Lauren Singer is an advocate for the zero-waste movement who leads by example—and by very engaging videos (“DIY deodorant,” “What do you do about toilet paper?”). She herself has only generated a single Mason jar of garbage in the past five years. She also manages to waste very little time: At only 26, the New York University grad (environmental studies) is the founder/owner of Brooklyn’s Package Free Shop, purveyors of plastic-free living essentials; The Simply Co., chemical-free bulk laundry soap sold in refillable glass containers; and the blog/YouTube channel Trash Is for Tossers. Size up the contents of your garbage bags and consider ways to cut down. For instance, is your recycling bin brimming with plastic takeout food cartons? If that’s the case, come up with an alternative: start bringing your own reusable containers to your to-go source; better yet, vow to cook big batches of food on Sunday that can take you through the week. Singer, of course, advocates for recycling but doing it conscientiously—”it still uses tremendous amounts of energy.” Anything that’s still should be donated rather than tossed. As for wasteful but unavoidable items, such as contact lens solution plastic bottles, Singer notes that TerraCycle of NJ “will recycle anything—even diapers and cigarettes”—and the company’s many free programs help make this viable for individuals and communities.