Humans impact the environment in many ways and most of the time these impressions go unnoticed. However, it is important to recognize the influence we can have on the environment and the simple lifestyle changes we can make to encourage a positive change. Now more than ever, it’s imperative that we begin taking responsibility – particularly because our planet is currently in a climate crisis and there’s plenty of ways to help reduce our impact. So here are several ways to help the environment from home.

Possibly the easiest and most effective way to help reduce our impact is to recycle plastics and other materials and be conscious of the things we buy and how they are packaged or wrapped, while another alternative would be to scrap single-use plastics altogether. Besides recycling and avoiding single-use plastics, buying locally and organically-sourced produce is a more sustainable option that consumes much less fossil fuels.

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You can also support eco-friendly companies that produce low-impact, environmentally friendly sustainable products that can be used in place of single-use plastics and other non-biodegradable materials. Often, these companies also support environmental movements and contribute a portion of their proceeds to support nonprofit organizations; but you could also donate to your favorite nonprofits directly. WWF, The Nature Conservancy, Greenpeace, and Earthjustice are just some of many nonprofit organizations that continue to fight for our planet.

Finally, staying informed is critical to help our environment strive and to reduce our carbon footprint. Obviously, the steps mentioned above are just a few of the ways we can contribute with just some minor alterations to our lifestyle routine. So next time you go to the grocery store, consider bringing your own reusable bags – we know we will be bringing ours.