It's nearly impossible to recycle plastic cling wrap that you use to cover bowls before you microwave to prevent splattering. Since the plastic resins used in cling wrap are difficult to recycle, it's rejected by recyclers and should be tossed into the trash. But do you even need it? Try this eco-alternative instead: Place a microwave-safe dish on top of the bowl and then heat your food. The plate will act as a cover and prevent splatters, and then the whole set -- bowl and plate -- can be washed and reused.

Sure, choosing to fly on a plane may not be the most fuel-efficient way to travel, but sometimes it's the only way to get to your destination. One way to help reduce your carbon footprint when you fly is to pack less. The more weight there is on a plane, the more fuel a plane burns in flight. If every passenger on a domestic flight packed 5 pounds less, it would save more than 60 million gallons of fuel every year. So, pack only what you really need and maybe leave all those extra shoes, books and other things behind.

When doing a kitchen renovation, many people dream of having marble or granite countertops. But many exotic stones come from faraway places like Italy and South America. These heavy slabs have to be trucked, shipped and re-trucked, which burns up a tremendous amount of fossil fuels, not to mention the environmental devastation of the areas from which the solid surfaces are mined. If you must have stone countertops, think local. Look for stone that comes from your state; not only is it more carbon neutral since it doesn't have to travel far distances, it's usually cheaper, too.