Living Sustainably

Ways to live a more sustainable lifestyle:

1. Buy local- buying locally we reduce waste from unneeded transportation. Find a farmer near you where you can buy your meat and produce.

2. Research- find out where your products come from. For example, make sure the company you get your paper or wood products from doesn't cut down old growth forests.

3. Reduce/Reuse/Recycle- and in that order. First step is to reduce the amount that you consume. Before every purchase, ask yourself if you really need that product. Second, think if you can reuse something before you throw it away. Many household items like toilet paper rolls can be used for crafts. Find a local Girl Scout troop or another children's organization to donate them to. And if you can't reuse it, at least recycle it.

4. Compost- composting food scraps is a great way to get natural, rich fertilizer for your garden. Why stick it in a plastic garbage bag so that it can't decompose naturally in the sunlight?

5. Buy products to last and fix them rather than buying new. Shoes and zippers on coats can be brought to a shoe repair shop and usually can be fixed for cheaper than buying a new pair of shoes or coat.

6. Educate yourself- read as much as you can. Find out about what the oil companies are doing to the rain forest and how other states are dumping their trash in Michigan.

7. Speak out- once you find out about all the horrible events that are happening, write to your congressman and tell them how you feel. Be a change agent.