Twelve Ways to Invest in the Planet and Your Wallet!

Have you ever considered that the Brooklyn Public Library is your one-stop shop in sustainability? Borrow board games, a tool library, books, DVDs, sewing machines, telescopes, and musical instruments as needed all for free with your library card. In addition, check out the Greenpoint Library and Environmental Education Center that serves as both a full-service library and a community hub for environmental awareness, activism and education.

The Big Reuse Center, located in Gowanus, Brooklyn, is an environmentally focused thrift store with newly donated and used building materials, appliances, furniture, books, clothing, dishware, toys, and even tech. New donations come in daily, so the unexpected find is always just around the corner, and the price is always right. The Big Reuse also offers occasional repair classes to give second life to appliances and leads composting classes.

Probably the most well-known resource on this list, Buy Nothing offers people a way to give and receive, share, lend, and express gratitude in a hyper-local sharing and supportive community. You can join a local Buy Nothing group on Facebook or through the app. It is a nice way to declutter and give your items a second life. It is also a great resource for adding books, clothing, toys, bedding, kitchenware, and so much more to your own collection all through gifting! Bartering is strictly forbidden.

Food cooperatives have well-sourced and fresh meats, dairies, produce and kitchen staples, and are able to keep prices down on quality food by requiring members to work a few hours a month. Another great advantage of coops is that you can find food in bulk (just remember to bring your own jars and bags!) which minimizes on single-use plastic packaging. Even if you don't join a coop, some are open to non-members, but always check online first. Keep in mind without a membership, it will probably mean prices are a bit higher for you.

Imperfect Foods is not like your typical grocery delivery service. They offer a cart pre-filled with food they think you’ll like based on your preferences and what's in season. The items will be a little imperfect, but will still taste great. Help minimize food waste at a cheaper price if it's farm-fresh produce, pantry staples, animal and plant-based proteins, dairy and alternatives, beverages, or snacks.

Karrot is a neighborhood swap/second hand company not unlike Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, but people seem to like this resource more because there are fewer scams. You can search for items by brands (e.g Lululemon or Ikea) or product type (e.g. clothing and appliances.)

Car insurance is expensive. Car repairs are expensive. Gas is expensive. If driving in the city is a headache, parking is a migraine. The pollutants cars release into the city is not great either. For those that are able, consider ditching the car and renting one only when completely necessary. Kyte is great because the company will drop off the car straight at your home. No lines or finding parking. Other car-share services exist throughout the city so see which one works best for you while minimizing traffic and cars on the road.

This one can be all you! Make a fun invitation on Canva and post flyers around your neighborhood to host a clothing or general swap to give second life to items.

Need a new bike or some repairs? Bike New York's Recycle-A-Bicycle Shop is a community-based bike shop that offers sales and full service repairs. The bicycles are donated and fully refurbished for a second life. All the sales and services support Bike New York's education program. The shop is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:30- 6:00PM.

Too Good to Go prides itself on being the world's largest marketplace for surplus food. According to the company, 40% of the food that we produce globally goes to waste totalling 2.5 billion tons of wasted food each year. Food waste appears across all food categories from vegetables to cereals to meat. Too Good To Go minimizes waste by giving restaurants, cafes, and groceries a platform to liquidate their inventory on the cheap just for you. Find a neighborhood on the app and start shopping. Pick up a mystery bag for dinner at the local soup place or a dozen bagels for a couple bucks. Each business can set their own price, but the savings are great and none of the food will be tossed! The only drawback is there is no web version so you need a smart device to access the platform.

We have a plastic problem! Single use plastic is polluting our air and our oceans. Stasher bags are one solution to minimizing waste. At first glance, they seem a bit pricey, but these platinum silicone bags are robust, light and leak-proof. They come in different sizes and can hold sandwiches, fruit, snacks, etc. For a reusable food container, they are pretty easy to clean and you'll never need to buy a Ziploc single-use bag again!

From HousingWorks to Life Boutique Thrift, there are many thrift shops to find needed items. One of the best places to locate these second-hand shops is at https://www.nyc.gov/assets/donate/site/Directory.