According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the average American produces about 4.4 pounds of garbage a day, or a total of 29 pounds per week and 1,600 pounds a year. That is a LOT of garbage! As a family of three plus a dog, we definitely contribute our fair share. It’s important to me to raise Baby Marker’s in an environmentally-friendly household, so I started to brainstorm ways we could improve our family’s carbon footprint.

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1. Use only all-natural cleaning products (including diapers and wipes) – We currently use Honest diapers and wipes, as well as their Healing Balm for diaper rash and any other skin ailments for Baby Markers. While I realize cloth diapering would reduce our waste even more, I feel good about our choice to use recyclable, plant-based materials for something we use so often. I use some of their cleaning products, but also have Method and BabyGanics products on hand. And as always, baking soda and vinegar are sometimes the best cleaning agents you can find.

2. No more paper towels! – This is a big one for us, hence the exclamation point. We had gotten into the worst habit of using paper towels for everything – cleaning up messes, wiping down Baby Marker’s high chair after meals, drying dishes or even just drying our hands after washing them. So. Much. Waste. I’ve decided that we’re going paper-towel-free in 2014. I’ve purchased a set of 24 kitchen towels and put two plastic bins under our sink. One holds clean towels, the other holds the dirty ones. I wash a load of towels each week. So far this system has worked out great! And I’m saving money by not buying paper towels.

3. Reusable grocery bags in the car at all times (and use them) – Somehow I always forget to grab our reusable bags on my way out the door to the grocery store. I now keep them in my car at all times so they’re handy when I need them.

4. Switch all lightbulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs, and turn out the lights – We’ve already switched out all of our bulbs, but I need to make a better habit of turning out lights when I leave the room. It’s very dark in our apartment, even in the middle of the day because we don’t get a lot of natural light – sometimes I feel like I’m living in a dungeon! But it’s silly to have all the lights on in every room. I need to do better at this.

5. Conserve heat by insulating all of our windows – Our windows are SUPER drafty. Once the weather turned, we realized we needed to do something about it or our gas bill was going to be through the roof. Since we’re in a rental apartment, we can’t swap out the screens for storm windows. Instead, we bought a window insulator kit.

6. Implement a plan to drop-off recyclable materials every week – Chicago is notorious for being the capital Worst when it comes to recycling. As such, we do not have recycling pick-up for our building. We’ve lived here for about six months, and I’ve sporadically collected recyclables on the kitchen counter until they pile up and I inevitably just throw them in the trash.

7. Get an indoor plant
I have never had an indoor plant other than an orchid, but I hear they’re great for improving the air quality in your home. Here’s a list of the best air-filtering house plants. We’ve decided to go with the English Ivy and some Gerbera daisies for spring!

8. Swear off throwaway water bottles for good
We are so guilty buying a case of water, then half-drinking each bottle and leaving them strewn about the house. I bought giant water bottles for both of us, so now we have officially eliminated that waste from our life. Also, Chicago has some of the best tap water around – and it’s free!

9. Grow an herb garden
I’ve tried this before with less-than-stellar results, but this time I’m determined! I love to cook with fresh herbs and plan to start with basil, rosemary, lavender, thyme and cilantro. Now I just need to find a sunny spot for our mini garden to flourish, and I’m setting a reminder on my phone so I don’t forget to water them.

10. Reduce food waste
I have really implemented meal planning since the start of the new year, and this has greatly reduced our food waste. I’ve managed to estimate the perfect amount that we’ll need for our dinners, and also have some leftovers for Mr. Marker’s lunches. I have a giant “what we eat” post coming your way, complete with a grocery list – it has helped immensely to cut back on waste and save pennies at the store.

How was your family “gone green”? Any more simple fixes that I’ve missed?