Carry cloth shopping bags, buy products with little or no plastic packaging.

 Reuse or repurpose leftover plastic containers and other household items.

 Choose stainless steel and glass containers for food and drink.  

 Instead of plastic wrap, use foil, parchment or wax paper.

 Buy bamboo toothbrushes. 

 Buy shampoo bars instead of bottled shampoo and unwrapped bars of soap. 

 Put laundry sheets in the washer and wool balls in the dryer. 

 Baking soda, vinegar, lemon juice, salt make harmless household cleaners. 

 Make pesticides and herbicides from garlic, hot peppers, salt and vinegar.

 Do errands in one car trip, planning the route with care. Could you walk or cycle instead? Is public transit an option? 

 Repair or re-purpose redundant household items. Could they be donated?

 Buy organic, natural fabrics. Donate or replace old but wearable clothes at vintage and secondhand shops.  

 Buy  local, organically grown foods. Frequent farmers’ markets. 

 Replace meat and fish dishes with vegetarian or vegan meals, looking for products with minimal packaging.

 Research the best ways of keeping food fresh.  Make stock from vegetable peelings, salt, pepper and herb trimmings as a base for soup.

 Cook the family’s favourite dishes in bulk, freezing extra portions.

 Buy fresh produce in bulk and freeze some. Make your own preserves, pickles, sauces, spice mixes, granola, yoghurt, iced teas, cordials ...

 Sow seeds in windowsill containers and grow potted herbs, green onions, etc., on your balcony or porch.

 Hang laundry out of doors to dry in the sun and wind. 

 Switch off the lights at night; host a dark-sky party and see the fireflies!

 Let fallen leaves lie on flower beds until May, leave lawns uncut till June.

 Plant native species, give priority to pollinator-friendly plants, avoid pesticides.

 Install bird-collision deterrents on the outside of windows.

 Talk to family, friends, grandchildren and show them what you are doing.