1. Please drink responsibly

Disposable plastic water bottles are filling up landfills, due to their low cost. Instead, buy a high-quality water filtration system that you can use to purify your tap water. Another option is to purchase the large 5-gallon water jugs and then use a water cooler stand or a simple hand pump to supply your family with water. Use either high-grade BPA-free plastic, metal or glass reusable water bottles to fill up with water.

2. Try composting

Many cities have compost programs in which organic waste is separated from garbage. If composting is not available, set up a compost bin in your backyard or local communal garden in which you can dispose of all your kitchen waste like meat scraps, potato peels and expired food. This not only cuts down on the garbage that goes into a landfill, but also puts precious nutrients back into the soil!

3. Carpool

Carpooling not only saves you money on gas, and saves the environment, but many highways now have special lanes for people who carpool, allowing you to get work much faster and avoid the traffic! Find someone who lives near you at your workplace, and ask if they would like to carpool with you. It doesn’t necessarily have to be every day – try it out for a few days and see how it goes!

4. Turn off your lights

Turning off the majority of your lights is good for the environment and will help save you a ton of money on your electrical bill. Minimizing light usage in the evening also helps to send signals to your brain that it is time to go to sleep soon. This is a great way to help you wind down and fall asleep faster. Remember – turn off the lights before you leave a room!

5. Practice responsible coffee making

Brewing your own coffee at home can be much cheaper and less waste-producing than purchasing your daily cup of coffee from a coffee shop. However there has been quite a lot of negative press lately regarding single-serve coffee pods, as they are non-recyclable and very bad for the environment. One alternative is to use a reusable insert for these types of machines, better yet why not use a very inexpensive French Press to brew delicious coffee that produces no waste!