In recent years, the issue of saving the environment from things like pollution and global warming has become increasingly talked about, especially within younger demographics.  People want to save the planet for future generations to come, to keep the earth clean and habitable, and there are many ways to do it at home and in local communities without much extra effort. 

One great way to avoid pollution and extra garbage in landfills is to use reusable bags at grocery stores. There are around one hundred billion single use plastic bags that are used every year in the United States alone. Cloth, reusable bags are fairly cheap, and as the name suggests, can be used over and over again with less harm done to the environment with hardly any extra effort to use them. Another way to limit plastic use at the grocery store is to avoid overly, or unnecessarily packaged items whenever possible, such as fruit with natural peels like oranges or clementines that are packaged and sold in plastic boxes or cups.

There are, of course, more obvious ways to go about saving the planet as well. These strategies include conserving energy by turning off the lights when leaving a room or unplugging items that are not in use to save electricity or being sure that the sink faucet is off when not in use and taking shorter showers so as not to waste water. It is surprising how much water can be saved just by turning off the faucet while brushing teeth or washing dishes. In fact, washing dishes in the dishwasher actually saves much more water than washing dishes by hand in the sink.

Recycling is another simple way to help the environment. There are many different kinds of recycling and different types of sorting required; however, it can be fairly simple and very effective if the recycling rules are followed. Composting is another way to help with multiple benefits to the environment. One benefit is that compostable goods, like leftover food or paper towels, are not decomposing in a landfill; rather they decompose in a bin for other uses. Planting and growing produce in a personal, household, or community garden both helps the environment and has health benefits as well. Compost can be used in these gardens to help fertilize the soil and help the plants to grow better, so the composted items are not wasted and instead are put to good use, giving back to the earth.

There are more involved ways to help the environment as well, instead of just simple things like recycling. Volunteer work is one great way to help save the planet that requires a little more effort than previous examples. Volunteering to pick up trash on the side of the highway, in a park, or along creeks or beaches is productive and helpful. Even if not doing volunteer work, if  there is trash on the ground, pick it up and throw it away; it does not take long and helps the planet at the same time.

Everyday, people can do their part to help the environment in small ways that can make a big difference. Turning off unneeded lights and water faucets, using cloth grocery bags,  picking up trash when it is on the ground,  recycling or even  volunteering, are simple but effective ways to save the planet. Minor positive changes in behavior today may help prevent major negative changes in the environment tomorrow.