Recycling- 1 bag of Trash A Week!

My goal this year has been to see how far we could reduce our household waste. Is it possible to reduce it to zero? Well, I am not there just yet, but we have succeeded in having only one bag of trash this week. That is a huge improvement!! In the past, we would have sometimes 2 or 3. When our kids were in diapers, 4 bags. No, we weren't very environmentally friendly in the diaper department.

By starting small, we are sticking to our goals now. Here are some of my tips:

1. Start small. Each small step turns into a big one.

2. Use reusable shopping bags. I have an impressive collection bags, but at first I was terrible about forgetting them. I solved the problem by keeping them in the cars. I also found one that folds up, so I always have one in my purse.

3. No recycling bins? No problem! Just use what you have. I started out with a large cardboard box. Its not the greatest and every time I take my recycling I lose my bin, but its ok. I just start over with another box.

4. I signed my family up to get collect juice pouches for TerraCycle. My kids drink Capri Suns. So to cut down on the juice pouch waste that was an easy step for us.

5. More reusable items. We have cut out paper products like napkins and paper plates. I bought some inexpensive cloth napkins and I just wash dishes. Its not too bad, the kids like to help out.

I am still looking for more ways to reduce our household waste. Any ideas or suggestions?