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Think Green

(Continued)

Consuming less is all about improving quality of life—for ourselves as well as for the planet. It doesn’t require a complete conversion to minimalism or living off the grid! All it requires are incremental changes and lifestyle choices that transform how we think about buying and consuming everyday items.

Studies have shown, across multiple countries and cultures, that owning less clutter and being more intentional with our purchases lowers stress and frees us to practice gratitude more frequently.

Like all new habits, learning to consume less will take planning and thought as we change the way we think, spend money, and value items.

Easy steps to take today to consume less:

• Commit to re-usable bags for all your shopping trips (pro tip: keep some in your car so you’re never without them!)
• Ask for paper bags during your next grocery trip and re-use the bags to hold recyclables or compost in your kitchen before transferring to the larger bin in your garage
• Use your own travel mug when visiting coffee shops
• Always have a refillable water bottle handy
• Turn table scraps and other compost into fertilizer
• Borrow or rent seasonal tools and machinery
• Shop for clothing second-hand and donate old clothing
• Switch to refillable cleaning solution bottles (maybe try making your own cleaning solutions with common kitchen ingredients)
• Use rags for cleaning and dusting instead of disposable cloths, and create those rags from cut up old shirts
• Keep a set of reusable to-go utensils (made of wood) in your purse, brief case, or computer bag

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