Reducing food waste is not just about reducing the amount of money wasted on uneaten food, or about reducing the amount of food that is wasted. Much of the food discarded from households makes its way to landfills, where it rots and makes a significant contribution to the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere; however, a more sustainable and environmentally friendly solution would be to substantially reduce the amount of food that is discarded.

Obviously, food waste such as vegetable peels, tea bags, and banana skins must be thrown out. Rather than simply tossing them out though, these biodegradable materials can be composted. If you don’t garden, give the resulting compost to someone who does. Composting can be carried out with a bokashi composter, or simply in a covered plastic container into which holes have been drilled.

You can also reduce or eliminate food wastage entirely by controlling how much food winds up in your kitchen. To do so, you must always go food shopping with a list and a budget. The list ensures that you buy only what is needed, while the budget ensures that you don’t succumb to impulse food purchases.

If drawing up a food-shopping list is difficult because you don’t know what you will need, record what food item is running low or plan a menu for family meals each week. Not only will you be able to create a shopping list, you won’t be at a loss for dinner ideas during the week. By extension, either buy less food or get into the habit of not throwing out extra portions of prepared food. Over time, this results in you spending less on food while reducing food waste.

Many have opted for organic or non-toxic options, but the best options remain age-old recipes for cleaners from homemade ingredients. The recipes listed below are effective, non-toxic, cheap, and most of all – good for the environment.

Windows and Mirrors

Rather than use toxic spray-bottle cleaners, use this simple recipe developed a century ago. Combine 4 tablespoons of lemon juice with a half-gallon of water for an effective and safe glass cleaner. Another green option is witch hazel, which can be found at most grocery stores. For an even greener clean, try using old rags, shirts, or cloth diapers in place of paper towels, as these are completely reusable and will noticeably cut down on paper waste.

Furniture Polish

Furniture Polish is listed on the “Terrible Ten” of toxic household chemicals, because it is made with petroleum products, which smell awful and are toxic for you and your family. One of the most effective homemade wood polishes is made with two parts of olive oil, mixed with one part lemon. Simply apply it to the spot on the furniture, and buff it away. It has a nice smell, and it is very good for the environment.

Bare Floors

Mixing one-cup vinegar with one gallon of warm water is the time-tested formula for the perfect floor cleaner. Mop the solution onto tile, linoleum, vinyl, or even wood floors for a deep clean. The best part is that there is no need for a rinse, which saves both time and water. If the floor needs a little shine, mop over the area again with plain club soda. Be sure not to saturate the floor with the solution, as a light coat of it will give the floor enough of a shine. This method keeps harsh floor cleaners out of the house, as well as conserves upwards of 50% more water than traditional mopping.

Metal Polish

Polishes for household metal objects of brass, copper, steel, and chrome, are also on the “Terrible Ten” list. Metal polishes do not even disclose their harshest ingredients, but usually contain ammonia and some kind of acid. A healthier solution is a homemade metal polishing paste. Use equal parts of salt, vinegar, and flour, and then rub it onto the copper or brass. Rubbing the item with a salted lemon has been known to have similar effects. For tarnished copper, use a bottle to spray the piece with undiluted vinegar, and then sprinkle it with salt. Be sure to wipe the piece thoroughly to avoid having it turn green.

1. Bake Some Bread: If you are trying to eat right and save money, then baking your own bread is a great first step. For less than a dollar, you can make a loaf of four-ingredient bread (flour, water, salt, yeast) that will rival bakery baguettes and make great sandwiches. For just a bit more, you can experiment with whole grains and specialty ingredients like flax meal that will boost the nutritional content and leave you with a product that competes favorably with expensive multi-grain breads in the store or bakery. Baking your own bread also lets you avoid the ingredients you want to leave out, like HFCS and preservatives. If you hate to knead bread, dust off that old bread machine or investigate some of the many no-knead recipes out there. Aim to replace a loaf or two of store-bought bread each month with your own product.

2. Make Your Own Cleaning Products: Commercial cleaning products can be harsh on your skin, lungs, and pocketbook. Instead, replace one or more of your cleaning products with a formulation you make yourself. Vinegar and water is a traditional substitute for mirror and window cleaner. Borax and/or baking soda can be used to scrub sinks and toilets. If you choose to carefully use ammonia or bleach (never together!), dilute your own mix and control the amount of chemical you are using while avoiding the excess packaging and exorbitant prices for commercial foamers and sprays.

3. Lower Your Thermostat: When you finish reading this article, go ahead and turn your thermostat down a degree or two. Even that small bit of temperature difference, to which your body will acclimate quickly, will make a difference in your energy usage and your resulting bill. If you are unsure of lowering the temperature while you are awake and in the house, start by lowering the temperature setting for times when you are out of the house and at night. Throw an extra quilt on the bed and put on some fleece socks. Then, during the day, bake a loaf of bread and start scrubbing with your homemade cleaning products; you’ll be warm before you know it!

One particular use for unused clothing that isn’t fit to be worn any longer is as stuffing for a draft excluder. The body of the excluder itself can be sewn from a piece of old clothing, and it can be stuffed with fabric items that would look out of place in the open, such as worn out (clean) underwear.

By the same token, old clothes can be used to make new stuffed toys, or “reborn” as cushion or pillow covers. As with draft excluders, the stuffing can be derived from old clothing as well.

Some people who cultivate climbing plants that need to be secured to a trellis may find that garden twine is difficult to work with, or that it damages the plants. To overcome this problem, old clothes can be torn or cut up into strips and used in place of the twine. Old rags are certainly softer than twine, and are an offbeat (but interesting) addition to the garden.

You can also use old clothing to weave or knit a rug. In my opinion, weaving a coiled rug is easier than knitting one; either way, the rug just seems to grow on its own. One item of clothing can be cut into one long strip of fabric, which is braided with another two strips of fabric to form one long coil. Another strip of fabric is used to anchor each coil to the previous coil. To add to the length of the first braid, knot another braid to it.

The same approach can be used to weave baskets if you need more containers around the house but don’t want to buy anything new and/or plastic. Start with a base (á la a coiled rug) made to the diameter that is required. Add a new row to form the wall of the coiled basket by positioning a coil on top of the previous coil, adding rows until you achieve the desired height.

When decorating the tree this season, remember that Christmas is a great time to relive childhood memories, and to honor the people and events of Christmas past. A great tree decoration is any sort of family memorabilia. This could range from anything from dad’s crazy Christmas tie, to a child’s first shoe, and even to grandma’s old jewelry or a doily scented with her perfume. It may even be a fun idea to decorate the tree with souvenirs and items collected on travels from the past year. Shells from the beach or beads collected at Mardi Gras (a very popular tradition in New Orleans) will add loads of personality to any tree. This is a great way to cherish memories, and it will surely make for a memorable Christmas tree.

Homemade crafts are always another interesting addition to the tree. For families with kids, this is a great option. Simply cut up old holiday cards and glue felt straps to the back, and then hang with yarn. The same can be done with pictures from old magazines glued onto plastic lids, and then decorated with beads and glitter. One of my fondest memories is making ornaments with my grandmother out of pictures of the family and old Christmas cards. This is a wonderful way to make memories, as well as to showcase them on the tree.

The most traditional forms of decorating Christmas trees are actually some of the most eco-friendly. Edible cookie ornaments have been on Christmas trees for a hundred years, and they are still an enduring tradition today. Gingerbread cookies and sugar cookies are easily hung by simply poking a hole at the tip using a straw, and then baking them, using ribbon to hang them on the tree. Another staple tree decoration is stringing either popcorn or cranberries instead of tinsel or garland. This provides a classic look, and is also incredibly eco-friendly.

This Christmas, when decorating the tree, remember that eco-friendly items still look just as great as plastic ornaments and tinsel, but are much better for the environment.

Liquid castile soap is one of my favorite soaps to both use and make. It’s a versatile cleanser that can be used for the hair, skin, or around the home. Traditionally, this soap is made from olive oil, but to save money, you can use a combination of soybean and coconut oils along with olive oil. Using certified organic oils will insure that you’re using the most eco-friendly ingredients.

To make this soap at home, you’ll need the oil, along with a large crock pot, a kitchen scale, and distilled water. You’ll also need a chemical called potassium hydroxide. You can find this at soap making supply companies online.

To begin, you’ll need to set the crock pot to its highest setting and add 47 ounces of oil. Your scale is really handy when making soap because you’ll have to measure everything in ounces.

At this point, you should put on gloves and goggles in preparation to use the potassium hydroxide. This is a caustic chemical that creates heat when mixed with water so extra caution is important when using it for soap creation.

Get a heat-safe bowl and mix 32.9 ounces of distilled water and 9.39 ounces of the potassium hydroxide together. Next, carefully add this mixture to the crock pot full of oil and stir. You’ll need to stir the mixture every few minutes for the next 90 until it’s almost too thick to stir.

Once your mixture is rubbery and thick, lower the crock pot to medium heat, add a lid and let it cook for another 90 to 150 minutes. You’ll need to stir it about every 20 minutes.

Once the mixture has turned translucent, transfer it to another container and add 80 ounces of boiled distilled water into the mixture. Let this sit overnight.

The next day, your mixture should be dissolved ready to transfer to jugs. Once in jugs, your soap will need to sit for about a month and will then be ready to use.

To make a bed warmer, hit your fabric stash or look at the remnant rack at your favorite fabric store. You are looking for a piece of fabric that will feel cozy to the touch, so fleece and flannel are naturals. The fabric can be any size, although something in the range of 12 inches by two to three feet is ideal.

To sew the bed warmer, you are essentially making a pillow. Fold the fabric in half width-wise, so you are preserving the width of the piece (that is, a 12 inch by 36 inch piece of fabric will be folded so it is 12 inches by 18 inches doubled). Keep wrong sides together.

Machine or hand sew the piece around all three sides and most of the fourth, keeping an opening for adding the filling. If you are sewing by hand, keep your stitches tight so no filling escapes. Turn right side out for filling.

To make the filling, take three to four cups of rice (enough to add a pleasant weight to the piece, but not enough to stuff it full), and mix in some good-smelling herbs and spices. Dried lavender blossoms from your garden are a natural, relaxing option. I also like doing a cinnamon and nutmeg combination for a winter spice scent, or try sage and rosemary for a nice garden scent. Add the filling to the pillow case and whip or machine sew the opening shut.

Hand warmers are just smaller versions of bed warmers. I typically make these out of four inch squares of fleece placed together so I wind up with an end product that is nearly four by four. Obviously, you will add less filling to these.

To use, warm in the microwave. The bed warmers will heat in about three minutes, while the hand warmers take less than a minute. Always attend your microwave while you are heating your products. When hot, slide the bed warmer in the foot of the bed for warm feet, or put the hand warmers in coat and jacket pockets for some extra warmth while you are working outside.

To me, it seems obvious that if you are the only person in the house who is feeling the chill, then there are at least two things you can do before turning the heat up. The first is to have something to eat (maybe a turkey sandwich; they’re in season), and see how you feel after that. This is because low levels of the leptin hormone slow the metabolism down, leading to your muscles generating less heat, and the resulting chill.

The second thing to do is so obvious that it seems flippant just to say it – wear thicker clothes. If you usually go barefoot at home, pull on a pair of (thick) socks. As long as they’re a uniform dark color, wearing socks around the house won’t detract from a macho image. They’ll also serve to clean the floors somewhat as you shuffle around.

Keeping the doors and windows closed works both ways when you’re trying to keep the indoors cool or warm. Essentially, doing this in the summer prevents heat from entering, while the same action in the colder months prevents heat (generated by the inhabitants and other means) from escaping. Draft excluders, attached to the bottoms of doors, can increase the insulating effect as well. Instead of keeping the blinds down to block the rays of the sun from entering the home, as is done in the summer months, keep the curtains tied back to let the sunshine in.

Aside from programmable thermostats, try using space heaters to heat individual spaces. They might seem old-fashioned, but they use less energy than central heating and provide efficient heating.

-Many people have been taught since childhood that the only way to recycle aluminum cans is to have them neatly crushed; however, since the 2000s, this has been an unfortunate waste of time for many American households, including my own. It is simply no longer necessary to crush aluminum cans, as most recycling centers have no problem taking uncrushed cans. Simply give your local center a call before spending hours in the garage crushing cans.

-Greasy or food-covered packaging and cardboard can actually mess up an entire load of recyclables, rather than contribute. Many machines at recycling centers are not able to process materials that are covered in grease, grime, or simple food matter. Throwing these items in the recycling bin at your home can actually contaminate the entire bin, leaving you no choice but to throw it all in the garbage. Just remember to throw greasy packaging into the trash, as that may save an entire bin of recyclables.

-Be sure to sort your own recycling. Although this does take a little extra effort, if you set up separate bins and locations for different products, you will again save an entire load of recyclables. Surprisingly, most recycling centers will not sort your recycling for you. Again, if you separate the products within your household, you will be doing a much better job at being green. This sorting also makes a great project for kids!

-Plastics can be very difficult to recycle. Due to the nature of plastics, sorting them within your household can be a trick. Many plastic products have different numbers that correlate to the type of plastic, and how they need to be recycled. Doing research on how your local recycling company would like you to sort these plastics, or all of your products for that matter, may be the difference in whether your items are actually recycled or not.

-Always remember that reusing a product is better than recycling it. We have many articles on this site that feature many creative ways to repurpose mundane household items. Recycling does still take a notable amount of energy, so reusing or even reducing are by far the best methods of greening your household.

Sick-building syndrome is  a term used to describe a number of symtoms, ranging from running eyes to fatique to respitory illness, which have all been attributed to energy efficient buildings. These buildings, both new and retro-fitted, are air-tight and often composed of large amounts of sythenitc construction materials, many that off-gas unnatural and potential toxins. This comination creates the perfect environment for poor indoor air quality, along with all the health issues that go with it.

Luckily, there are solutions to this issue for both homes and commercial buildings that suffer from this kind of poor indoor air quality. Electronic air purifiers are one option. These can be purchased at a wide range of places, including big box home improvement stores. A second, and often better solution, is to fill your indoor environment with air purifying plants.

It’s been common knowledge that plants remove carbon dioxide from air, but several years ago NASA released studies revealing that many plants can also remove significant amounts of many indoor toxins, including formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene. These chemicals cause many symptoms associated with sick building syndrome.

So what plants should you add to your home? English Ivy, Janet Craig Dracaena, and Gerbera Daisy are all top contendors for removing toxins. The mum is also a good choice as it has been shown to reduce benzene, formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and toluene from the air. Its colorful flowers make it a lovely addition to an indoor area for aesthetic reasons as well. For best results, one air cleaning plant per 100 square feet of space is necessary.