When it comes to shopping for waxed paper to use in the kitchen, not all of it is the same. The typical waxed paper is just that: bleached paper covered in a thin coat of paraffin-based wax. Paraffin is petroleum-based, which means it does a great job at repelling moisture, but it isn't easily biodegradable. New eco-friendly brands in the marketplace not only offer unbleached waxed paper, but soybean wax-based, too. That means there's no petroleum in the product. The best part? It makes the waxed paper compostable, too.

Love to take photos of your meals? Why not turn your Instagram love into a donation to help fight hunger? The free app Feedie connects to your existing social networks. When you visit a restaurant that participates with Feedie and take a picture of your meal, that restaurant then donates money equal to a meal. World-renowned chefs like Jamie Oliver and Mario Batali support the Feedie app, and so far, over 12 million meals have been donated.

Ever order something from Amazon only to find the amount of packaging used was excessive and wasteful? Well, Amazon wants to hear about it so it can learn and adjust to minimize waste. Visit amazon.com/packaging, where there are prompts about the box, packaging and even a place to specifically complain about waste and submit photos. And while other retailers haven't gone this far to minimize waste, you should still comment to any online retailer if they over-package items for your orders. It can be as simple as an email or even a social media comment to make sure you get heard.