Do you ever feel like as soon you take out the garbage, the bag is full again? Especially in the kitchen? It’s no wonder when you consider that the average American creates almost four and a half pounds of trash per day—that’s more than 17 pounds a day for a family of four. A lot of it winds up in the kitchen garbage can, too, with bathroom garbage usually consisting of lighter impact items like tissues and floss. Make a point of reducing the waste you toss into the kitchen trash bin will help you put the brakes on your overall waste creation and, as a perk, make those trips to the garbage bins outside less frequent. Here’s a few quick and easy to ways to slow the stream of garbage in your kitchen (or at least make it a bit more biodegradable):

Compost What You Can

Much of what we throw away can be put to better use, like foods scraps, leftovers that are past their prime, and fruit that’s been forgotten until it’s too late. Instead of trashing these items for an unnecessary transfer to a landfill, pick up a countertop compost bucket (like this bamboo version from GreenFeet) and a garden composter where you can transfer the loads to. Use the wonder waste to keep your flowers, vegetables and fruits growing beautifully—without chemical-containing fertilizers.

Don’t Waste It, Wash It

Ditch some of your daily disposal items for alternatives that will last longer (with a little upkeep). Swap out paper napkins for sustainable hemp napkins that can be washed when necessary (and don’t be afraid to have each family member hang onto their napkins for a couple nights if they’re not in serious need of a cleaning). Choose reusable cloths over paper towels for cleanups and washable dish cloths over short-lived sponges. When you must use paper products, like paper towels, opt for those made of recycled materials, but remember that even they can’t compete with reusable offerings.

Make It Last

For the items you use that are disposable, try at least to get a second or third use out of them. If you need to package certain items in zip-top bags, for example, wash them after, hang them to dry on a bag dryer, and use them again. When you find yourself with plastic bags from the grocery store—sometimes we forget the reusable shopping bags—use them instead of new garbage bags for small bathroom or bedroom trash cans.

Pass On Plastic Wrap

While plastic wraps can be convenient to cover leftovers, they’ve yet to find a way to make them green. They’re made from petroleum, slow to degrade and definitely not an item you can use more than once. Put in a little extra effort and give up the plastic wrap for BPA-free containers that can store leftovers repeatedly or invest $9 in a silicone suction lid that can make any bowl into an airtight container. And if you find your self using aluminum foil frequently, look for recycled varieties (especially since aluminum is a product very easily recycled).

Bag It All in Biodegradable Materials

Some waste is inevitable (at least for most of us), but you can reduce the impact of each bag of garbage simply by purchasing biodegradable garbage bags over traditional plastic garbage bags. Where the conventional bags will sit in landfills—with contents locked inside—for hundreds of years, the biodegradable options will break down quickly and naturally. They’re even compost-friendly.

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