I often write about how one of the easiest changes you can make to start living greener is to switch to reusable shopping bags and water bottles. These two changes are simple, low cost and are easy to incorporate into your daily life. Since most people are well aware that plastic bags and bottles are bad for the environment, these changes are becoming pretty mainstream but why stop there? If your house is full of disposable paper and plastic products as well as single use items, you’ve still got a long way to go on the road to living greener. Think you can’t live without paper towels, paper napkins, plastic straws and dryer sheets? You can and it’s easier than you think. Below are a few tips for making the switch.

1. Start out with one item at a time. Trying to live greener can be overwhelming, and replacing disposable items with reusable items all at once can be a bit expensive. Additionally, when you’ve done things a certain way for a while, changing every aspect of your life can be challenging. So start with one item you can use less of and go with it. I started with paper towels. My kids make a lot of messes and I’m somewhat of a germaphobe, so I knew decreasing our paper towel usages would make an immediate impact. I switched to a SKOY cloth instead of paper towels or disinfecting wipes when cleaning counters. They also work well for spills at dinner time as they are very absorbent. And the best part about SKOY is that they are made of 100% biodegradable materials. For large spills on the carpet or kitchen floor, I primarily use old towels and washcloths. I do still use paper towels made from recycled materials, but those are reserved for the rare occasion when I need to clean up something that I don’t want to end up in the washer.

2. Put the disposable items out of site. It can be difficult to break old habits and if your paper towels are sitting right next to the sink, you may not think to try and grab something else when you need to dry your hands or clean up a mess. Keeping these items out of site will make them less convenient for you or your family members to grab and will help you remember to try to use an alternative if possible.

3. Make others aware of the changes you’re making. When we stopped using disposable silverware, I neglected to let my daughter’s preschool teacher know and after a week, all of my daughter’s reusable silverware disappeared because she’d been throwing it in the trash at school. We also had to dig through the trash once at home to retrieve some reusable straws that had inadvertently been thrown away by a family member. So involve the whole family in the switch and make sure everyone knows in advance not to throw away items you plan to reuse. You might also consider putting your kids in charge of policing everyone else, to make sure reusable items are saved and stored properly. Kids really enjoy being a part of changes that are good for the earth.

4. Be open to new things. Before trying dryer balls, I was sure nothing would eliminate static cling other than a dryer sheet. After hearing that dryer balls can not only soften clothing but can also cut down on drying time, I decided to at least give them a try and now I love them. Although I haven’t noticed a huge difference in drying time, my clothes are definitely soft and I don’t have to buy dryer sheets anymore.

5. Think of long term savings. Although reusable items can be a bit more expensive than the disposable items when you first buy them, most will pay for themselves in less than a year. You’ll not only be doing something better for the earth but you’ll also save money in the long run and will have less things to worry about running out of when you do your weekly shopping.

Giving up paper products and plastic straws was really not hard for my family to do and it’s so nice not having to worry about running to the store to get napkins or paper towels.  Give it a try, what have you got to lose?