Most of the energy, water and materials a family uses flow through a small number of decisions: how the home is heated, what goes down the drain and into the trash, what ends up on the dinner table and how everyone gets around. Get those right and you lower your bills, make your home more comfortable through a Wisconsin winter and reduce your impact on the Fox River and Lake Winnebago, all at the same time.
Every suggestion on this page connects back to the three guiding questions behind The Natural Step: use fewer fossil fuels and scarce materials, use fewer persistent and toxic substances, and protect the natural systems that support life, all without making things harder or less fair for other people.
Five areas that matter most
Energy
Heating is usually the largest energy use in a Fox Valley home. Air sealing, attic insulation and a well-maintained furnace or heat pump come before solar panels. See home energy efficiency for Wisconsin winters.
Water
Fix leaks, choose efficient fixtures and keep stormwater on your property with rain barrels and rain gardens. See our stormwater guide.
Waste
Buy less, choose reusable, recycle correctly under your county’s rules and compost food scraps. See zero-waste habits and composting 101.
Food and transport
Eat more local and seasonal food, waste less of it, and replace some short car trips with walking, biking or the bus. See eating local and trails and commutes.
Practical actions by area
| Area | No-cost habits | Low-cost steps | Bigger projects |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | Lower the thermostat at night and when away; turn off unused electronics | LED bulbs, weatherstripping, door sweeps, a programmable or smart thermostat | Attic air sealing and insulation, heat pump, solar (see solar guide) |
| Water | Shorter showers, full loads only, sweep instead of hosing | Fix running toilets, efficient showerheads, a rain barrel | Rain garden, replacing lawn with native plants |
| Waste | Reusable bags and bottles, meal planning, saying no to freebies | Recycling bins sorted to county rules, a backyard composter | Whole-home declutter and repair habit, bulk buying system |
| Food | Eat leftovers first, plan meals around what is in season | Farmers market visits, a few containers of herbs | CSA share, vegetable garden, home food preservation |
| Transport | Combine errands, walk short trips | Bike tune-up, try a Valley Transit route once | Becoming a one-car household, an e-bike |
Your 30-day starter checklist
You do not need to do everything at once. This checklist spreads simple actions across four weeks so they become habits rather than a burst of enthusiasm. Print it, stick it on the fridge and check items off as a family.
Week 1: Know your starting point
- Measure. Complete the footprint calculator and write down your three biggest categories.
- Gather your bills. Pull the last twelve months of electric, gas and water bills to see seasonal patterns.
- Check your thermostat settings. Set back temperatures overnight and while the house is empty.
- Find your recycling rules. Look up your municipality’s or county’s current recycling list and post it near your bins.
Week 2: Energy and water
- Hunt drafts. On a windy day, feel around doors, windows, outlets on exterior walls and the attic hatch. Seal what you can with weatherstripping and caulk.
- Swap remaining bulbs. Replace your most-used incandescent or halogen bulbs with LEDs.
- Check for leaks. Put a few drops of food coloring in each toilet tank; if color appears in the bowl without flushing, you have a leak.
- Check the water heater. A setting around 120°F is a common recommendation for comfort and efficiency.
Week 3: Waste and food
- Do a trash audit. Look at one week of garbage. What could have been avoided, reused, recycled or composted?
- Start composting. Set up a bin for fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds and yard waste.
- Plan meals. Plan the week’s dinners and shop with a list to cut food waste.
- Buy one local item. Visit a Fox Valley farmers market or farm stand and try something in season.
Week 4: Transport and next steps
- Replace two short trips. Walk, bike or ride the bus for at least two errands under two miles.
- Look at the yard. Mark where water pools or runs off your property toward the street. That is a candidate spot for a rain barrel or rain garden.
- Choose one bigger project. Insulation, a heat pump, a rain garden or a garden bed. Get information or quotes.
- Re-measure and share. Retake the calculator, compare, and tell a neighbor what worked.
Taking it to the neighborhood
Some of the most effective sustainability work happens one block at a time. Neighbors share tools, compare contractors, swap seedlings and motivate each other. A neighborhood effort also makes it easier to include people who may not have the time or money to act alone.
Ideas that work well in the Fox Cities
- Energy challenge. Compete with another street or neighborhood to cut energy use over a winter month. Our guide on running a neighborhood energy challenge and the Fox Cities Unplugged Energy Challenge page explain how.
- Rain garden or storm drain project. Coordinate rain gardens and leaf cleanup so less runoff carries soil, leaves and lawn chemicals to the Fox River. See protecting the Fox River and Lake Winnebago.
- Native planting swap. Divide and share native perennials to support pollinators. See native plants and pollinators.
- Tool library or repair evening. Share ladders, garden tools and repair know-how instead of each household buying its own.
- Study circle. Gather 8 to 12 neighbors for a few facilitated sessions that end in a shared project. See study circles.
How to get a neighborhood project started
- Find two or three co-organizers. A small core group shares the work and brings in different networks.
- Pick one visible, achievable project. A single workday or a month-long challenge is a good first goal.
- Invite widely. Use door hangers, your neighborhood association, social media and word of mouth. Make it clear that everyone is welcome, owners and renters alike.
- Measure something. Kilowatt-hours saved, bags of leaves collected or plants installed. Results keep people motivated.
- Celebrate and plan the next step. End with food, thanks and a date for the next activity.
For ongoing ideas, read the latest guides on What’s New or browse household kits in our shop.