We use the three words Reduce, Reuse and Recycle repeatedly when talking about sustainability.
Although the third ‘r’ - Recycling - makes a huge impact on how much waste is sent to landfills and how much material is re-used, there are still many products and/or packaging that can’t be recycled either in your community or at all (many of the plastics we recycle today are sent to China to be recycled!). 

That’s why, yes we’re repeating ourselves here: Reduce FIRST, Reuse SECOND, and Recycle LAST!

Reducing means:

• Using less of the Earth’s limited resources; trees, water, energy, minerals, and land.
• Buying less material goods with less packaging and buying better quality goods that will last longer.
• Purchasing only what you need and using it up before buying more (how much fuzzy green food do you throw out from your refrigerator?)
• Keeping materials out of the waste stream.
• Reducing water and air pollution caused by the production of materials.
• Saving money and creates less clutter in our lives. 

Check out Metro Vancouver’s ZERO WASTE CHALLENGE:

http://www.metrovancouver.org/services/solidwaste/zerowaste/Pages/default.aspx

Your lifestyle creates your consumer behaviour.  Who you are and your needs/wants control how much you consume.  Living a sustainable lifestyle means evolving into a sustainable consumer through sustainable consumption.  Sustainable consumption practices reducing, but it also focuses on the social, environmental, and health impacts of the products we do buy. 

Sustainable consumption means:

• Reducing the use of products that have harmful environmental, social and health effects.
• Making sure everyone around the world has acceptable living standards and a good quality of life.
• Sharing resources between the wealthy and less fortunate.
• Ensuring that future generations will also have enough.
• Consuming without exhausting our natural resources.
• Making smart choices that meet our consumer needs without wasting materials or causing more pollution.

Check out the C2P2’s sustainable consumption booklet for more on the topic (show your friends, parents and especially your children!)

http://www.c2p2online.com/main.php3?section=41&heading=241

Living a sustainable lifestyle isn’t going to happen over night.  We are bombarded by advertisements every day to buy more, more, more!  Take it a day at a time and focus on your progress.  You’ll find yourself feeling a whole lot better when you have all that clutter out of your life, some extra cash in your pocket, and a breathe of fresh air!

“The first step towards change is awareness.  The second step is acceptance.” ~ Nathaniel Branden