There is almost always something a little more we can do to improve our environmental footprint, and a lot of the steps to take can be done in the home. As you go about your everyday living, pay attention to the places where you can make some changes. To help you get started, here are seven ideas to cut down on how much waste your household creates.

1. Compost everything you can

Composting is the best way to divert waste from the landfill. Items you can toss into your compost bin include eggshells, coffee grounds, vegetable scraps, and even cardboard food containers. Of course, you want to make sure you aren’t composting improper items, so check with your municipality to see what items are and aren’t allowed.

2. Buy in bulk

When you buy in bulk, you reduce the amount of packaging you use and throw away. Buying in bulk generally applies to food–dry goods in particular that keep for a long time. You can go to places like Bulk Barn and fill up on dry foods with minimal packaging. It’s also worthwhile to see if other items that you use every day are available in bulk with less packaging as well.

3. Say no to disposable bottles

While disposable bottles can go in the recycling, the recycling process itself uses energy and has an environmental impact. It’s best to reduce the demand for plastic bottles in the first place by using a reusable bottle instead. Make a habit of carrying your bottle around and you won’t have to pay for water while you are out, either.

4. Ditch kitchen disposables

The kitchen is often heavily stocked with disposables like paper napkins, paper towels, sandwich bags, plastic wrap, and more. Making the switch to washable cloth towels and napkins is easy, and there are many food wrap alternatives to plastic wrap available today as well. Reusable containers can also replace plastic sandwich bags in most instances.

5. Avoid single-use items

Why use single-use coffee cups, straws, napkins, and utensils when you have everything you need at home? When you’re going out for a coffee, bring your own tumbler–you might even get a discount for it. When you’re ordering food for delivery or pickup, specify that you don’t need any extra paper napkins or plastic utensils.

6. Always bring reusable shopping bags

Using reusable shopping bags is a simple tip that bears repeating, as it’s one of the best ways to cut down on your single-use plastic consumption. Set aside a few reusable cloth bags to bring with you to the grocery store or even for shopping trips to the mall. You might even save a few cents here and there for having your own.

7. Reduce your e-waste

Electronic waste is a growing problem, and it’s very harmful to the environment as well. You can cut down on your e-waste by simply hanging on to your electronic devices longer before getting rid of them. Once they’ve reached the end of their usable life, look for places in your community where they can be disposed of and recycled properly.

It’s never a waste to reduce your household waste. All of the effort you put in and changes you make might seem small at first, but they will add up over the long term to make a big impact.