Joanne Shinozaki

Because many tea bags and most sleeves and sachets contain plastic, I will switch to using loose leaf tea.

When I need to replace my dish soap, I will switch to a bar or refillable option.

The plastic industry has convinced us that some plastic bags are "trash bags," while others are just "trash." Instead of throwing empty bags away (such as bread bags, pet food bags, etc.), I will reuse them as trash bags.

Even just one to-go coffee or tea a week adds up to 52 trashed cups in a year! I will avoid sending 1 disposable cups to the landfill per day by using a reusable mug or travel cup.

Whenever possible, I will not accept any disposable bags when shopping, including produce bags. I will either use my own reusable bags, or keep my items loose.

Get creative in the kitchen (or the garden)! Before tossing food scraps, I'll explore other ways to utilize the scraps and give them another life.

Whether I'm at work, on the go, or having food delivered, I will keep 1 plastic cutlery out of the landfill per day by using my own reusable cutlery.

Bottled water corporations make plastic bottles, not water. If the tap water in my area is safe for consumption, I will use a reusable bottle instead and stop purchasing bottled water, saving 1 disposable plastic bottles a day.

I will spend 10 minutes educating my family on the basics of living a reduced/no-plastic lifestyle.

I will swap out my single use plastic bags for a pooper-scooper.

I will find secondhand sources for my pet's water/food dishes, collars or leashes.

Travel-size toiletries aren't just more expensive per ounce, they also have a higher plastic-to-contents ratio, and result in over 980 tonnes (2.2 million pounds) of plastic waste each year. If traveling this month, I will reuse my old travel tubes to refill with my soaps or only bring bar soaps with me.

I will hang-dry my laundry to use the sun as a natural bleach alternative, or use another natural bleach alternative.

The only thing worse than a single-use item is a zero-use item! I will use (and use up) what I already have in my home before buying something new.