National Earth Day 2018 might be behind us, but really, shouldn’t every day be earth day?

It can be, and you don’t have to go anywhere or do anything major. Here are super small, easy ways to give the planet a tiny hug while feeling good about the way you’re going about your day.

1. Be conscious of your coffee: if it’s USDA certified (or similar, if you’re not in the US) that means it was grown and sourced sustainably. Also, if you can drink it out of a mug that’s not made of paper, you’re officially doubling down on being woke. The Nature Conservancy breaks down the implications of sustainable vs. not pretty well at this link. 

2. Turn that water off when you’re brushing your teeth! You don’t need it running the whole time. Once to wet the brush, again to rinse. According to this dude on Quora, that can save 200 gallons a month, enough to fill a fish tank with 6 small sharks.

3. Decline a disposable straw—even better, nab a reusable straw. Heck, have the straw inscribed and personalized. That is YOUR straw.

4. When you order or pick up take-out, you can request to skip the plastic or paper plates, forks, knives, etc. Request it!

5. Donate old work and school supplies when you find yourself making room for new ones—what’s old for you could be extremely needed, and new, for someone else. Look up nonprofits and charities that accept everything from notebooks to half-used colored pencils. We see that pencil as half full. Googling ‘Pencil Donations’ alone gives you pages and pages of options! We also love this giant list of 101 places your clutter can do good. 

6. Pay your bills online and stop the redundant, tree-killing madness (I.e., request to stop your paper bills/statements).

7. Put the car in park and turn the engine off if you can—a ton of gas emissions are released from cars siting in neutral or idling.

8. Freeze your fresh food—if the days are ticking by and those berries or chicken breasts are going uneaten, freeze ’em before they have the chance to go bad. You just bought yourself, like, a year’s worth of time.

9. Return any old or unused prescription pills to the drugstore so they can get rid of them the right way, or track down a local drug take back program. This not only keeps them out of the water supply, but out of the hands of children and adolescents that they shouldn’t be in. Hot tip: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is April 28!

10. Cut up that 6-pack ring so that it doesn’t murder marine life on the other side of the trash. Taking a few seconds to chop that stupid plastic death trap up into pieces can have a big impact.

To get more deeply involved with environmental causes within your community, join our network and start spearheading some change!