When life gets busy, remembering to recycle or reuse tends to be one of the first things many of us forget. A lot of people don't realize just how bad our daily activities are for the environment. Plastic doesn't decompose, but it's one of the most commonly used materials by consumers. Almost every single piece of plastic ever made is still around, like straws, grocery bags, food wrappers, toys, etc. There's a garbage patch floating in the ocean twice the size of Texas. Humans' trash and plastic use is a crisis, but there are easy ways to cut back.

1. Reusable everything

One big problem is that plastic is often used once for something before being thrown in a landfill. For example, around 500 million straws are used in America daily. Common disposable items are often available in more permanent forms. Reusable steel straws are inexpensive, and reusable water filters and bottles end up saving you money by not buying single use plastic bottles. There are also alternatives to plastic wrap and sandwich bags, and many grocery stores sell reusable bags.

2. Digitize.

Eliminate the amount of paper you consume. Switch to online banking, pay bills online, submit papers online. Buying movies or CDs online also reduces the use of plastic.

3. Shop local.

A big issue in the food industry is packaging waste. People like to think their food hasn't been touched, and the convenience of buying things pre-sliced leads to massive amounts of plastic containers and wrap. Shopping at farmers markets is a great way to not only give back to your local community, but you can bring your own reusable bags and eliminate the issue.

4. Know your recycling.

Not everything, unfortunately, is recyclable. Plastic grocery bags should not be put in normal bins, but instead returned to the ones outside of grocery stores. And make sure your plastic is clean before recycling it, because even ONE piece of plastic with food still in it can ruin an entire batch, causing it all to end up as trash in a landfill.

Living green is not always easy. Sometimes it just seems (and is) so much simpler to grab a bottled water or simply throw away plastic containers. But every little bit makes a huge difference to the earth, and at the end of the day it's everybody's home. Let's protect it!