Use cloth napkins.
Stop buying flimsy paper napkins and buy or make cloth ones. They are sturdier and don’t take up much extra room in your wash. You can use creative napkin rings for the whole family and even use your napkins multiple times before you need to wash them.

Bring your own thermos to the coffee shop.
Instead of throwing out all those paper coffee cups (some stores even give you two so you won’t burn your hands!), bring your own cup. Most stores will gladly fill yours up.

Use tote bags for your groceries.
Using cloth bags reduces the number of paper and plastic bags around your house. When you need more disposable bags, simply leave the cloth ones at home the next time you go shopping. Added benefits: they are stronger, easier to carry, and some grocery stores reimburse you or donate money to charity.

Find new ways to read and use your newspaper.
Some newspapers have substantial websites that allow you to read them online. If that doesn’t appeal to you, reuse your newspaper to wrap gifts. The Funnies make attractive wrapping paper and might add a few laughs! If you garden, placing newspaper layers topped with grass clippings between vegetable plants will act as a weed barrier and will retain moisture in the soil.

Reuse paper bags.
All those paper bags in your pantry add up to a lot of paper. Open them up and use them to cover school books, wrap packages to send in the mail, or as drawing paper. You can even use them to cool off cookies after baking.

Save old t-shirts for cleaning rags.
This is an age-old trick that works great. Cut up those old undershirts and use them to do all sorts of tasks, from dusting to cleaning the car. You will cut down on the amount of all the paper towels you buy.

Reuse tissue boxes.
Once you have used all the tissues in a box, place it in your car for a handy trash can. You can empty it out over and over again, and you get an attractive trash container in your car.

Share your magazines.
Once you have read your magazines, share them with a friend or neighbor. There are also organizations that take old periodicals and give them to those who can’t afford them.

Use the library.
Donate your quality books to the library. All those books in your house add up to a lot of clutter and dust. The library can either use or sell the books. If you don’t have books to give, get the next book you want to read at the library. That’s what it’s there for, and you’ll save some money.

Recycle, Recycle, Recycle.
Remember to place junk mail, computer paper, catalogs, and newspapers in the paper recycling, and things made of pressboard and boxboard (like cereal boxes) in the paperboard recycling in the “Silver Bullets” at the Recycling Center. Place corrugated cardboard in the large container just beyond the hopper. At home, place baskets throughout the house where you are most likely to come across paper for easy collection. Keep Recycling Cape!