Happy Earth Day! Every year on April 22nd, people all over the world come together in demonstration, promoting environmental awareness and protection. Earth Day started here in the US in 1970, and is now said to be one of the largest secular holidays in the world.

Many who celebrate Earth Day dedicate their day to committing acts of service to our planet. Some people plant trees, or walk to work, while others organize community clean-ups, where they’ll gather together to pick up trash.

Another way to celebrate is by signing government petitions, or by contacting your representatives to call for climate action and environmental protections on a legislative level.

In the spirit of sharing, my 2019 Earth Day contribution is easy environmentalism for anyone who might be like me, kind of inconsistent with their Earth Day participation.

Maybe operating more casually is the answer. This post is for all of my fellow casual conservationists, and for anyone looking for EASY ways to step their green-living game up.

I present to you: 9 Effortless Changes You Can Make to Help Save the Planet.

1. Pick Up Litter When You See It (Even If It Isn’t Yours)

Oh, I guess you didn’t realize that this blog post was written by Captain Obvious!

Picking up trash is not a new idea. It’s an idea that has been drilled into most of us since grade school. It sounds simple enough, but for many, it’s not a common practice.

Something as simple as picking up a bit of trash is easy to say you’ll do, but actually doing it is a really easy way to make a difference. So ask yourself, honestly: when was the last time you saw a piece of litter on the ground and actually picked it up?

A lot of smaller environmental efforts come down to personal accountability. Next time you see litter in your vicinity, ask yourself: If not now, then when? If not me, then who?

The next time you witness someone else littering, say something. Ask them to pick it up. Would you allow someone to toss trash onto the floor of your home? Oh, wait. This planet is your home.

Leaving it for someone else to clean is leaving it for the wind to take it, letting it land wherever the breeze decides. This is how we’re managing to litter the expanse of our planet. Either they’ve gotta pick it up or you do, so the best thing to do is to stop protecting litterbugs! Say something.

The idea of picking up some old trash off of the ground might sound a little nasty to you. Luckily, you can just wash your hands afterwards and you’ll be as good as gold. If you’re not good with germs, keep some hand sanitizer on you. Isn’t that what people who hate germs do anyway?

2. Don’t Leave Water Faucets Running

Here’s a classic tip, I personally got this one from Barney, like, 25 years ago. Never leave your water faucet running.

This is another change that is very easy to make. Most of us know about this one and have for years.

Fine, I’ll be the first to admit it: sometimes when I’m brushing my teeth, the faucet stays on. When I remember, I usually make a point to turn it off, but the “usually” part kind of sucks.

I don’t believe that we’re incapable of doing better. All it takes is a commitment to try, and to keep trying (even if it’s not perfect), to implement this as a habit.

The next time that you brush your teeth or wash a dish, use only as much water as you’ll need to wet your sponge or toothbrush. When you’re washing up after picking up trash, wet your hands and then turn off the faucet while you lather. As long as your soap is producing bubbles, you have enough water to clean them. Keep the faucet off until you’re ready to rinse.

Reducing the amount of water that you waste with a running faucet is an easy way to bring water conservation into your everyday life.

It might seem like the tiniest effort, and while the immediate results are smaller, every single effort counts. Every tiny effort (and every little result that it yields) adds up. It all adds up.

The major reason that I remind you of these obvious tips is because many of us know about these things, we just don’t do them. Why should something making a small, incremental difference rather than an obvious and immediate one, be a reason not to do it at all? Especially when it takes little to no effort on your part to make the change?

3. Stop Tossing E-Waste

An easy way to start recycling is to get organized. Create bins, boxes, or bags designated for e-waste and used batteries. Some people think that tossing electronics and old batteries into the trash is no biggie, especially when it’s just one tiny battery.

In reality when these products wind up in a landfill, they release toxic materials and chemicals into the earth, which leads to an accumulation of chemicals in soil, water and food.

So designate a bin for collecting e-waste and batteries in your house so you have a place to keep them. I keep mine in my laundry room cabinet. Having a place to put these items will make it easier for you to avoid tossing them in the trash for conveniences sake. When you’ve filled your bin, you can drop your electronics off at any local e-waste recycling center.

Not sure where to go to recycle your old tech junk? Hang onto them until your next trip to Best Buy, they’ll take e-waste and old batteries off of your hands and ensure that they are properly recycled.

4. Recycle, Reduce, Reuse

Speaking of recycling, do you recycle? In many cities across the US, a recycling program is available to residents through waste management. If you have access to free recycling services, make sure that you are taking advantage.

In addition to recycling your cans, bottles, and paper products, your local waste management team should be ready and willing to provide a guide to all of the materials that you can separate for recycling.

You can take the recycle, reduce, reuse mantra into your own hands by reusing jars, boxes, and containers for other uses in your own home. I reuse boxes as drawer organizers like KonMari Queen, Marie Kondo suggests.

Another way to recycle more often it to purchase recycled goods whenever you’re shopping. Look for products which are made from recycled goods, especially if you’re buying something like notebook paper, napkins, or paper towels. When in doubt, look for the international recycling symbol, it looks like this: ♻.

You can find a lot of quality clothing and home goods in thrift stores, and at yard sales to take your recycling to the next level. Buying used isn’t practical for all items, but with the right pieces, you don’t need to buy new to make a statement.

5. Skip A Wash Cycle

A simple way to reduce your own water usage is to try skipping out here and there on your regular wash cycles. Items like denim, sweaters, and jackets can sometimes be worn again.

This of course depends on one’s daily activity level, and what kind of work they’ll be doing in their clothes. Skipping a wash works especially well if you take reusable clothing items off while you’re at home, to avoid them getting dirty or too “lived in.”

Wearing sweats or shorts around the house is more comfy anyway, and it can help to buy you another wear of your jeans before you wash them. It’s a win for you and for your water conservation efforts.

If you, like many people, like to bathe or shower daily, an easy way to reduce your shower time is to skip out on washing your hair. Hair washing can be especially time consuming for those with thicker or longer hair.

To save time and water, a quick rinse is sufficient on non-wash days. Not washing each day may be better for the health of your hair in the long run anyway. If skipping your daily shampoo and conditioner rituals is a deal breaker, try adhering to a timed shower limit instead.

Skipping a wash on your car is another extremely easy way to save water. It also is likely to save you some time and money as well. While leaving your car filthy can damage the paint, sometimes a car wash is not as much a necessity, as it is a vanity practice. If this is true for your car, skipping a wash will be a positive and easy change to make.

6. Change Up Your Laundry Routine

In addition to trying to squeeze in another wear on clothing items before washing, there is another eco-made-easy upgrade that you can apply to your laundry process.

I’m not just repackaging the classics, I’m reminding us all of what’s easy, and what works. Air dry your clothes whenever you can. Obviously this may not be practical during the winter months, or in certain climates, but hang drying your clothes is an all around life hack.

Air drying your clothing doesn’t just help you to conserve energy. It also helps your fabrics to maintain their original integrity, meaning your clothes last longer (and you save money).

Saving energy is important to preserving the environment because of the finite resources like coal, natural gas, and fossil fuels that we utilize to generate energy in the first place. Beyond that, energy conservation helps to reduce power-plant emissions which contribute to air pollution as well.

Hang as much clothing as you can to air dry. You can dry your clothes on a line outside or indoors, or you can just drape clothes all over everything in the house, like I do. Chair backs, stair railings, tables, all valid drying surfaces for my laundry. A little clothing clutter can be put away in the morning, it’s worth it if it means I’m saving the planet!

7. Get Your Mail Sorted

Go out and check your mail, and before you toss anything out, dedicate 10 minutes to addressing just how much paper is coming to you each day. You can start by calling or logging in online to each billing account to request paperless billing. This is an option for nearly all billing agencies.

You can also put a stop on all of that annoying junk mail that you receive. You can go to OptOutPrescreen.com to stop receiving promotional credit card offers, and you can opt out of those Valpak coupon bundles by adding yourself to their mailing list suppression page.

Finally, call to cancel any unwanted ads, catalogs, or magazine subscriptions. Another, less immediate way to accomplish this is to write “refused, return to sender” on any unsolicited promotional mail to send it back to the company of origin.

This process will take up a small amount of your time, but once this is done, it’s done. After while of sorting your mail in this way, you will find that you receive a lot less mail each day. And the items that you do receive, will not be junk that is going to be thrown right into your trash or recycling bin.

8. Unplug

Unplug your TV and stop heating or cooling your house if you aren’t going to be home.

In the era of convenience, we often keep our entertainment setups ready to go at the push of a button, but what if saving energy could be as easy as flipping a switch? Your home electronics and appliances continue to sap energy while they are plugged in, even if they are not being actively used.

An easy way to save energy, thus reducing your carbon footprint and your monthly utilities bill, is to simply unplug things when they are not in use. You might be thinking, “I’m not about to go around my house every day unplugging everything I own,” and that’s not what I’m suggesting.

If you have an entertainment center, or a cluster of electronics or appliances, try using a surge protector which can be easily turned off with the flip of one switch. You can “unplug” several items this way without bending over (I use my big toe).

Similarly, avoid heating or cooling your home for the spirits that dwell when you’re not around. They don’t need it, I promise you. If you leave for the house at the same time each day, you can try setting up a schedule on your thermostat. Or, just try to make a habit of turning it off on your way out.

If you have pets and live in an area where you suffer extreme climates, this may not be practical, but when the weather is moderate, take advantage, open your windows, let the natural air cool you down when possible. When things cool down, opt for cozy socks, sweaters, and blankets in the house, so that when you do need to run your heater, you don’t have to crank it up to high heaven.

9. Avoid Meat and Other Animal By-Products

You knew it was coming. What is an environmentalist rant without urging someone to try eating less animal products? If it helps at all, I’m not about to tell you to go vegan. I hate being told what to do, so why would I do that to you?

I’m not gonna tell you to change who you are and to drastically makeover your diet and lifestyle. Unless thats something that you feel compelled to do on your own, then, by all means, don’t let me stop you. ☺️

I’m just saying, why not challenge yourself for the sake of the planet? Just do one meal. That’s it. If that’s too difficult, try starting by just noticing what side dishes you enjoy which don’t have meat and then have those sides more often. That’s a starting point too. Just start where you’re at and change one tiny thing. You can always add more as you solidify new habits.

I love “Meatless Monday.” I think that the idea to reduce how much meat people are consuming is great, and the more that people do it, one meatless meal at a time, the more it adds up. I also believe that if people baby step it, and educate themselves one small piece of information at a time, they will eventually get to a place where a bigger change is less of an intimidating leap to make. Implementing one change at a time is a great way to build to greater change down the road.

I know that not everyone cares about animals, or maybe they do care but not enough to stop the common day practice of eating them. I also know that one can be just as healthy on a plant based diet as they can while eating meat. The animals and the health of it isn’t as pressing to collective concerns as the pollution and deforestation that is caused by animal agriculture.

That’s the reason I’m hoping that even if you can’t or don’t want to adapt to a full-on plant based diet, you’ll still make an effort to reduce your consumption of animal products. I think making a point to reduce and change just the slightest amount is still a great place to start.

As we grow to become more comfortable with eating less meat, and learn more and more about how animal agriculture contributes to the harm of our planet, the more compelled we’ll inevitably feel to do more when we are ready and able to do so.

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While all of these changes sound easy enough to make, I know that I am not always consistent in my participation of Earth Day. Some years I make an effort, and other times I plan to, but then I fail to follow through. If this sounds familiar, don’t beat yourself up.

I don’t think that our inaction makes us shitty people. If anything, I think it makes us normal. Sometimes change can feel like added stress, and when we are overstimulated, the demands of life can become difficult to juggle.

I know this all too well. Sometimes when we are in the thick of it, the easiest way through is by following the path of least resistance.

I don’t want to get down on myself about the things that I’ve failed to do in the past. It makes me feel terrible, and it isn’t all that constructive. I’m going to focus instead on the things that I can manage.

This is my contribution to the planet, in honor of Earth Day. Sometimes I forget just how easy it is to make small changes. Sometimes I forget that making simple choices can add up, so I wanted to create a reminder for myself, and for anyone else who is interested.

I’m also recommitting myself to living a more environmentally conscious lifestyle, just to prove to myself that it can be done. I forget sometimes that not being able to do it all, and do it perfectly, is not a reason to do nothing. Instead, I want us all to remember that something is always better than nothing, and every effort counts, big or small. It all adds up.