Challenge yourself to see how many of these green action steps you can incorporate into your family’s daily routine. Making a difference might be easier than you think!

1 Recycle and Reuse

Recycling paper uses 70 percent less energy and 55 percent less water than creating new paper. Recycled paper may include unused scraps and fiber left over from manufacturing (saving on transportation costs).

Whenever possible, use washable cups, napkins, plates, and towels instead of paper ones. Recycle aluminum, cardboard, glass, paper, plastic, and tin cans.

2 Eliminate Unnecessary Packaging

At the end of a grocery shopping trip, you hear, “Paper or plastic?” The best choice is to rely on reusable shopping bags, which are often sold in grocery stores.

You’ll be doing the environment a favor. The U.S. could reduce its reliance on oil by 12 million barrels a year if we didn’t go through plastic bags at the rate we do—100 billion annually. Of these bags, less than one percent is recycled, so plastic remains in the environment. The manufacture of paper bags also produces waste and adds to water and air pollution.

Another hint is to try buying your family’s favorite foods in large sizes. This way, you’re not bringing home extra plastic and cardboard.

An alternative to buying bottled water is drinking straight from the tap, using a filter if you’re concerned about quality. Invest in portable aluminum containers, so you can bring your coffee, tea, or water with you wherever you go. This will save you a bundle of money!

3 Reduce Your Home’s Carbon Footprint

If you replace an incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent light (CFL) in a room that’s lit six hours a day, you’ll save 126 kilowatt-hours of electricity by year’s end. This translates into 170 pounds of CO2 emissions. Multiply that by the number of lights in your home, and you can see that making this simple switch makes a real difference.

CFLs have moved beyond the standard spiral coil and now come in shapes that fit many different fixtures. For example, globe shapes work well in bathrooms while dome shapes (which look similar to conventional bulbs) should be used in lamps with shades that clip directly onto the bulb. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are also efficient—some bulbs last as long as 60,000 hours—but because they don’t provide a sufficient amount of light for most people’s tastes, they are best used for reading lamps or under-cabinet or shelf lighting.

To conserve energy, turn off lights when you leave a room, and unplug stereo systems, phone chargers, and video games when you’re not using them. Clean your house with chlorine-free, natural supplies, and wash clothes in cold water. Limit showers to no more than five minutes if you can, install aerating showerheads, and fix leaky faucets.

4 Travel Green

If you improve your car’s gas mileage by as little as three miles per gallon, you’ll reduce carbon emissions by 3,000 pounds a year. To reach that goal, check tires often to make sure they’re inflated properly, and get regular tune-ups to boost efficiency. Remove your car’s roof rack when you’re not using it. Don’t drive aggressively; slow, steady acceleration can save fuel. Never let your car idle. If possible, live near your workplace. Consider carpooling, taking public transportation if it’s available, and biking or walking to work.

5 Get Outdoors and Garden

Composting is the ultimate form of recycling and adds healthy, organic matter to your soil. You can compost your fruit and vegetable peelings, egg shells, coffee filters, leaves, and cut grass.

Other green ideas include planting trees and shrubs to help shade your home in the summer to save on cooling costs.