Nowadays, more and more families are opting to become “greener” and reduce the impact that they have on their environment. Individually, each of us might only be able to do a little to make a difference, but together, we can add up to make a global impact. For this reason, it’s worth looking around at your home and seeing some different ways that you can reduce your waste and help preserve more of this lovely planet that we all live on! Here are some simple steps you can take to reduce your environmental impact…

Recycle, obviously!

The first, and most obvious, step that you can take is to recycle. Families have known this for decades, and most cities/counties have services that help families recycle materials like paper, aluminum, plastic, and glass. Even if your city doesn’t take a certain type of material, such as steel, there are plenty of facilities that will take pretty much anything to recycle it. Not only does recycling help save those specific materials, but it also helps reduce the gas and energy that is needed to produce those products.

Use compost

For the most part, people who recycle will recycle paper and plastic, but throw away organic materials. However, if you want to take your recycling habits to the next level, these organic items can be used for compost. Some cities/counties will have a separate receptacle that is used for organic materials, for this reason. You can even make your own compost pile to help with your own landscaping needs.

Go paperless

Paper is one of the biggest materials that take up resources on this planet. It’s also the most recycled material, which is great, but you can take it a step further by reducing the amount of paper you use, in the first place. For this reason, try cutting out paper unless it is absolutely necessary. You can take relatively simple steps to do this. For example, respond to all of that junk mail you receive and opt out of those newsletters. Also, contact your bank and let them know that you would like all of your statements to be paperless.