Cut down on

Today you’ll hear that consumers are trying to cut down on their use of plastic straws. “To cut down on” something is to do something less often, or to reduce something. I’m trying to cut down on the stress in my life—I’m trying to reduce the stress I feel. I’m also trying to cut down on the steps necessary to produce a single podcast episode. That means I’m trying to reduce the steps to make the process simpler. By cutting down on plastic straws, consumers are hoping to reduce their environmental impact.