Recycling so easy, I do not see any reason not to get involved in it. Most cities supply bins for recycling and make it super convenient.

just a random thing I found out
in one place they make people pay for every bag of garbage they have so the people recycle a lot more

13 WAYS TO HELP THE PLANET, NOT JUST RECYCLE:
1. Support local farmers.

No matter where you're going to school, there's a local food market or store for you to buy food from. It may not be open every day of the week, or be the most nicest, air-conditioned place around, but when you're buying food from there, you can be assured of several things which are not only good for you but also good for the environment. First, produce you find at a local market helps the environment because it was not transported over a long trip in a big truck. Buying locally saves on transportation of produce which means less icky carbon gases which are building up in our atmosphere.

That right there is enough of a reason to find a local supplier. Second, you can bet that the produce you buy from a local farmer is organic, which means it wasn't grown with genetically enhanced hormones - you're getting the real deal, not a franken-fruit. While your local big supermarket may also carry some local produce, chances are it's shipping that in from a large corporate supplier that's farther away. Do you're bit by locating local food and organic product suppliers in your area. Just make sure you know the difference between what's organic and what's locally-grown organic.

2. Walk, ride a bike, or take the bus.

So if you really want to do something good for the environment, something that's going to have a big impact? If that is the case, you better be prepared to give up something big. More and more every day people are talking about how they want to do something to better the environment. The problem is most of them just talk and fail to take any action. A really powerful way to do a lot for your beloved earth is to stop driving your car everywhere.

I'm serious! We've become a world of not only an increasing population, but of the same population that cares more about our automobiles than we do our own planet. Everywhere we go, we gotta drive, even if it's just down the street. Nonsense! Any wonder why America has also become so obese? It's because no one takes a walk or rides a bike anymore. If you're going to college, chances are you live in a cute little town or city where you can get around without a car. There's probably a bus or a train nearby as well, right? If you live out in the middle of nowhere, then obviously it's going to be a little harder. Try to carpool with friends or start a service yourself to help lessen the amount of gasses you're throwing in the air.

3. Save water.

People usually balk at the idea that saving water actually helps the environment; these people are just naive and don't realize the powerful impact water usage has on the world. For starters, water is nature's building block of life and must be consumed by everything on the planet in order for survival. So, just so were on the same page, EVERY living being, whether animal or plant, needs water. That's one hell of a demand. Because of this demand, we use more clean water than we actually have, and constantly need to "recycle"water through water treatment facilities in order to have enough.

These treatment plants need energy in order to run, so the more water we waste and throw away, the more water we have to treat and the more energy we have to produce (and producing energy puts a strain on the environment). So, in order to save water, try practicing things like installing low flow shower heads and toilets in your place of residents, taking shorter showers and not letting the water run while brushing your teeth. Try to reuse water bottles (that tap water you've been scared into not drinking isn't as bad as you've been led to believe).

4. Install solar panels, inverters, and reverse meters.

Solar panels may have been a thing of the future a few years back, but the idea of using them as an alternative source of power is becoming more and more of a reality. To begin using solar power, you must first learn about what things can actually run off this type of power efficiently (some appliances and power systems are simply not efficient enough to use solar energy). Incorporating photovaltraic panels into your building's construction be provide additional renewable energy to your home while taking the burden off of the power grid.

Inverters and reverse meters can also be used to flow excess energy back to the grid for later consumption. While this may be a little out of your power if you're a student living in a dorm or apartment building, that doesn't mean you can't do something about it; you just need to think outside of the box a little bit. The government gives great tax benefits to those who install solar panels into their buildings; with a little push from the students, there's no telling what could be done to get people in your community to put this renewable energy source in place.

5. Save electricity.

So saving electricity means saving the environment? Yes dummy! Here's how the whole thing works: the electricity you use everyday doesn't come from some magical place. It has to be produced some how, and that somehow is usually in the form of coal burning or nuclear power plant. The gases that are released from these plants are a big no-no for the atmosphere. Plus, it's something we pay for every month, and everyone loves saving money. Saving electricity is one of the easier ways you can help save the environment because it usually just requires the flip of a switch.

Every single appliance in your house is responsible for energy consumption, so the longer you leave them running, the more pollution you are creating. Only turn the lights on in rooms where you actually need them; the same goes for the television and computer. There's no reason you need to have the television on all day every day (unless you're really lonely and use a TV as a stand in friend). In addition, purchasing Energy Star rated appliances and using compact fluorescent light bulbs are great ways you can save electricity and lesson your strain on the environment.

6. Choose greener power

Most people wander through their days not thinking about (or even caring about) where their energy is coming from. Believe it or not, there are different kinds of energy that you can buy to power your home; again, energy doesn't come from some magical place like some people believe. A large percentage of the population just buys their electricity through a large coal or nuclear plant, usually through the city or municipality that you live in. However, this is no the be all end all when it comes to purchasing power.

Other, more renewable sources of energy can be had as well, including wind, bioenergy, geothermal, solar, and hydroelectric. Buy using these renewable energy resources, you'll be doing a huge service to the environment by contributing less pollutants that make up harsh environmental concerns like acid rain, smog, and carbon dioxide emissions. Options for using cleaner energy can vary by state and usually are more expensive; ask your energy provider what options you have.

7. Recycle.

C' mon folks, we all should be doing this anyway! Stand recycling right next to turning off the lights as an easy method for helping out the environment. Not only is is easy, but it's something you can start doing immediately. Landfills everywhere have organized systems in place to recycle everything from paper and cardboard to plastic and bottles. Think of how much waste you accumulate everyday, and of how much of that waste could be recycled.

It's sickening to think that everyday we bury trash - there's only so much room and eventually were going to run out. It may take a little time out of your day to separate your trash, a little extra space to store it, and even some effort to get it to the proper recycling centers, but you'll be doing it for a great reason. Check with your local municipality to see what they are doing to promote recycling in your area. Also, make sure your purchasing recycled materials as well. Just look for the universal recycling symbol the next time your out shopping.

8. Enjoy nature.

What's the point of saving the planet if you're not doing anything to enjoy it? Really, if you think all the things on this list seem a bit out there or unrealistic, it's probably because you sit around all day watching TV or playing video games. In order to take the environment seriously, you going to have to get off your butt and get some fresh air. There are a million different ways to enjoy nature; the simplest way is to just take a walk.

Live in a large city? Find a park, bring a book, and find a nice place in the shade. Feel the breeze, smell the air, and see with your own to eyes the beauty that is mother nature. Grab a friend or loved one and take a hike out in the woods. Travel around the world and visit some of the more obscure places you've never experienced (think Amazon jungle or the Caribbean). Once you get out and experience all that nature has to offer, you'll realize what you have been taking for granted all this time.

9. Plant trees.

If you weren't aware, trees actually consume the CO2 we oh so love to pump into the atmosphere every day. Planting trees can help in consuming some of these gases. However, even if we planted a zillion trees all over the place, that doesn't mean all of our problems are over. Helping out the environment is a collaborative effort of many of the different things listed here in this article.

Planting a few trees here and there combined with these other methods is just part of the experience. Trees also provide other benefits other than just sucking up those gases. To start, trees are an attractive part of the environment (who doesn't love foliage in the autumn?) Trees also provide homes for small animals, attracting other facets of nature's beauty. By planting trees, you'll also get some of that outdoor experience that is so important in learning and caring about the environment.

10. Use organic cleaning products.

Somethings you may have never thought of as having an impact on the environment are the chemicals you use every day to clean with. Those products that are stored underneath the kitchen sink eventually make their way into the air, water, and soil in one way or another. Unless you want to end up looking like a certain toxic avenger, you might want to think twice the next time you dump that mop water down the sink. While these products may be bad for the environment, we still have to get things clean and sanitized. Thankfully, there are many different organic products available for you to use.

Baking soda, alcohol, cornstarch and mineral oils are just some of the organic cleaning products you can use which will not cause any harm to the environment. If you are forced to use some of the more commercial cleaning products to get the job done, at least take some proper measures to ensure the proper disposal of these toxic products (contact your city or town for disposal techniques!)

11. Join or donate to an environmental organization.

So you want to help the earth out a little bit, but don't think you can do it alone. Not to fret, there are other budding Captain Planets out there to help you in your quest to become a hero and save the planet. As global warming continues to heat up as an issue, more and more people are becoming "green" and trying to help in any way they can. Believe it or not, it's now hip and cool to be doing all that you can to make the earth a better place.

Even if you can't do all the things possible to help clean the earth, you can donate time or money to organizations that will take care of it for you. The World Environmental Organization is one such group that can help you in locating volunteering efforts and features links to over 1000 different websites dedicated to the environment. If you can't leave the car at home or install solar panels to your house, the least you can do is help others in their own projects.

12. Convert your car to use alternative fuel.

Are you out of your mind? If saving the world means getting a little crazy, then yes. Whether you do an electric conversion or use biodiesal, converting cars to use alternative fuel is becoming a big up and coming trend among those interested in trying not to pollute the atmosphere. Much like other automotive sub-cultures like tuner clubs and muscle car enthusiasts, hardcore fans of alternative fuel are beginning to teach others how to do the same to their cars. Electric conversion is the more costly of the two, but it's definitely feasible to purchase electric motors and batteries and find tutorials on how to hook 'em up. Buy an older compact car, rip out the engine, throw an electric motor in and off you go. While this will save you gas money and stop pollution, many will argue that your still doing harm to the environment by replacing gas with electricity (which we learned earlier is still bad for the environment). The other route to take is using biodiesal. A few modifications to an existing diesel engine and some used vegetable oil is all you'll need to keep more money in your wallet and less carbon emissions in the skies.

13. Spread the word

The only way we'll ever be able to save the planet from utter and total destruction is to spread the word! Ignorance put our planet in a sticky situation in the first place; let's not let that continue on before it's to late. It's just as easy as picking up the phone and contacting your friends and family if that's what your contribution will be. Or, you could take it to the next level and start an organization in your area and help promote some of the concepts you learned about today. We live in a country that gives us the power to speak out to our government officials and make changes to the world around us - let's begin using that power and make things happen. You can spend the rest of your like being ignorant and not caring about your environment and be just another careless soul without a heart; or, you can start spreading the word and helping out whenever and wherever you can, and in the process become a hero by showing the word that you actually care about this big ball of land and water that we call earth - and the place you call home. So get on your bike today and go make it happen!

yeah, my family recycles

My family is starting to recylce more, whci i'm very greatful for!