July's Climate Change Group Action Plan

Week 1

• Get rid of unwanted junk mail. Register to receive less at dmachoice.org, optoutprescreen.com and catalogchoice.org.
• Refuse: things you don’t really need like freebies at conferences, parties or the dentist office. Refuse plastic and buy items in glass, metal or cardboard.

Week 2

• Bring your own: coffee cup, water bottle, take out container, grocery and produce bags, reusable cultery and stainless steel straws to cut down on waste.
• Go reusable: ditch paper towels for cloth rags, switch out paper plates and napkins for reusable ones and handkerchiefs instead of tissues.

Week 3

• Buy in bulk: bring your own containers, tare them at the service desk and fill them up in the bulk section at the grocery store to avoid unnecessary packaging.
• Buy used or second hand items at thrift stores or consignment stores. Find local buy/sell/trade groups like the Facebook group Buy Nothing, Give and Take or Freecycle.com.

Week 4

• Compost: find a compost system that works in your home or sign up for a compost service.
• Plan your meals to avoid unnecessary purchases at the store and food waste.
• Move toward a plant based diet- you can find most produce with out packaging at grocery stores.

Bonus Action: Introduce your work or church to the zero waste lifestyle!