It’s a pretty simple message really.

Reduce – only buy what you need! This is probably the hardest part for many of us. It is a total change in the American way of thinking. We don’t really need all of those things. Million dollar marketing campaigns tell us what we need. Take it back – you decide what you really need. I think we would all be quite surprised with what we could live without. It’s hard but it’s a process that we all need to undertake.

Reuse: Don’t just throw it away. Most items have more than one use if we think about it. And remember the old adage, "One mans garbage is another mans treasure." Maybe your neighbor could use it. (I am not advocating dumping your "garbage" on your neighbor’s lawn – unless of course your neighbor wants you to). And if you really don’t feel like you can reuse it, then at least salvage what you can from the item.

Recycle: As a last resort, if you can’t reduce your need or reuse the item, then please recycle it. Obviously this means that in order to recycle an item it has to be made from materials that are recyclable. And if you buy items that are made from recycled materials you will help to "close the loop It really is pretty simple. We just have to do it.

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