Bringing your lunch to school or work is green: You might prefer to tote your midday meal solely because you think your tuna salad is superior to the local deli'... read full tip

Bringing your lunch to school or work is green: You might prefer to tote your midday meal solely because you think your tuna salad is superior to the local deli's. But bringing your lunch to work or school in reusable containers, instead of getting takeout in paper or plastic, significantly reduces the amount of waste produced. According to a 2005 report by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), plastic and paper products accounted for almost half of our generated solid waste.

Consider using reusable cutlery and washable containers for sandwiches, snack foods, desserts, fruit, and drinks, instead of disposables, most of which go straight to the landfill. The EPA says source reduction-which is the avoidance of creating waste in the first place-is the most preferred method of waste management. You'll save money, too, since you won't have to purchase plastic bags, brown paper bags, or single-serving canned or bottled beverages.

To go a bit greener: Keep a small reusable food container in your bag to carry leftovers home from a restaurant. The thought might conjure images of a frugal diner, but the savings go beyond the meal. You'll save fossil fuel energy (consumed in the production of the Styrofoam or plastic takeout containers) and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills after you dig into those leftovers at home and throw away the packaging. (You might not want to try this on a first date.)