I grew up in a semi-crunchy family, where we tried to take small steps toward doing better for the environment. But we were also a large family, and so many steps some people would take toward being a greener family would simply be too much. 

There are always baby steps that can be taken, and one of my favorite ways to do that is with easy product swaps. I may not be up to cloth diapering (I tried and failed at it miserably!) and I’m not ready to give up on all my disposables, but small steps can make a big difference!

These 5 product swaps for a greener family are painless ways to do a little better for our environment!

1. Energy saving lighting: using LED (or even fluorescent) lights helps save both energy and money, making them a worthwhile investment!
2. Cloth snack bags: When it comes to switching disposable plastics for “real”, I find it a challenge. With snack bags, it’s easy as they don’t get very dirty and can be tossed in the wash.
3. A water bottle: In the summer we can go through a SHOCKING amount of water bottles. I’ve learned to carry it around a reusable sports bottle. They’re bigger, easier to drink from, and don’t cost me an extra five cent deposit per bottle (okay, that’s not REALLY why I do this…)
4. Recyclable packaging: Check your products as you buy them and always opt for the recyclable option.
5. Less packaging: Even when you recycle, the process of turning it into new materials has an impact on the environment. Do even better by opting for products with less packaging. 

So many products that we purchase come with unnecessary “extra packaging”. Think: extra outside wrappers around already packaged goods, mountains of branding papers that fall out as soon as you open it, and more. I’ve even found water bottles with smaller caps that have much less plastic in them!

Scott Tube-Free toilet paper tackles a huge “extra packaging” problem with household goods. Their toilet paper rolls come without the inner tube. When you start using it, you realize just how unnecessary that cardboard tube always was!

It might seem like a small thing: but that’s just it! It’s these small steps that make a big impact.

Just to prove it, Scott has teamed up with a YouTube prankster to show how many rolls Americans go through. The prank below uses 66,000 tubes (that’s how many rolls of toilet paper Americans consume in just over two minutes!)

Using Scott Tube-Free toilet paper is a painless way to head toward being a greener family, saving most families 150 tubes a year. The cushiony-soft paper proves you can go tube-free without compromising on quality – or really on anything! It’s about simply swapping the product you already use for another greener option.

• Find a store to purchase Scott Tube-Free
• Calculate how many tubes your family uses in a lifetime (We got 17,401 – enough to make a pool table!!)
• Grab a Scott Tube-Free coupon

Which painless steps do you take toward a greener family? Any other product swaps your family makes? How many rolls will your family go through in a lifetime? Comment below!

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