Saving the planet starts with you - specifically, the choices you make that can have a huge environmental impact whether you realize it or not. For example, taking steps to reduce your carbon footprint and the number of natural resources that you use will not only help save the planet, but it will also help improve the quality of life for yourself, your family, and your community.

Here Are Several Simple Things That You Can Do To Save The Planet. 

1.Start with the Three "Rs" - Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

In recent years, there have been two significant environmental issues that have sometimes taken a "backseat" to climate change: 

• The depletion of natural resources 

• Landfills quickly filling up with trash and running out of space 

You can help solve these two huge environmental challenges by changing your consumption habits. For instance, try adopting a more minimalist lifestyle to reduce the amount of resources that you consume. Furthermore, you can likely reuse certain items before discarding them. Recycling is another important practice that can reduce the amount of resources that are depleted from the planet - and then discarded to the landfills.

2.Volunteer in Your Community

When it comes to saving the planet, you should adopt the mindset of the following motto, "Think globally, act locally." That means you need to take an active role in keeping your community clean. For example, you can volunteer to pick up trash with a group of other concerned citizens or even just by yourself. Many communities have local environmental groups that are dedicated to protecting their watershed too. That would be another good volunteering opportunity for you as well.

3.Educate Yourself on Environmental Issues

The more you know about environmental problems, the more you can help yourself take meaningful action to solve them. You can find informative articles and video tutorials about topics related to conservation, combating climate change, and other environmental issues online. You might also be able to find classes on environmental topics from your local college or conservation department.

4.Conserve Water

Conserving water is another crucial step to saving the planet. That's because the less water you use, the less runoff and wastewater that will end up in streams, rivers, and eventually the oceans. Furthermore, water conservation is increasingly important - especially in areas that are prone to droughts - like California and the Southwestern United States - exacerbated by climate change. You can conserve water by installing a water saver shower head, washer, and toilet.

5.Use Less Energy

You can reduce your carbon footprint by reducing the amount of energy that your household uses by following these basic tips: 

• Turning off lights when you leave a room 

• Unplugging electronics when they aren't being used 

• Turning up your thermostat a few degrees in the summer 

• Turning down your thermostat a few degrees in the winter 

• Replace any incandescent light bulbs with long-lasting, energy efficient light bulbs 

However, if you are really serious about reducing your carbon footprint, you can install energy efficient appliances and windows in your home. You might even consider installing solar panels on your roof to generate your own electricity instead of buying it from the power company.

6.Choose Sustainability

Over the past decade, brands across several product categories have started offering consumers more sustainable product options. In fact, you can check product labels for a sustainability sticker or logo on them. By purchasing more sustainable products, you are supporting environmentally-friendly manufacturing practices--practices that reduce carbon emissions.

7.Shop More Wisely

In addition to buying eco-friendly products, you can engage in eco-friendly shopping habits as well. For example, you should buy less plastic since it takes 450 years to decompose. Furthermore, bring reusable shopping bags to stores instead of using plastic shopping bags that end up in landfills.

8.Plant Trees to Help Combat Climate Change

You might not realize it, but trees naturally remove carbon from the air. Therefore, you can help combat climate change by planting trees. Also, you can support efforts like the Billion Trees Project - which plans to plant a billion trees in the United States to offset carbon emissions. There are other tree planting initiatives throughout the world that could use your support as well.

9.Don't Send Harmful Chemicals Into Waterways

Another thing that you might not realize is that whenever you pour chemicals down the drain - or worse yet, in your backyard - they can end polluting streams, rivers, and the oceans. Therefore, you can help keep waterways clean by keeping harmful chemicals out of them. For instance, when you do have chemicals that you need to discard, contact a professional waste management service to discard them safely for you.

10.Bike and/or Walk More

Lastly, you can save the planet by driving your car less and biking/walking more. The less you drive your car, the less carbon you will be emitting into the air. Also, you won't be using as much gas - which is good since gasoline production is a high carbon emitting process. Plus, biking and walking is really healthy for you. Therefore, you might be helping to save yourself, in addition to the planet.

In short, while many people are looking to government and industry to solve environmental issues like climate change, saving the planet requires action on the individual level as well. For example, everyone should take steps to reduce the amount of resources that they use, as well as the amount of waste they discard. You should also take steps to cut their energy consumption and carbon footprint. Encourage others to do the same as well. Focus on making sustainability a big part of your life. Be mindful of how your actions can impact the ecosystem, especially waterways. Leave your car at home sometimes - and walk/bike instead.