The end result for a family of 2.5 people has been only one 32-gallon bin of garbage generated for an entire year. WOW! I’m proud to say this family is mine. From August 5, 2015 until July 18, 2016 we put out no trash.

Develop a Plan and a Vision. Our vision is a sustainable world. To bring this about we use the Attraction Strategy. Effective Passionate Pursuers attract what they want by holding a broad intention, while thinking, feeling, and taking action to get it. Our strategies include recycling, composting, reusing, reducing or buying less, and avoiding vendors / restaurants that use inappropriate take-out containers that are not environmentally supportive.

Use the Connections Strategy. It takes a village. The champion (or passionate pursuer) of this effort is my husband, Richard. The supporters include our daughter and me, who recycle, compost, reduce, and reuse. Our community is part of the support network in that we have curb-size composting and recycling, as well as trash pick-up charged on a usage / quantity basis. Therefore we also have a financial incentive to reduce our trash.

Use the Persistence Strategy. Persistence is easier when a large goal is divided into smaller sub-goals. Divide and conquer. Realize you may not be able to initially do it all. Start with a few feasible steps. Persevere. For example, one of my Girl Scouts is working on a project to save the planet one water bottle at a time. Can you stop using throw-away plastic bottles? Use a pitcher with water and cups. Use a reusable water bottle. Ask the organizations you work with to stop using throw-away water bottles.

Use the Pack Strategy. Bring along (pack) tactics that are working and unpack those that are not. In our garage we have a station with bins for trash, recycling, compost, and reuse (where we put items that can be given away). It’s really a matter of sorting carefully.