each week. Incredible as it seems, the simple act of buying generic or store brands has reduced the amount of product packaging we deal with.

I don’t know who came up with the idea that brand names should correlate with increased amounts of shrink wrap and cardboard boxes, but we’ve moved beyond that now. I suppose generic brands have limited marketing/production budgets compared to brand names, which forces manufacturers to come up with creative yet minimal packaging. It suits their bottom-line and ours, and we make fewer contributions to the landfill as a result.

Reuse

Eggs are sold “loose” here; you don’t have to pay for 10 if you want only two. Mom used to buy them by the bag before I convinced her that this was environmentally unfriendly – she reuses plastic egg cartons to buy eggs now. In fact, she’s fully embraced the idea of using existing containers for groceries and stands out as the only lady who brings her own containers to the butchers. The question of what to do with old plastic containers doesn’t come up in our household anymore, and yes, there’s less rubbish to throw out!

Recycle

It’s a sign of the times when sorting out the refuse is a matter of routine rather than something revolutionary. Aside from separating the trash, food items can be recycled as well. This doesn’t merely refer to composting vegetable scrapings or fruit peels; there are times when you can give stale food a new lease of life. This doesn’t apply to all food items, of course, and might sound slightly unsavory to some, but stale bread makes marvelous croutons or breadcrumbs for frying, more so if it’s homemade bread, but that’s another story.

Photo Decor

We have so many photos but few photo frames to use. No problem. Grab an old clothesline or any rope (the thinner, the better). Get a bunch of paperclips and stick it on the rope. If you have a thick rope, use a small string (dental floss will do) to tie it to the rope. Stick the photo to the paperclip with glue or tape. Hang the photo rope anywhere you want, on top of a desk, on the wall, doorway, anywhere. Be sure to cover the borders with tape to prevent it from tearing. You can also glue decorations on the paperclips like old stickers, cut-out posters, buttons, etc. Be creative!

Instant Fixes

For instant fixes, binder clips, staplers, markers and whiteouts are a great help. Use binder clips to re-seal chips or cracker bags. Use it to roll up your toothpaste tube, too. Use staplers to re-seal bags if binder clips are not available or to fix the hemline of your clothes. Use markers and white-outs to cover shoe scuffs.

Can you think of other reducing and reusing household hints? Share it with everyone through the comments below!

Meet some of the world’s green fashion designers.

Anja Hynynen (Sweden)

Based in Sweden, with regular trips to Scotland, Anja Hynynen, 27, creates clothing from organic materials. As an independent designer, her collection is mainly womenswear, with some for men and children. Her designs include tailored pieces with exquisite detailing in woven fabric, knitted pieces and pieces with application work.

Raquel Allegra (USA)

Born in Berkeley, CA, Raquel Allegra creates unique shirts made from oversized vintage shirts recycled from the Los Angeles County Prison System. Coupled with comfort and a modern romantic design, no wonder her cult following follows her from Los Angeles to Beirut.

Jane Palmer (USA)

Jane Palmer, along with her partner, Marianne Fairbanks, created a powerful bag called Noon Solar. Noon Solar bags come equipped with thin solar panels to help you charge your iPod or cell phone. Jane Palmer is also the founder of the first and only natural-dye production house in the US.

Julie Roebuck (UK)

Julie Roebuck, from London, designs and produces clothes from used or surplus garments. She uses only rejected items, materials that are unwanted and have been discarded to create brilliant chic street wear masterpieces.

Dandi Maestre (Canada)

Born in Colombia, studied in New York, worked in Bogota and now living in Toronta, Canada, Dandi Maestre’s jewelry designs is a mix of naive and urban cultures. She uses shed antlers, bone, driftwood, crocodile skins, skulls and shells to create avant-garde jewelry masterpieces.

New Belgium Brewing Company (Fort Collins, CO)

The first wind powered brewery in the United States, New Belgium Brewing promotes beer culture, world-class beer and responsible ways to enjoy beer. Born through the adventures of a boy on a bike, New Belgium Brewing exclusively made and brought Fat Tire to the public. As a sustainable brewery, they make sure that they are alternatively empowered.

Being alternatively empowered means increased efficiencies in the brewing process, a utilized green design in the entire building, an improved wastewater treatment process, sustainable eventing, actionable advocacy and supporting innovative technology. So, remember when you buy a Fat Tire on bottle or tap, you are supporting all these sustainable activities.

The Winery (New York, NY)

The Winery is a specialty wine store located in South Harlem in New York, that focuses on promoting and selling small-production boutique wines. They proudly offer quality wines from producers who give particular respect and care to nature and the environment. They also try to support local production and non-profit communities as much as possible.

Death’s Door Spirits (Washington Island, Door County WI)

Vodka and gin are their specialties, and they believe that great spirits only come from good practices, and that’s exactly what they do. All their ingredients are herbicide- and pesticide-free. All ingredients are sustainably grown on Washington Island or sourced as locally as possible.

Frey Organic (Mendocino County, CA)

Operating since 1980, Frey Organics is America’s first organic winery. For 30 years, Frey Organic has practiced consistent sustainable ways, including organic and biodynamic grape growing, biodynamic farming, organic gardening, and more. Supporting Frey Organic not only means supporting an organic and sustainable winery. You also support a green and sustainable Mendocino County.

Hall Wines (Napa Valley, CA)

Besides delivering some of the best wines in Napa Valley, Hall Wines is also California’s First Winery to achieve a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Gold Certification. To achieve this prestigious certification, they made sure to include sustainable design elements, such as radiant floors for precision wine-making and maximum energy efficiency, solar panels and solar energy, local materials (sourced within 500 meters from the winery), recycled building materials and water conservation.

Next time you drink a glass of beer, wine or spirits, find out if they practice sustainable green practices. You might be surprised to find out that they actually do.

Wood – It might seem contradictory to encourage the purchase of wooden toys for the sake of the environment. However, wooden toys are not toxic to the environment like their plastic counterparts. Besides, wooden toys are always classy and can be passed on through generations.
Long-lasting – If you have to go for plastic, think about the endurance of the toy. Will it be headed for the landfill in a year, or will it be able to stand the test of hundreds of uses and then some more?
No batteries – Aside from avoiding the obnoxious noises and flashing lights that are concomitant with battery-powered toys, there’s another reason to stay away from them. Used batteries are waste products. If your child absolutely needs the electric power, make sure to use rechargeable batteries.

• PVC-free – PVC is commonly found in plastic toys like rubber duckies because it makes them more flexible, but PVC also makes the toys more dangerous. It has been connected, in some cases, with cancer and hormonal disruptions. So, in addition to avoiding a product that is toxic to the environment, you might be protecting your child from potentially-harmful elements.
• Non-toxic art supplies – One might start to see the pattern here, and it makes an awful lot of sense, that products that are toxic for children are also toxic for the environment. Feel free to add “to be green” to the list of reasons why spending the extra few cents for non-toxic paint or glue is worth it.

On top of all that, there are even more options that can keep you entirely out of a store. Yard sales often have toys that were never even used, and neighbors often have old toys that they would love to see leave their homes. Or, entirely skip the toy-searching step and use the great outdoors as your playground!

Go green with them as you visit these establishments!

1. Lush USA

If you need bath products or fragrances, visit Lush USA. Lush uses only the freshest organic fruits and vegetables in all their products. Every product is made by hand and uses little to no preservatives and packaging. Their products are all 100 % vegetarian and some are even 70% vegan to give you the most nutritious ingredients you can use for your skin. Their products are never tested on animals nor do they deal with suppliers who perform animal testing. They try not to use packaging for their products as much as possible, but when they need to, they use post-consumer recycled, recyclable and biodegradable materials. Lush USA is available nationwide and globally.

1450 Ala Moana Rd, Unit 1206, Honolulu, HI; Tel. (808)941-7400; 2201 Kalakaua Ave, Unit c120, Honolulu, HI; Tel. (808)923-5874.

2. Earth Tones

If you need Internet or a phone or both, then Earth Tones is the one for you. They are the only communications company to provide long-distance phone, wireless service and Internet access and donate 100% of its profits to environmental organizations.  Earth Tones was founded and currently is maintained by a coalition of non-profit groups. Aside from funding environmental research, they send out Green Alerts to keep their customers aware of the environmental issues and how they can help protect the planet themselves.

http://www.earthtones.com; Tel. (888)327-8486

3. Lotus Cafe

Lotus Cafe is the only Pan-Asian restaurant in Hawaii, serving the best in Thai, Indian and Indonesian cuisine. They use natural, organic and homegrown ingredients to create authentic dishes for their customers. Even their gelato offerings are 95% organic and all vegan. And they’ve switched to using solar panels to power up their restaurant, and they’ll teach you how to do the same for yours!

73-5617 Maiau St. Kailua-Kona, HI; Tel. (808)327-3270

4. Down to Earth

Down to Earth is Hawaii’s only all-vegetarian organic and natural food store. They carry wide choices of natural and organic food products and includes dairy, local organic produce, vitamins and natural supplements, body care products and household items. They don’t carry meat, eggs, fish oils, gelatin capsules and other products that contain animal rennet. More than that, they also participate in community outreach programs that commit to helping people live and maintain a vegetarian lifestyle.

2525 South King St. Honolulu, HI 96826; Tel. (808)947-7678

The mission of Gold Path Alchemy is “to create holistic herbal skin care to transform your skin, body, and spirit, revealing your radiant beauty.” The company has an extremely unique approach to the manufacturing of their products, from the beginning of production to their final marketing. They create their products in small batches and buy local, organic materials. The products are sold in glass containers that can be recycled more easily than the typical plastic ones. The company primarily uses 100% recycled paper, and the default receipt method is electronic rather than paper.

Gold Path Alchemy offers general skin care products, facial products, body & spiritual products, and an assortment of other extras including tote bags and sample kits. The skin care line has five categories: Awaken, which is designed to bring out the radiance of skin; Purify, which cleanses oily skin; Refine, which has been formulated to refine skin to improve one’s overall complexion; Renew, which revitalizes dry or aging skin; and Illuminate, which is designed to brighten skin for a more luminous complexion. Specifically for the face, Golden Path Alchemy also offers cleansers, toners, moisturizers, masks, and steams.

The only caveat here is that the shelf life of the products, without being jam-packed with preservatives, is inevitably much shorter than that of a typical department-store product. Yet, most of the products still have a shelf life of several months to a year, which would be sufficient for most products, assuming they are used regularly.

Golden Path Alchemy is based in Los Angeles, California, but shipments can be arranged to all 50 states and even other countries. To lessen its environmental impact a step further, the company commonly ships in recycled boxes, using previously-used materials as often as possible.

1. 70 Park Avenue Hotel

Part of the Kimpton Hotels, 70 Park Avenue Hotel participates in its Earthcare: Eco Program. As an eco-friendly hotel, they implement a linen and towel re-use program and an extensive recycling program. They use energy efficient light bulbs throughout the hotel. All hotel materials and paper are 100% recycled and use soy-based inks. All the cleaning materials they use are non-toxic and environmentally safe. Participating guests get extra discounts, including using hybrid cars.

70 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016; Tel. (212)973-2400

2. GustOrganics

The Green Restaurant Association has certified GustOrganics as a Green Restaurant. They have an excellent recycling and composting program. They use wind energy and solar lighting. They have environmentally friendly packaging, including biodegradable take-out containers, cups and flatware. They use biodegradable and environmentally safe cleaning products. And the entire restaurant was constructed with recycled wood and eco-friendly materials. They serve organic food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They even have an organic bar and organic tapitos. GustOrganics supports the Green and Organic cause and this is a great place to visit if you support the same cause, too.

519 Avenue of the America,s New York, NY 10011; Tel. (212)242-5800

3. Birdbath

Birdbath is the Neighborhood Green Bakery. Their walls are made of wheat, they use wind power, they used recycled wood for their floors. The countertop display and shelves are made of 100% recycled paper. Their paper bags have no wax lining and their cups are made of corn.

223 First Ave. New York, NY 10003; Tel. (646)722-6565

4. Kaight NYC

Kate McGregor has redefined vegan fashion so her customers can still feel pretty while helping the environment. Kaight NYC only features designers who practice the same beliefs. Matt & Nat uses recycled plastic water bottles to line their bags. Ashley Watson uses recycled leather for her bags. Loomstate uses organic cotton for their clothes. EDUN uses sustainable practices to make organic clothing. Drop by their store when you’re in New York or order online at www.kaightshop.com.

83 Orchard St. New York, NY 10002; Tel. (212)680-5630

5. giggle

giggle is the newest parent store for babies in New York. All the must-have baby items are here, and you’ll be able to provide everything your baby needs. Products include non-toxic and recycled items that are good for your babies and the earth and support causes. Products include formaldehyde-free beddings and fabrics, washable toys and nontoxic cleaning and bath supplies.

120 Wooster St. New York, NY 10012; Tel. (212)334-5817; 1033 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10021; Tel. (212)249-4249