Income inequality is an issue that has been around for a long time coming.  Economists and American citizens have questioned what approach will effectively solve the issue, or at least improve it.  The typical fix would be to equalize income distribution, supplying for the poor and reducing pay for the more affluent.  However given that income inequality is still prominent after several decades, it is questionable whether there is truly a solution to reducing the income gap.  According to a recent article in NY Times, income inequality in the United States has been increasing for more than four decades and counting (4).  To counteract the growth of income inequality, many have settled for socialistic views, supporting the redistribution of wealth of those in the working class in order to benefit society.  Those supporting socialism may say the richer the rich, the poorer the poor become, thus contributing to the widening of the income gap. They must therefore allow government intervention to redistribute money as needed.  However, to attempt to solve income inequality from this socialistic standpoint would be nearly impossible, as equalizing income distribution would be too broad of a task to complete at once.  The most effective approach would be to put into practice the ideas of capitalism, by encouraging people to act as a community in a free-enterprise market (10).  Working as a community entitles independence from government intervention and taking small steps to reach a broader goal in the long run.  To effectively begin improving income inequality, one must disregard the idea that income can become evenly distributed with dependence on the government, and instead act as a community in a free market to work towards a long-term goal.

As a community aiming to reduce income inequality, the first effective approach would be to become active citizens in a free-enterprise economy.  Americans unconsciously waste billions of dollars every year by throwing away reusable goods and foods to landfills (3).   If a proactive approach was taken, all the money wasted could be saved by rerouting the movement of items going from landfills into peoples' hands through community reuse.  Both issues of income inequality and waste in the United States are undoubtedly becoming increasingly significant.  The commonality between the two is that money is not being distributed where it is needed most, while landfills are continuously receiving input.  The solution to the most pressing issue of looking for ways to save money and ultimately reduce income inequality is within people as organized communities to reuse rather than throw out, to buy and sell from one another, thus preventing further widening of the income gap, contributing to a more eco-friendly environment, and saving a large amount of money.

American people, through the power of community, have great potential to leverage the income inequality and save the planet.  A community, by definition, is a group of people interested in a situation because they have a stake in its outcome; it is where strongest commitments lie.  As an example, college students working on a group project each are stakeholders in the given situation.  Participation and effort of each student will affect the group's grade as a whole.  In order to receive a good grade, the students must be interested enough to work diligently as a small community.  On a much broader scale, Americans are willing to save money without it being wasted or contributing to the income gap.  American citizens are part of a broad community.  They have a stake in the issue of income inequality and the best way to respond is to start with those who are being affected and have a desire to correct it.  The principle of anarcho-syndicalism accurately reflects this idea of community.  
Writer Joseph Kay describes anarcho-syndicalism as a development which seeks to unite workers to fight for their interests at work, while having the freedom to do so.  Anarcho-syndicalists organize with others who agree with their aims and principles (6).  In other words, people network with a team whose members have a common goal.  The goal of the community of American citizens is to save money, and prevent waste.  As the networks grow in size and influence, they can begin initiating direct action.  In the act of self-organization, those people work for themselves without being led by other officials.  Overall, the purpose is to involve other individuals who are aware of an issue so they can gain control and act on it.  It is based on the principle of "from each according to ability, to each according to need" (6).  The community of anarcho-syndicalists seems powerless to higher officials, but when they act collectively, it is a different story.  The community of Americans can act collectively to encourage utilization of the resale industry.  If Americans buy from one another before the marketplace, they will put money into one another's pockets rather than those of the more affluent.

Due to different economic forces, the income inequality seen for decades is feeding on itself.  Because the wealthy have more money, they are more likely to spend their money on more elite practitioners who in turn receive a higher income.  Many blame Congress for continually giving to the rich through the United States tax code.  Tighter budgets in middle-class families make it more difficult to afford expenses that aid students in getting admitted to exclusive universities (7).   Children from more wealthy families graduate debt free and move quickly into high paying jobs, while the others face loads of student debt.  The trend continues.  In an article in the Economic Populist, writer Robert Oak describes America to be the "land of the Overlords and serfs...of the executives and their employees" (7).  The cold, hard fact is that there will never be an equal income to perfectly stabilize the economy.  However, the least American citizens can do is, through the power of community, take a proactive approach on the issue.  By not appealing to higher authorities (government and businesses) citizens can take on the problem themselves through direct action, by promoting resale and becoming more aware of the accumulation of waste.

To demonstrate what a realistic community might look like which aims to benefit from items is shown in a Facebook group "Free & For Sale", created by students for students at the University of South Carolina.  Students are able to exchange items which they are selling, buying, looking for, looking to get rid of, or giving away.  In any other situation, a group of college students may organize with others who agree that resale has a positive impact on the marketplace.  It would start with local groups with a shared vision.  Those groups would advise fellow students and initiate direct action by minimally buying from businesses and instead buying and selling as much as possible amongst other people in the community.  Furthermore, a recently developed company Dust2Pearl exists to serve as a platform for people to buy and sell from one another online, a place for online shopping, auctioning, and bartering (2).  Such movements could be made aware to non-student networks, relatives, friends, and co-workers, thus promoting solidarity through self-organization and direct action, reflecting those very principles of anarcho-syndicalism (6).

Reuse instead of resale is the beginning of the approach to saving money and living well on less.  The resources needed to begin reusing and selling items pre-owned are available.  A trend seen among many Americans is the accumulation of goods that will likely end up in dumpsters.  Accumulation of waste is especially prominent among college students (9).  Excess items end up in dumpsters and landfills too often, which people could otherwise benefit from.  The tendency of Americans to waste is reflected in a publication by writer Tara Burrows, An Overpopulating Nation Unconscious of Waste.  "Today, the majority of people are wasteful in their daily living.  From the lack of appreciation for our resources, our society is not only inconsiderate and careless, but also unaware and ignorant to waste" (3).  Indeed, recycling efforts are being made as paper and plastic disposals are not uncommon in public areas.  Communities aiming to keep the planet healthy use terms such as "going green" and "eco-friendly" to describe efforts to maintain a healthy environment.   Recycling efforts include conserving water and energy resources, as well as preventing contributions to land pollution.  Although such efforts exist to maintain health of the planet, there are still plenty of resources being wasted every day.  Efforts have yet to reach the consciousness of every able American.  In the long run, a less wasteful society will have more money to spare.  People will benefit from foods, goods, and resources that would otherwise be wasted.  Saving the environment is only a by-product.  A new ideal habit would be to buy from one another before making purchases at the store.  Benefit from community reuse and resale, rather than paying for new products and resources.

Ultimately, there are two phenomena that co-exist: the lack of foods and goods to live by and the huge amount of food and secondhand reusable goods that end up in landfills.  More Americans are on food stamps than at almost any other time in the past decade according to writer Elizabeth Barber (1).  Working age people are now the majority recipients, overtaking children and seniors; that includes more college graduates over the past three decades.  Federal spending on food assistance programs is evidence of flourishing need or of abuse and waste.  While it is shown that many people cannot afford goods and foods and have to depend on food assistance programs, it is unfortunate to say that the food industry is an area where waste is prominent.

According to a recent USDA report, one in seven American households has trouble putting food on the table at some point during the year.  On the contrary, grocery stores have lots of foods that are taken off shelves daily due to a surplus of food and refrigerated items that need to move for new items coming in.  Food products make up 63% of supermarkets' disposed waste (8).  Although food safety must always be a consideration when allowing foods to stay on the shelves, it is without a doubt that there are still foods and goods thrown out that people would otherwise benefit from.  Organizations and volunteer groups do in fact exist to transport food from stores to people that need it most (8).  However accomplishing such a task is not that simple.  Food retailers will not always donate perishable food due to liability and bad press.  The big idea is that waste is beyond the consciousness of Americans, as they waste resources on a daily basis.  With the amount of food and goods thrown out by college students, grocery stores, and American citizens, there is no doubt that everything one wants exists somewhere unwanted by someone else.  Money can be saved and ultimately have a slow but sure impact on the imbalance of income among citizens.

The good news is that there is potential for the resale industry already.  It is becoming more prominent today in comparison to retail because of value-conscious customers.  The difference in the two industries is that resale sells high quality goods at lower prices.  Resale is a multi-million dollar industry because people will always be willing to find "treasure" and save money.  According to the Association of Resale Professionals, there has been a growth of 7% per year for the past two years in the resale industry, there being 25,000 resale, consignment, and Not for Profit resale shops.  With a rising awareness of the importance of reducing waste, lifestyles are progressing from a "disposable society to a recycling society" (5). Once again, recycling bins are often placed in public places to discourage people from throwing recyclable items in the trash to promote an "eco-friendly" environment and "go-green" and ultimately reduce landfill input.  Efforts are made to reuse items seen in communities that already exist such as thrift stores, Facebook groups, and online businesses.  Fully progressing to a recycling society will indeed have tremendous market potential for the resale industry as a whole.

As American citizens are always looking for ways to save money, the best way to do so is to reuse within communities rather than depending on the government to provide money for the lower classes.  Leaning towards the power of community to make a difference in improving income inequality, Americans should not spend money to buy things in stores; they should instead buy and sell from one another.  By doing so, Americans will put money into the pockets of citizens, rather than business shareholders, potentially reducing income inequality and, as a by-product, save the planet by reducing landfill input.  Through community reuse and awareness of the benefits of capitalism, income inequality will be improved in the long run.
