Swap, Shop Borrow & Share

first and foremost, reduce your consumption

Take stock of what you have before you buy more. Shop online less and shop locally instead. In doing so you'll have less packaging to recycle, less clutter and less to get rid of when you're done with it.

And never ever ever forget leave the house without a reusable bag!

Here are some ideas to get you started.

Shop Locally

Shopping locally reduces packaging as well as the emissions spent on transporting goods to your door. Ask retailers to order something for you if they don't have what you're looking for.

Avoid packaged groceries

Buy loose fruits and vegetables at local supermarkets, grocers and farmer's markets. Use reusable mesh bags at the grocery store or reuse the plastic veggie bags you've picked up.

Shop Farmer's Markets: Hastings, Irvington and others

Join a CSA: Stoneledge, delivers to Hastings; Harlem Homestead, pickup in Wingdale; Fable, Dobbs

Buy loose at local grocery stores

Bulk Shopping

Reduce your packaging by reusing what jars and bags you have. Fill those containers at stores with bulk shopping here:

Refill Room

MOMS Organic Grocery

Whole Foods

Second-Hand Shopping

Buy second hand to keep perfectly good items out of the trash or from being recycled.

Shop for second-hand clothes, furniture and housewares locally:

To name a few: Affordables and Once Upon a Child (kids' clothes and items), Fashion Without Trashin', Trilogy Thrift Shop (Dobbs), Goodwill, Zion Thrift Shop, Suburban Renewal, Home Again Consignments, Sports Attic (sports items), The Cherry Door Thrift Shop

Shop Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, and Mercari

Look for items at estate sales, tag sales, and on Ebay

Get stuff free from Hastings' TILI Garage

Borrow

Borrow before you buy.

Use the library

Borrow using Buy Nothing Rivertowns on Facebook

Ask neighbors to borrow things like tools or appliances before buying new ones, especially if you're trying something out

Local Sharing

Give and get items for free, giving them new life and keeping them out of the trash. You can really find almost anything this way!

Go in with neighbors to share lawn mowers and tools

Search Hastings' Facebook pages and Nextdoor site for giveaways or sales

Join Buy Nothing Rivertowns on Facebook to borrow