Many of us are blessed with environmentally conscious parents (I’m looking at you both, mom and dad). And then, some of us have parents who toss cans in the garbage and refuse to buy reusable bags.

So, what’s a caring family member to do? Sneak environmentalism into your fam’s daily lives is what. You’d be surprised how simple it is to help your family become more conscious of the environment. (And why is summer the perfect season to do this? Because this time of year is filled with teaching opportunities. And let’s face it, whether you’re a college student, graduate, or full-fledged adult, everyone goes home during the summer.)

First off, you can start a conversation about how conservation is simple. The smallest of acts can make a difference. For example, if your dad doesn’t cut his sixer’s plastic rings, start grabbing them from the trash and cutting them in front of him whilst explaining how this simple act helps animals in the wild. Next, when your mom is baking a cake from a box, ask her if you can help next time and suggest a recipe that’s from scratch. Later, while you’re baking away, you can explain that baking from scratch is hella cheaper, and it also cuts down on packaging waste. This type of conversation starter also can work with air-conditioning issues (people changing the temperature all day), and wasteful watering habits (watering at the wrong time and watering too much). Remember: It’s all about the tone of the conversation. Talk to your family like you would your friends. Don’t preach, just converse.

Next, start sneaking things into your family’s space that promote environmentalism. At the store, suggest buying a water filter instead of buying bottled waters. And make sure you toss a handful of reusable bags into the cart, too. Other things to consider sneaking into the grocery cart are LED lightbulbs (money and energy saving), seed starts (for a small garden), and eco-friendly cleaning supplies.

And finally, help your family start something. Tell your mom you want to help her set up a compost bin. She’ll be amazed by how small the trash is, and how not stinky it gets, too. Tell your dad you’d love to help him build some raised beds for the garden. Offer to take the dogs for a walk and sneak some biodegradable poop bag holders on their leashes.

For more awesome, non-confrontational ideas about getting your family to become more conscious of the environment, check out Rookie‘s post on the subject.

While all the above stuff is totally simple and easy, every change listed really can influence previously un-environmental people to become conscious of the environment.

Have you ever tried to change your family’s wasteful habits? Have any of your changes actually helped your family become more conscious of the environment?

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 Image of woman gardening from Shutterstock

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“Just add water” pop-up sponges are nothing new – I can remember having dinosaur-shaped ones that were more of a toy than a cleaning supply as a child. But the magical expanding sponges are popping up everywhere from Williams-Sonoma (shown above – 12-pack, $15) to your local drugstore. Sure, the flat-to-puffy fun factor is easy to love, but there are many other green plus sides to pop-ups that are fueling the mania.

These little sponges are tiny to transport from factory to store, and their small size also comes in handy for easy storage. This type of scrubber is also made from all-natural materials – 100 percent cellulose, or wood pulp. Not only does that mean they’re biodegradable, but this also means that the material to make these sponges, well, spongey, is strong and durable. You’ll be able to keep using one of these for a month and it’ll withstand dishwasher cleanings as you go.

Here are three more of our favorites:

3M Scotch-Brite Greener Clean Natural Expanding Sponges 3-Pack, $5.71

Twist Sponge Blossoms 4-Pack, $4.75

Trader Joe’s Pop-Up Sponge, available in Trader Joe’s stores

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