My grandparents made due with what they had or did without. There was no Amazon or Walmart. Living in the country meant you get your shopping list ticked off on the weekly trip to town or you do without. They made what they could with what was available in nature or on the farm or they bartered and traded with neighbours.
Today's convenience of "one Click" online purchasing and same-day delivery would have been un-imaginable to my grandparents. It's something my children take for granted. But the environmental, and human cost is high. Plastic is so cheap to manufacture into anything possible and mass-shipped around the world only to end up in landfill. It's become an evil of excess and our earth is drowning in it. It can seem as though there is no choice for consumers looking to reduce the amount of garbage produced.
Making the continued effort, even in little ways, every day DOES make a difference. Your shopping choices DO get tracked by marketers. Reducing the amount of things you bring into your home DOES reduce the amount of garbage that is ultimately generated.
So think about what you can reduce and what you can re-use before clicking the BUY button. Become a patron of your local refillery or share shed. Learn to repair broken and worn out items or find a handy friend.
Even small efforts can accumulate into big results.