1.0100 Days of Real Foodhttps://www.100daysofrealfood.comLisa Leakehttps://www.100daysofrealfood.com/author/lisa/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="EXquY2DtVn"><a href="https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/earth-day-tips-less-wasteful/">Real Food Tips: 10 Ways to Be Less Wasteful</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/earth-day-tips-less-wasteful/embed/#?secret=EXquY2DtVn" width="600" height="338" title="“Real Food Tips: 10 Ways to Be Less Wasteful” — 100 Days of Real Food" data-secret="EXquY2DtVn" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); </script> https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Screen-Shot-2013-04-22-at-2.04.01-PM.png340398It has been gradual, but over the last couple years we've been making small changes toward reducing waste that have been inspired by the Zero Waste Family - and the fact that after an entire year they only produced one mason jar full of trash. I am the first to admit that we will likely never even come close to such an accomplishment, but I immediately realized we could do much better than a big trash bag full of garbage every few days. We've all heard that we should Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, but my favorite "R" is actually one that I just recently learned about and that is to REFUSE. Say "no, thank you" to the free pen at the trade show or hotel, stop entering those raffle contests, and don't buy any more cheap plastic toys that you know your child will forget about in 2.4 seconds! Already being a type-A "purger" at heart, this motto has really hit home with me. I strive to have all our rooms and closets clean and neatly organized, but guess what - I would have to spend a lot less of my time doing that cleaning and organizing if we had less unnecessary stuff! So I am doing my best to stop those garbage bags full of unnecessary trash and Goodwill offerings before they even happen. So in light of this new motto (and Earth Day!) here are 10 ways we're working to "reduce" our footprint that others can easily adopt. Please share any of your own ideas in the comments below. 1) Ditching paper napkins was something I considered for a long time before I actually did it. Then once we made the switch (and I realized how easy it was!), I couldn't believe I had waited so long. The first step for me was to clear out a drawer in the kitchen to store our new cloth napkins (they take up a lot more room than a little stack of paper ones). So I finally dedicated a day to getting rid of more unnecessary stuff, ordered some attractive napkins that didn't appear to hold too many wrinkles (because I knew ironing them was an unrealistic expectation), and came up with a new routine. We decided we didn't need a "fresh" napkin every single meal so in-between uses we would just hang our new colorful napkins on the back of our chairs. I also created a new spot in the laundry room for the dirty ones that I would just add to a load of laundry as needed. Let me tell you what - this new routine is easy peasy and not only do we save money on not buying paper napkins, but we also enjoy the more "upscale" feel of using real napkins at the table!