According to the UN, 99% of the items we purchase are thrown away within six months. The rapid pace at which we buy things and then discard them is a major strain on our planet and its resources. That's why many people are declaring 2025 their Low/No Buy Year! So what is a Low/ No Buy year, and how can you achieve one too?

A No Buy Year is less intimidating than it sounds. It simply involves choosing which of the things you purchase are important, and which things you can simply make do with what you have at home. A No Buy Year is completely self-imposed, and you get to set your own rules for it.

A Low Buy Year even is less commitment: you set spending limits for certain categories, and that's how much you buy for the whole year. For instance, maybe you set a limit of $100 on new clothes. 

Here are some things that you might have enough of, that you could think of swearing off for 2025:

• Electronics
• New clothing
• Makeup/skincare
• Home decor

To make your goal seem more achievable, try starting off by making a list of categories that you will buy. This might include:

• Groceries
• Consumables like toothpaste, soap, etc.
• Gifts for others
• Experiences

A Low/No Buy Year is not about depravation. It's about rethinking your consumption habits in order to live contentedly with items you already own. These concepts can be put into practice on big or small scales. If the idea sounds interesting but a year sounds daunting, maybe try starting with a Low Buy January and seeing how you do.

By making rules for ourselves and breaking our typical habits of consumption, we can help keep materials out of the landfill.  Any small adaptation that you can make to your current lifestyle to reduce waste truly makes a difference.

Remember: the best waste is waste that never was.