I’ve finally decided on a 2010 green resolution: I’m going to reduce my waste. And while I’m at it, I’m going to reduce my waist, too.

For weeks, my green conscience and my lean conscience have both been niggling at me. Even though I’ve switched to reusable bags for all my shopping, piles of plastic packaging still find their way into my home. And even though I eat a basically healthy diet, mounds of mouth-watering munchies still find their way onto my plate.

Regular Going Green readers probably remember I give myself the luxury of the full 12 months to make good on my resolutions. But after a year working on each of my last two resolutions, my green conscience has begun pointing out some problem spots.

On the plus side, in 2008 I got rid of plastic bags in my life. I took reusable bags on all my shopping trips. For fruits, veggies and bulk items, I reused plastic produce bags or used thin, cotton Ecobags. I substituted Biobags made from cornstarch for my kitchen garbage and paper bags for yard waste. Flushable kitty litter solved the problem of needing plastic baggies for pet waste. Instead of plastic water bottles, I carry a stainless steel bottle or a thermos of hot tea.

Then, in 2009, I decided to “buy for birds.” Helping to save trees for wildlife, and for producing a handy little thing called oxygen, meant switching to recycled paper products. That was easy, since affordable and good quality recycled toilet paper, facial tissues, paper towels, notebooks, computer paper, calendars and such seemed to pop up everywhere.

But in spite of these changes, plastic still pours in the door. Almost everything comes in plastic, from pre-packaged food to paint rollers to personal products. And I’m still surrounded by newspapers, flyers, catalogues, and paper bills.

Recycling paper, or anything else for that matter, isn’t the answer, since recycling burns fuel and produces carbon emissions during transportation of materials and at the recycling plants.

No wonder my green conscience has been nudging me to take a closer look at the first “R” in the catch-phrase “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.”

Maybe reducing waste will give me a chance to make good – or just make better – on the more challenging parts of my 2008 and 2009 resolutions.

Fortunately, reducing waste covers a lot of territory, from reducing packaging materials that have to be recycled or thrown away, to reducing energy and water consumption, to reducing paper use. It could even cover reducing spending, so I’m not wasting money on things I don’t need.

With any luck, this year’s resolution will make me both greener and leaner, while making the planet cleaner.

So I think I’ll replace liquid hand soap with bar soap to cut down on plastic packaging. Then I’ll sign up for online billing. As for that other waist problem, I could forget about those bed-time snacks and then ...

But enough about me. What’s your 2010 green resolution? I’d love to hear about it, whether it’s just for you, or your whole family, or your workplace. Email me at greenresolutions2010@gmail.com.

Web Peek of the Week: See the Green Pledge at www.acacamps.org /parents/nature/green_spoken_here.pdf. From composting to carpooling, from volunteering to spending time outdoors, this pledge keeps it fun and simple. Perfect for families and groups.