Did you know that the average North American produces about 4.4 pounds of waste a day? That’s about 32 luggage bags a year, to put into perspective. Everyday, we are faced with decisions that can and will impact our footprint on the planet. While we may feel like making a difference in the world may seem out of reach, small changes every day add up and go a long way. We’ve compiled a list of ways you can make a difference, while thinking beyond paper straws and fabric bags. 

1. Buy the funny looking produce on your future grocery runs, instead of letting them go to waste because of their imperfections.
2. Shop local, which helps reduce waste in transportation and packaging. Karma Co-op is a great place to check out- they specialize in organic, local, fair trade and zero waste products. If you sign up for a 2022 NFFTT Membership, you will also receive a two month trial shop. To learn more, be sure to visit our membership information page.
3. Try to meal plan in advance, which will stop you from wasting ingredients you won’t actually use.
4. Look into local resource sharing programs, rather than purchasing goods frequently. Toronto Tool Library is a local non-profit that has a mission of sharing resources and skills, as part of a tool sharing movement.  If you sign up for a 2022 NFFTT Membership, you will also receive 20% off their two higher tier memberships and access to workshops. To learn more, be sure to visit our membership information page.
5. Learn to repair damaged goods, rather than discard them. Using the tools from the Toronto Tool Library is also a great way to start!
6. Challenge yourself to a No-Spending period. This will help you filter the items you want, vs the items you need. This will also allow you to see where you have been spending unnecessarily. You will also have an added bonus- some savings for when you need them!
7. Register your fruit tree with Not Far From The Tree. As a tree registrant, you impact your community directly by sharing ⅓ of the fruit from your tree to social service agencies in your neighborhood, feeding over 4,000 people and helping them to incorporate fruit into their meals. 
8. Clean and organize your space frequently- this will allow you to know exactly what you already have. We are very comfortable with having immediate access to whatever we are looking for- we tend to stop being resourceful in the process. Becoming more organized will allow you to reduce your purchase decisions. 

Have any useful tips we haven’t mentioned? We would love to hear from you!