You may not have a use for your old stereo or the afghan from your great aunt,  but more than likely someone else can make use of it. If you need a little extra cash, find a way to sell your things in a garage sale or online. If not, look for charities and nonprofits that will take your old things rather than kicking them to the curb.Do not throw away clothes that you no longer need. Instead, give them to someone who needs them by taking them to secondhand shops or flea markets or putting up ads on bulletin boards for used goods

When you do need flooring for your new home or a suit for the office, why not try out secondhand or consignment stores. Buying used items means you’re not consuming virgin resources, minimizing energy needed to create and ship new products, and cutting your bills in the meantime.

 Packaging can make up nearly 30% of your trash bin. So when faced with a choice between two similar products, choose the one with the least total packaging.

 Waste that easily biodegrades - food scraps, yard clippings, and the like - are bad for climate change when they head to the landfill. To deal with this organic waste, you can either start an indoor compost bin or a vermiculture container or look into backyard composting options depending on your available space and the amount of organics you produce in an average week.

• Instead of always taking new bags at the grocery store, bring the old ones back. Many stores give you credit for re-using bags or bringing your own canvas bags.
• Shopping in bulk is good. Just be sure to buy only what you can use before the expiration date.
• Bulk shopping only works if it reduces the packaging. It doesn't help if the bulk pack consists of a lot of little packs. Look for minimal packaging.
• Instead of tissues, use cloth hankies
• Flow reducers on faucets and shower heads save as much as 3 gallons of water per minute.
• We could write on both sides of a page or make a new note book from unused sheets of old note books. Birthday cards and decorations can be made from used cards, gift wrapping paper and sweet wrappers.
• We could carry our own cloth or jute bags when we go shopping. Plastic cups and containers can be reused for keeping pins, pens and little odd things which we require ever so often.
• We could enquire from shopkeepers, office equipment dealers and other retail or wholesale dealers for schemes to exchange used containers, cartridges etc. while purchasing new items.
• Choose products in packaging made from recyclable materials (i.e. eggs in paper cartons) 
• Give magazines to friends or nursing homes.
• Empty tissue boxes can hold pens, pencils, etc.
• That old rug will work great in the garage to keep oil off the floor,
• Plastic milk jugs make great bird feeders

Here are some easy tips on how to reduce plastic in the household and even when you’re on the move :

• Recycle computers and electronics through a socially responsible recycling company does not engage in global dumping. Many computer “recycling” companies ship plastic casing and metal parts left over after computers are dismantled and the most valuable parts are removed. Frequently these discarded parts are then shipped to the poorest villages on earth, where they wreak havoc on the environment and the health of the local residents.
• Reuse plastic coffee “To Go” lids from your local coffee shop. They are easy to rinse with a little soap and water. Carry a spare lid in your purse, briefcase or car as backup.
• Invest in a stainless steel refillable drinking bottle or coffee mug and keep it in the car. According to a Harvard study that was released in May 2009, drinking out of hard plastic polycarbonate bottles can expose you to bisphenol A (BPA,) a potential endocrine disruptor.
• Opt out of using straws. Who needs them?
• Use cloth bags for grocery shopping. Invest in several bags so you can use them to transport fresh produce as well as other groceries. Many stores now sell their own line of economically-priced, signature shopping bags made of eco-friendly fibers! Reusable cloth bags are great for use at the farmer’s market or for trips to the pet store too!
• Purchase foods packaged in glass jars. Run jars and lids through dishwasher to recycle and reuse for freezing or storage.
• Travel with a collapsible stainless steel cup.
• Select eco-friendly products when purchasing household items such as totes, bins and storage containers.
• When you must buy products contained in plastic packaging, reduce plastic waste by purchasing products packaged in biodegradable plastic and purchase in larger sizes whenever possible. Avoid single-serve containers and bags.
• Use biodegradable plastic bags for garbage, pet litter and dog walks.

Tips to Reduce Paper Use

• Being more conscious of the amount of paper you use and whether it is really necessary is the first step in reducing paper consumption.
• Think before you print. Don’t print an item unless you have to have a hard copy. When you do print choose double sided printing and copying. Train yourself to edit documents on screen so you don’t have to print draft copies.
• If you want some help with printing less there is software that gives you greater control over what parts of a document to print such as Green Print.
• Choose recycled paper for everything in your office from copy paper to business cards.
• Make sure paper is certified as chlorine free (TCF or PCF). Not all recycled paper is.
• Try to buy books and magazines printed on Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified paper. The FSC is a nonprofit organization that certifies responsible forestry. Better yet, get an eBook reader and forget the paper copy altogether.
• Give up the post and go electronic.  There are a number of programs that will create sticky notes on your computer.
• Bill your customers electronically and request the bank send electronic statements.
• Reuse your paper in the office and send it for recycling when it has to be disposed of. Shredding paper shortens the paper fibers so reduces how often the paper can be recycled.
• You can put a one liner on your email asking people to think before they print. Is this likely to have a huge impact on world paper consumption – No, but it does help raise awareness of the issue. Remember though large footers on emails will increase the amount of paper used if the email is printed.