I leared from a young person how much everyday items can be recycled. I didn't realize until I was working a local store how much packing materials can be sorts and sent off to our local recycling center. Even the cardboard that is inside a roll of tape can be sent off to be recycled.

We recycle plastic,aluminum,newspaper and pretty much anything else that can be. We try to plant a tree every year in our yard, and we use eco-friendly grocery bags.

I learned from a young coworker that we can recycle at work also.  We go through huge amounts of paper, boxes and even plastic alcohol bottles at work.  They are all recycled now. 

I have been impressed how much the kids nextdoor recycle. They also seem to enjoy making a game of it, which insipred us to have a lot more fun with our recycling!

I try to use less paper when I clean up spills. Instead of I try and use old rags to clean up stuff. My daughter is able to help with the cleanup and then throw it in the laundry.

The children I teach at school have taught me to simply "Don't throw it away!" We try not to use anything that can't be recycled (styrofoam packaging, paper towels, plastic bags). I have lessened our trash output to less than one bag a week!

I learned how wasteful it is to buy bottled water, and invested in some reusable stainless steel.

http://www.unplannedcooking.com

We are on a mission to limit our household paper waste. I've learned a few tricks from my students and friends, books, websites, and partner.

We use cloth diapers, cloth facial tissue, cloth kitchen rags (instead of paper towels)--we tried out cloth toilet paper for the adults, but we're not ready for that yet. : )

To further limit our household paper waste we avoid whenever possible the middle of the grocery store (where all the boxed, processed foods are). We try to shop only the periphery. If you buy fresh produce and things like grains, rice, oatmeal, etc. in your own bulk containers, then you don't even HAVE to recycle all that paper--you can just not bring it into your home in the first place.

(Of course we DO recycle the paper that does come through our doors.)

I have a stainless Steel PBS branded water bottle that I use at my desk everyday. Also, Noggin keeps replaying a commercial to recycle and my family makes sure that we do so.

I have been volunteering with my son's Boy Scout Troop for many years and the one thing that I have learned from that fine group of young men, is to respect nature and do our best to be conservation minded.  We try to incorporate some of the things that we do on campouts in our daily life such as picking up trash if we happen to see some in a parking lot or along the side of the road.  We also recycle our newspapers and magazines which is not only good for the environment but helps to raise money for my son's school.

My children come home with ideas all the time. I now clean the bathtubs with baking soda and it really does do the scouring job I like.  Also there is a program that recycles those Capri Sun juice bags and gives back money to the schools.

My friend's son learned about this in school.  He then said all I had to do is preserve the leftovers etc. and put them a compost heap. I didn't want to do that so he found a kitchen composter for me. It was cheap and it works.  All I do is add the scraps and close up the composter. In a week, I can go and dump them in the garden. It's fantastic because I have less garbage and my garden gets all the benefits.

Angel Christi Thomas is my hero & my inspiration for my Green routine.

Her site: www.christithomas.com

Christi battled Neuroblastoma cancer for 4 year before she became an angel. I followed along on her website during her courageous battle. She began collecting pop tabs for Ronald McDonald House. Not only does this help the environment, but the money collected from the pop tabs went to help fund Ronald McDonald Charities. RMHouse gives out of town families a place to stay when their children are in hospitals.

I have taken Christi's example to heart and collect cans on my own here in my office and at home. My extended family has even gotten into the swing of things!!

My latest BlogHer Post - Dolphins: The Truth About Our Friends From the Sea
SBAB &

my 8 yr old son has made me very aware of water conservation. He makes a big point of turning off the water when he brushes his teeth and such and has been very consistant over the years. Now if I could just have him be as consistant with turning off lights!

My wee ones love to play "kitchen" and house and cooking and such.  They have a neat little setup that my parents bought them, but when I went to go buy some food for them, my son (then 4!) stopped me and asked if he could just use things from the kitchen.  I happily handed over my cleaned and retaped empty boxes and cannisters, and they love having "real" food to play with.  Plus, whenever something gets too ... loved, it's easy to replace with a new box.  The old one simply gets recycled.  I love not bringing more plastic into my house, and it's free, too!

Michelle

http://honestandtruly.blogspot.com

http://honestandtrulyreviews.blogspot.com

@honestandtruly

I can say our home is a work in progress when it comes to living a "greener" lifestyle. I have started small, such as not buying bottled water, reusing plastic bags(they make great lunch sacks), using fewer paper towels and using rags instead for cleaning, buying a front loading washer and making sure I have a full load before using, using plain soap and water for cleaning instead of chemicals, walking to run errands instead of driving, etc... anyone can do these small things which add up to alot!!

My son was the one who finally said to me, "You know, Mom, those juice boxes take up a lot of space in the garbage!" Now we buy juice in a full size bottle and he drinks it from a glass. We've also stopped buying bottled water or other individually packaged drinks and we have so much less garbage now!

This sounds funny but, in a backhanded way, my youngest son got us to go green in a big way simply by being born and having my horribly sensitive skin. He had horrible reactions to disposable diapers. As such, we had to use cloth diapers. Not only did we save heaps of money, we cut down on waste being sent to landfills. Furthermore, the energy used to create our diapers wasn't even wasted as they have been passed on to other moms/babies and will likely, after that stop, be passed on again. Who knew that babies could teach us how to live a greener lifestyle?!

@FireMom from Stop, Drop and Blog and The Chronicles of Munchkin Land

I now only buy Clorox Greenworks products to clean my home. The ingredients are harm free!

We used to have a pesticide service spray our yard and home exterior once a month. Not only was this costly, but it was also toxic to our outdoor pets and to our family.  My younger sister suggested getting rid of the chemicals and investing in a few frogs and lizards from the local pet store.  They'd happily maintain the insect level since they both eat various insects, and they'd add a whole new dynamic to our backyard eco system.  

So not only do we have a natural pesticide now, but we also are doing our part to balance the ecosystem.

-Shireen Qudosi

This is a simple yet effective way that I attempt to go green. When lights are not in use they go out. Not always easy to go behind 4 kids, but worth it!

After baths this past summer my son suggested we "reuse" the water.  Both my children lined up with watercans and we watered all the container flowers.  We will continue this in the winter and water the indoor plants too.

Children are attuned to the environment. My friends' daughters are comfortable with all kinds of animals, even ones that give me the creeps. They see all living things as natural and worthy of their places in the world. That is a green perspective I learned from them.

One of the small things that I try to do is think bofore hauling out a new plastic bag.  I try to use, reusable dishes and bowls for leftovers and eliminate all the bags that go to school for my sons lunch.  I am amazed at the amount of trash generated at one lunch hour in his school!

My 9 year old daughter is totally into recycling. She has helped us to recycle much more than we used to especially paper. We have a recycling center now in the kitchen and it makes things really easy. She has even started an environmental club with her friends to teach others how we can keep our world beautiful.

The young person that influenced my green choices is my daughter. I know it may sound cliche, but when she was born I really started thinking about what the world might be like for her. I realized that though I am just one person, my choices have a direct affect on what her world will be like and my future grandchildren. We started making changes almost immediatly by switching to cloth diapers and natural cleaners. We have incorporated many green choices into our everyday routine such as cloth napkins, rags instead of paper towels, organic and natural foods, reusable bags, etc. It is because of my daughter (and now I have a baby boy!) that I woke up and decided to make a positive change.

My sons are both very green, conservation oriented, and not into possessions (except electronics). So they constantly make me think about whether new things are needed or not.  Usually not.  Except electronics.

Deb
www.debontherocks.com blog
www.3smartgirlz.com consulting

While school shopping at the beginning of the school year, my 9 year old son asked me to buy him a stainless steel water bottle for him to use, instead of his using the single serve plastic bottles of water.  I thought this was such a wonderful and enlightening idea and purchased reuseable bottles for everyone in our family.  I was really proud of him thinking about ways to protect our enviroment.  I asked him where he heard of this idea and he said that his teachers in school spoke about ways to recycle, reuse and protect our earth. 

Our teen-aged daughter stopped eating meat a year ago.  I had been buying less meat anyway, and wanted to understand her motives and reasoning.   When she explained the health benefits and the undeniable benefits to our planet, I decided to join her.   I still serve meat several times a week for the other family members, but slowly, they are coming around to our thinking. 

My daughter asked me why I wasn't using a stainless steel water bottle. I didn't have an answer - I had never questioned why I bought cases and cases of bottle water when our tap water is just fine. Now I have a great water bottle and save a ton of plastic and deposit cost.