We need to keep packaging out of the landfill. Many grocery stores recycle plastic bags from paper towels, toilet paper, bread, newspaper, dry cleaning and produce. Contact your local recycling center to learn what they do and don't accept.

Be a savvy consumer by checking labels and packaging for terms like “biodegradable,” “fair trade,” “organic” and “Made in the U.S.A.,” as well as earth-friendly materials like bamboo, hemp and recycled resources. Pay attention to what you bring into your home.

Buying a lot of a given item at once can reduce the amount of packaging used. It can also save you time and money. For an even more eco-friendly shopping trip, check with the store to see if you can bring your own reusable containers to fill.

When you choose reusable items instead of single-use paper and plastic, you’ll keep countless items out of the landfill each year. This includes cups, bottles, utensils, straws, shopping bags, snack bags and more.

Before buying new, first try to borrow or share with family, friends, neighbors or your community. You can also offer up your excess items to others. Join your local Buy Nothing group on Facebook to “give where you live.”

Buying an item new signals more demand, meaning more resources to produce and transport it. If you can shop at a thrift store, garage sale or consignment shop, you’ll make better use of things that already exist—and save money along the way.