God gave us this big beautiful planet, but we aren't always very nice to it. What can we do to keep our planet healthy?

1. Cut the plastic.

Stop with all of the disposable plastic products. Just stop. We are so wasteful. We use plastic forks and spoons once and they are in landfills forever. And the plastic water bottles. Half the time, we don't even drink the entire bottle!

There are some really simple solutions to this one: keep a metal fork and spoon with you, in your car, at your desk, in your office, at school, or at your place of work, and do your part by taking that extra few minutes just to wash it every day. As for the water bottles, spend the few dollars to buy a few hard plastic or glass reusable bottles and reuse them every day! (Plus, they are much cuter and will save you plenty of money. BONUS!) Avoid the plastic at all costs. Make it your goal. Make it like a game if that helps you. But think about how much less plastic will be left on the earth just from your contribution and work. A lot, that's how much.

2. Crush it

If you are throwing something in the garbage, crush it first. It's so simple, but very effective in taking up less space in landfills. And hey, maybe it even lets out a little anger!

3. Think before you buy

Do you really need what you are buying? If so, is there a better way you could be buying it?

For example, is the candy you are buying individually wrapped pieces? Will it lead to a lot more garbage than necessary? Can you buy the better option and keep buying the better option every time?

4. Make use of everything

Find a use for everything that you have, and if you have no use for it, give it to someone who does. We have too much and we are constantly making more and creating clutter that we do not need.

5. Recycle. Make it the norm.

Recycle everything that you can. Go out of your way to recycle. Take the bottle home if there is no bin around. But don't stop there. Take it upon yourself to get others recycling too. Take a recycling bin to work, school, anywhere you frequently go and recycling does not frequently take place. Then empty the bin when it is full. Make it your responsibility.

Every little thing that you do makes a difference, and it adds up. Think about how much of a difference you will make over time if you are conscious of every one of these aspects in your life. Think of how much you will keep from resting forever in a landfill, how much you will keep others from putting into a landfill, how many animals you will protect, and how much better you will preserve the earth for genertions to come. You can make a difference, so do it.