As Kermit the Frog might say, it's not easy being green. Although major changes like renovating your home or transforming your community are effective ways to combat environmental damage, they can be expensive and time-consuming. For an easier step, try these tips to reduce your environmental impact right in your kitchen.

Water

It's easy to take your kitchen sink for granted, but wasted water is a big problem throughout the world. There are a number of ways you can more carefully use water: use your own water filter, aerate your kitchen faucet, only run your dishwasher when it's full,

recycle dishwater or other fairly clean waste water to care for your plants,

Keeping clean and staying hydrated should always be top priorities, but there are

small ways of reducing your water use without compromising.

Waste

Some days it feels like there is garbage everywhere. Obviously avoiding littering is a good first step to preventing this, but reducing your overall waste reduces the amount of garbage in the world. In your kitchen, try buying in bulk to reduce packaging that you have to throw away, and avoid purchasing things you don't need, single-use items, or products you are likely to tire of quickly. Swapping out all your plastic dishes for glass ones really just creates more garbage, so reuse what you have or find ways to repurpose it. Although recycling is one of the least-efficient ways of reducing waste, it's still better than nothing. Just make sure to clean and sort items before throwing them in the bin.

Shopping

Although you can probably reduce your purchases in some areas, everyone needs to buy food. Be smart about your shopping. Take advantage of reusable bags and avoid excess plastic packaging. Although "organic" doesn't always mean "eco-friendly," choosing renewably-sourced foods isn't hard when you do some research. From the best local farm shares to alternatives like high impact plant protein reviews, you can find just what you need with a quick search.

Air

When you think of air pollution, major factors like car exhaust or large factories might come to mind. Your home also produces air pollution, though, from things like unsafe paints, dangerous cleaning products and heated chemicals from unsafe pans or dishes. For your own safety as well as that of the environment, make sure all paints in your home are free of VOC, and always make sure dishes are microwave-friendly before heating them. You can also switch to natural cleaning products like vinegar and rely on cast-iron or stainless steel pots and pans.

Electricity

Despite the progress that has been made toward green fuel, a great deal of the world's energy still comes from sources like coal and natural gas. Whenever you turn on your electric stove or refrigerator, chances are pretty high the electricity is coming from a coal power plant. Reducing your dependence on electricity isn't difficult, though. Try using a toaster oven, keeping your freezer full and insulated or moving your schedule to a time that matches with daylight hours. Many areas have options to select more natural energy sources like hydro or wind power, so check your municipality to see if you can switch.

Land

Land is a critical resource, and you can protect yours with a little extra care. Instead of wasting tons of water keeping non-native grasses green, try planting some natural greenery in your yard, and don't forget to try your hand at composting as a way to both improve the soil and get rid of food waste. If you have a green thumb, try planting a garden and harvesting your own vegetables.

Sometimes it feels like going green is expensive and difficult. However, there are small things anyone can do to prevent pollution and protect the earth.