A Long Island couple say they take out the garbage only three times a year after adopting a waste-free lifestyle.
For the past three years, Nicole and Matt Lentini of Malverne have been reusing and repurposing almost everything in their everyday lives that would typically end up in landfills.
“It definitely took, probably like, a year and a half of adjusting and figuring out what worked for us, and we’re still, you know, always learning and always finding more sustainable ways of doing things.”
Nicole says family and friends thought they were crazy when they first started, but some have since adopted some of the practices.
“I try not to, you know, preach or force them to do anything. Obviously you can’t do that. People will do what they’re gonna do. They’ve definitely become so supportive and they’ve all adopted new ways of doing things that are less wasteful.”
The couple uses a composter for all of their food, glass straws, bamboo toothbrushes, and even reusable tissues. Nicole says they continue to find new things that work for them.