Waste not, want not; a phrase coined to denote resourcefulness, the idea of utilising what we have to reduce waste. No one likes to be wasteful if they can help it, whether it’s food, time, money, energy… The list is endless. Being sustainable is all about using what we have. But what happens when we do need to dispose of our unwanted goods? Our recyclables and our waste? How can this process be optimised in order for it to be as sustainable as possible?

You only live once: A common phrase used around the world to indicate how one should live their life to the fullest. This is a great concept for individuals to take advantage of the life they have been given, but to assure life for the future, resources and the environment should be taken into consideration in the process. In 1969, sustainability was introduced with the passage of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and has been an important topic ever since. Sustainable Plant Magazine defines sustainability as, “Operating our business in ways that meet the needs of the present without compromising the world we leave to the future.”