Did you know that the average American school-age child throws away 67 pounds of food packaging a year? This includes plastic water bottles, sandwich baggies, and juice boxes. That equates to 18,760 pounds of lunch waste for just one average-size elementary school. That’s a lot of trash!

Next week start reducing those numbers by packing a waste-free lunch for your kids and/or for your day at work. It’s really easy, just follow these simple 5 steps and you’ll cut down your waste in no time.

5 Tips for a Waste-Free Lunch:

1. Pack food in reusable lunch containers, like Kids Konserve
2. Wash & reuse real silverware and cloth napkins when needed
3. Store juice, water or other beverages in a reusable BPA free stainless steel bottles
4. Control food portions to ensure that there are no ‘leftovers’ to dispose of
5. Pack it all in a reusable lunch bag or tote

Whether you call them resolutions, goals, or lifestyle changes, they are adjustments you can take to make 2011 easier on the planet.

Here are the Top 5 New Year’s Eco Resolutions For 2011:

1. Stop Buying/Using Plastic Water Bottles – Plastic water bottles maybe convenient but they are at no way eco-friendly. When you are on the go, bring your own refillable stainless steel bottle filled with filtered water from home.
2. Use Re-Usable Grocery Bags – Plastic bags are as bad as plastic water bottles. Make a small investment in some cloth or canvas bags and the Earth will thank you!
3. Jump On The Bus – Take public transportation or ride a bike, if you must drive think about using a car sharing program
4. Be More Conscientious At Home – Unplug things when you aren’t using them. Turn the lights off. Watch your water use.
5. Make Good Consumer Choices – Buy eco-friendly cleaning products. Buy local. Buy organic.

Stay cozy and still conserve energy this winter at home with these 3 almost too easy tips:

1- Turn down your water heater. Even in the coldest weather, there’s no reason to waste energy and to scald yourself with a 140-degree shower.

2- Turn your ceiling fan in reverse. A clockwise rotation circulates warm air near the ceiling back down to your living space.

3- Turn down your thermostat and put on a big sweater instead.

Sending holiday cards this holiday season? Consider using an ecard instead to save paper & postage money.

If you would like to send printed paper cards consider a card which is from 100% post consumer recycled paper and is printed with soy inks.

When taking digital pictures only print out the ones you are going to need. This will save paper, energy and of course ink. With digital photos you can always back them up on an external hard drive allowing you to view or print them at a later date. It also makes sure you never lose those precious moments.

Thanksgiving is a time when we all think of the harvest and a table full of food. However, we should remember not to get carried away. We should only cook enough food to feed our family, guests and have a few leftovers. Because nothing is worse than food going to waste.

Instead of using plastic straws and constantly throwing them away, invest in a reusable glass straw! No BPA and no plastic waste!

It’s as easy as B.Y.O.S.!

October is the perfect time to starting composting!

I know I’ve talked about starting your own compost pile before, but if you haven’t started one yet, now’s the time to do it. Just rake a pile of leaves, toss your old carved pumpkin in and viola…you got yourself a compost pile that will supply lots of rich soil for your flowerbeds in the spring.

Don’t have a yard, try the The Worm Factory 360. It’s a composter that can be used indoors. Now, you have no excuses.

Halloween is coming up fast! Do you have your costume ready? If not, no worries we’re here to help. Here are the top 4 eco-friendly Halloween costume tips:

1- Homemade Face Paint
Instead of purchasing overpriced plastic and rubber masks, or using toxic makeup, make your own face paint by combining cornstarch, solid shortening, and food color (optional). With a little creativity, the perfect faux mask can be created.

2- Borrow A Friend’s Uniform
If you have a friend who has a job with a very recognizable uniform such as fast food cashier or delivery person, ask to borrow their uniform.

3- Hit Up The Local Resale Shop
Go to a local thrift store & you’ll most likely find a huge selection of clothing just waiting to be transformed into the perfect Halloween costume for cheap.

4- Reuse That Old Costume
Have a costume swap party with your friends & family, or check out freecycle for used costumes in your area.

Halloween is fast approaching!

Be prepared for all those treat-or-treaters this year by buying candy treats that are made from organic ingredients, and are naturally colored & flavored. When buying chocolate treats, look for fair trade goodies.