It seems as if every week, there's a new trending Instagram post about how crucial these next few decades are in relation to the lifespan of Earth. While it's definitely important to spread the word and let others know that this is a serious issue, is anyone really doing anything about it? Or are we all just reposting "Save the turtles" mindlessly?

Regardless, it's time we all get on the same page. Our planet needs some major TLC, and as human beings, it's our job to make sure it gets just that.

Every day, the US produces around 700,000 tons of garbage. That is nearly double what other highly-developed countries are producing. We need to start tracking our waste habits and conscientiously making a difference in the impact we have on our planet.

Let's start simple.

How many of us go to pick up our favorite coffee in the morning? Safe to say a decent chunk of working people and students rely on a coffee to start their day. Unless they're making it at home, they will be given a plastic cup and a plastic straw which in most cases ends up in the trash can. A major waste.

Instead of 1. using the drive-thru and using more gas, and 2. wasting plastic, there are two easy fixes to this. The first is to use a reusable cup. Starbucks advertises its hot and cold reusable cups for only $1. Each time you bring your cup to Starbucks, you will receive a $0.10 discount. Not only are you saving money, but you are saving the waste you would normally produce. Going to the shop and using this cup also eliminates even more gas pollution. Anyways, coffee shops are cute, so you should always go inside.

Aside from coffee, it's important to be using reusable water bottles throughout the day. This cuts back on plastic and paper cup waste and is honestly easier!

Heading to the store.

Plastic bags are another example of pointless waste. Why use a plastic shopping bag when we can use our own? Many stores offer tote shopping bags for sale to promote this. Simply replacing plastic bags would make a huge difference in one's impact on the planet.

Another way to be sustainable is by eating locally grown and seasonal products. Supporting big companies that use a lot of unnecessary packaging and means of producing is awful for our environment. Instead, purchase only what you know is grown and produced locally.

At home.

There are so many easy ways to be more sustainable at home. Start off by taking shorter showers. The average person uses around 20 gallons per shower. Reducing our shower length or installing a high-efficiency showerhead can help reduce the amount of water used, therefore reducing the energy used to heat and supply the water.

When choosing our meals, it's important to consider what we're eating and where we're eating from. Try as often as possible to cook homemade meals that are locally sourced. This ensures less waste and, this way, we know where our food is coming from since we bought it.

It's also beneficial to use reusable plates, cups, and silverware. Paper plates, cups, and plastic utensils are some of the biggest contributors to waste. Save the planet and use your own.

Getting around.

Being proactive about the carbon footprint we are leaving will help us in the long run! Instead of having multiple people drive to the same destination, carpool. This is preventing a lot more pollution from happening each ride you take together.

If you want to eliminate your carbon footprint even more, invest in a bike. Buy a secondhand bike and use that as your means of transportation! It's fun, saves the Earth, and gives you great legs!

No more paper!

Just by reading this article, you are contributing to a more sustainable Earth. Reducing the amount of paper waste we produce will save the trees and ultimately help us breathe. So, yeah, pretty important!

Following these 10 easy tricks may not happen all in one day. Even if you only successfully accomplish one of these tips, you are contributing to a cleaner and more sustainable Earth, and that's something to feel good about.