Earth is a beautiful, bustling planet filled with an abundance of opportunities and developments. With so many animals, plants and other organisms coexisting with us humans, why not keep the planet clean and in shape? Unfortunately, our home isn't getting the love it deserves and is instead shutting down more and more at a rate that is almost impossible to keep up with. Plastic and garbage are ending up in the oceans and harming marine life, cars and companies are polluting our air and atmosphere, etc. With such busy daily lives and constant development, our precious home is losing all of its glory and it's up to us to reverse what we've done.

The reality of this situation is that while the earth needs some serious help returning to its glory, not enough of us are acting on it to make a real impact. Sustainability is the key here and all it requires are minor lifestyle changes and consciousness of what products and materials you're bringing into your home. Two major factors greatly affecting how the earth is changing include plastics, especially non-recyclable or non-biodegradable, and fast fashion. There are many more areas that I could touch upon, but this time I've only chosen to cover these two because they are the easiest to start fixing right now.

Plastic is one of the most used materials in the production of items we buy as consumers every day. It's used in most phone cases, food and item packaging, housing, toys, and other materials. We throw it out when we're done with it, but it doesn't really go away. Instead, it gets tangled up further in the environment and, in most cases, animals choke on it or get harmed by it (especially by plastic straws). Plants and animals didn't ask for plastic to end up in their environments and systems so we don't have to give it to them.

So, what can be done to keep plastic from further harming the environment? You can always start by investing in reusable cups, straws, and silverware as these are the items most often thrown away and wasted. Going to Starbucks? Only accept the drink in your reusable cup. Going to the store? Say no to plastic shopping bags and come in equipped with your canvas or knitted bags. Changes as simple as these make a huge difference in how we're impacting the planet in a positive way, rather than in a negative way.

Believe it or not, a lot of clothing production is also very harmful to the planet. For example, polyester clothing lets off fibers when washed that find their way through sewage lines and become part of the plastic and materials harming marine life, cotton production uses a lot of water and thus takes away from countries that don't have water as easily accessible, and clothing that ends up thrown away and in landfills allows its dyes and chemicals to seep into the ground. Sure, this all sounds daunting but there are still simple solutions for this until companies wake up to the horrifying realization. As consumers, you can simply, well, not consume as much. Buying new constantly only promotes the fast fashion creating these harmful events, so you would be better off either loving what you have for a long time or doing some research on companies that sell sustainable clothing or make it from recycled materials. Another option is to buy and donate from thrift stores and showing pre-loved items more love rather than submitting to being wasteful.

Wanting to do good for the environment can seem stressful or like a huge lifestyle change, and while that may be true in some cases, it's really not all that bad. Every little effort counts, even if it's just saying no to plastic. I hope that this article raised more awareness for you and maybe even inspired you to try tweaking your actions just a little and to spread more awareness to others in your life. Our planet is on a downhill slope and we need to make these changes before we no longer have a liveable home. I can't stress the importance of sustainability enough and I hope you can do whatever it takes to bring the world back to what it was.