Here's your guide for making your household a few (or, if you're up to it, 50) steps closer to green.

"If you do just one thing, recycle," says Mindy Pennybacker, author of "Do One Green Thing: Saving the Earth Through Simple, Everyday Choices." "We each produce our own weight in garbage every month. But don't just think about your 'out' bin -- think recyclable and recycled when bringing items into your home, too."

Luckily, these products have never been easier to find -- or easier on the eyes. As it's time to replace and upgrade, here are some items to cycle in -- and some wasteful habits to cut out.

Avoid BPA
Some studies link the plasticizer to cancer and other health issues. Use cooking tools made from safe plastics -- usually labeled #2, #4, or #5. (Bonus if recycled!)

Preserve mixing bowls, $25 for 3; preserveproducts.com

Washable viscose cloths are far more absorbent than paper; they can soak up 10 times their weight in liquid.

Super Amazing kitchen cloths, $4 for 2; traderjoes.com for stores

"Use bags of ice to fill the voids, and your freezer won't have to use as much energy to stay cold," advises homekeeping guru Martha Stewart.

Nonstick ceramic is a healthier choice -- and chicken breasts still lift right off.

Cuisinart GreenGourmet cookware, $275 for 4 pieces; vivaterra.com

This one balls up easily (really!) into its stretchy pocket.

24-7 shopping bag, from $7; flipandtumble.com

The three-gallon Ovopur has a filter made of quartz, copper, activated carbon, and zinc that rids water of 99 percent of metals.
Aquaovo, $650; greendepot.com

Drink from Recycled Glass
It takes 50 percent less energy to produce than virgin glass. These tumblers are made from old wine-bottle bottoms.
The Green Glass Co., from $38 for 4; greenglass.com

Use Cloth Napkins
If everyone in the United States replaced just one package of paper napkins with cloth, we'd save one million trees.
Natsumi napkins, $30 for 2; natsumi.bigcartel.com

Use this 41-inch brush made of natural, harvestable ostrich feathers to make sure no surface is neglected.

$60; caldrea.com

They're safer to use in the microwave than plastic, which can leech chemicals.

Round storage bowl set, $20 for 4; crateandbarrel.com

Look for dish and hand towels made from natural fabrics with low-impact dyes that are free of heavy metals.

Tea towels in teal squares and cartouche, $20 each; ploverorganic.com

This bowl is made from discarded lemontree branches that no longer bear fruit.

Ochre bowls, from $11; ochrestore.com

If you're replacing countertops, consider recycled glass over quarried stone.

From $110 per sq. foot (installed); vetrazzo.com

Typical polyurethane sponges don't biodegrade; the natural cellulose-and-agave Dish Dumpling does.

$4; twistclean.com for stores

Rid your home of fumy chemicals by replacing surface, glass, toilet, and floor cleaners with plant-based brands.

Martha Stewart Clean products, $4 to $18; Home Depot stores nationwide or at marthastewart.com

If you aren't composting food scraps, Kate Heyhoe, author of "Cooking Green," says it's better to throw them in the trash than to grind them in the disposal. Food sent down the drain often winds up in the landfill after the sewage treatment plant, so save the electricity -- and 2,000 gallons of water per year.

The miracle material has natural antifungal properties and a soft, slip-free surface.

Gaiam All-Natural Sustainable Cork bath mat, from $24; amazon.com

Organic cotton won't off-gas VOCs, as PVC shower curtains do. (Use a vinyl-free liner, too.)

Organic Color-Block curtains, $49 each; westelm.com

The Source toothbrush has a sturdy handle made of recycled dollar bills, flax, or wood, and a replaceable plastic head.

$7 each; radiustoothbrush.com

Evolve's Roadrunner low-flow showerhead saves about eight gallons per five-minute shower. The water slows to a trickle when it's fully heated, letting you know it's time to step in and pull the tab for a full-strength spray.

From $40; evolveshowerheads.com

"Cover your hot-water heater with an inexpensive insulating blanket," suggests former Vice President Al Gore, whose latest book is "Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis." The blankets generally cost $10 to $20 at hardware stores (here's one example) and can reduce heat loss by up to 45 percent.

EcoGen's unique bath accessories are made from a polymer called PHBV that can completely decompose in six to nine months.

From $6; containerstore.com

"If you don't have a low-flow toilet, place a half-gallon jug filled with water in the tank," advises Thomas Kostigen, author of "The Green Blue Book". "Simply displacing the water could save a family more than 4,000 gallons a year."

Use organic cotton balls free of chlorine bleach.

Organic Essentials, about $2 for 80; amazon.com

When it's time for a new mattress, look for organic cotton and a fire barrier made of wool -- not chemicals.

Naturally Organic, $1,618 (queen size); thecleanbedroom.com

Consider screwing your compact fluorescent bulbs into lamps made of sustainable or recycled material.

Amoz OV-UQ 004 LM lamp, $500; mudesignliving.com

"The average person can save 25 percent on heat in the winter and air-conditioning in the summer just by using the added insulation of window shades," says Kostigen.

Redecorate sustainably. Replacing accessories can make as big a visual impact as new furniture.

Cushions, from $125 each; looolotextiles.com

You probably already know you can save energy by plugging chargers and other "vampire" electronics into a power strip with an on/off switch. But how often do you remember to flip that switch? Mindy Pennybacker recommends buying a Smart Strip that turns itself off when it senses that appliances are idle.

About $30; amazon.com

Keep dozens of soda bottles out of the landfill by letting your dog sleep on a bed made of 85 percent recycled plastic.

Eco Nap, from $28; ecosumo.com

You spend one-third of your life in bed. Why not make sure the bedding is 100 percent organically grown cotton?

PureDKNY Pure Comfort quilt in Air, $170, and block-print pillowcase, $60 for 2; donnakaranhome.com

Pottery Barn's new lightweight desk chair is both stunning and made of 100 percent recycled aluminum.
$299; potterybarn.com

Use a Low-Impact Laptop
They burn less energy than desktops. The Energy Star-certified MacBook Air has less mercury, arsenic, and PVC than other laptops and comes in a recyclable casing.
$1,499; apple.com

Look for shelving made from pieces of reclaimed wood.

Gallery leaning shelf in Natural Steel, $379; roomandboard.com

Instead of going through a page per month, try a perpetual calendar. The Futuro includes a combination of paper inserts that will work for any year.

Pieter Woudt for Kikkerland, $32; amazon.com

FLOR's 19.7-inch tiles are recyclable and easy to replace if badly stained.

Martha Stewart Floor Designs Needlepoint stripe in Laurel, $13 each; flor.com

Q Collections's entire sophisticated line is constructed using FSC-certified wood with zero-VOC finishes and upholstery colored with low-impact dyes.

Jesse club chair, $7,278; 212-529-1400

"Use safe sealant on your particleboard furniture to help keep the toxins from off-gassing," recommends Maggie Wood, green-design consultant. Try AFM Safecoat Safe Seal, $15 for 32 ounces; green-living.com

Conventional wallpaper often contains PVC; Chrysalis Wall Flats, made from renewable bamboo pulp, don't. They're paintable and stick with adhesive.

$86 for 10 18-inch tiles; inhabitliving.com

Save trees (and your sanity) by keeping important records electronically: Just make sure they're backed up on a hard drive. If there are some files you simply must print out, conserve paper by using both sides.

Sprig's Eco-Trucks are made from recycled wood and reclaimed plastic.

Dump truck, $15; sprigtoys.com

Stokke's Tripp Trapp classic chair goes from baby to teen.

$250; giggle.com

Let the Sun Jar charge on the windowsill all day, and it can glow for hours as a nightlight.

Suck UK, $40; perpetualkid.com

A dollhouse with a windmill, solar panels, a rain barrel, and recycling bins starts eco-habits early.

Green dollhouse, $240; plantoysusa.com

Everything in Kids Konserve's kit -- from cloth napkin to sandwich wrap to stainless-steel containers -- can be used again and again.

$42; kidskonserve.com

"As often as possible, hang your laundry on a line outside or a rack inside, instead of using a dryer," says Pennybaker, Whole Living's Econundrums columnist. You'll save 4.4 pounds of carbon per load."

No fuel, no emissions, no blaring roar -- and today's models are way better than Grandpa's.

RazorCut 38, $249; ecomowers.com

Wiping your feet on a doormat before you step inside is good, but removing your sneakers altogether is even better. "So many studies show that we bring dangerous pesticides and chemicals into our homes on our feet," says Sarah Beatty, founder and president of the Green Depot. "Taking off your shoes is one of the simplest and most important things anyone can do."

It looks like wood but is really 100 percent recycled plastic.

Traditional dining chair, $319 for 2; stonecrestfurniture.com

This cedar composter beautifully handles kitchen and yard waste.
Valentina (shown painted), $300; priscillawoolworth.com

How to Use a Composter
1. Open the top lid, and completely cover the chicken-wire shelf inside with shredded newspaper.
2. Cover that newspaper layer with a layer of soil.
3. Add a layer of food scraps (things like produce, crushed egg shells, and coffee grounds). To avoid smells, also add some lawn clippings, leaves, or cardboard.
4. Turn with a hand rake once a week.
5. Over six to nine months, the items will rot and the compost will filter to the bottom. Lift the lower gate to retrieve.