Are you the one who cares about the environment and wants to contribute towards saving the environment.

Caring for the environment is not just about plastic bags; it's about making everyday choices that will literally determine our success or failure as a species. And just by being conscious and taking small steps, we can work to reduce pollution, protect wildlife and conserve natural resources which can help slow the pace of climate change.

If you think that how your little effort can make a big change, remember that the big change takes place with small steps.

Here's a short list of relatively easy things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint, lead to more green actions, and start change on a broader scale. In addition, help you contribute towards sustainable living.

Carry your own bag

Plastic bags pose ecological problems. They take hundreds of years to decompose and pose a particular threat to wildlife. Hundreds of thousands of marine mammals die every year after mistaking plastic bags, which are laced with chemicals, for food. Many animals get entangled in plastic bags and suffocate.

A sound approach to retail bags is to decline them when your purchase is otherwise or carry your own bags.

Buy only what you will use

These costs can be substantially reduced by avoiding impulse buying and making a realistic assessment of need before making a purchase. When it comes to purchasing products, find sustainable alternatives with the smallest amount of packaging and the lowest possible carbon footprint and keep them in good condition.

Avoid investing in idle equipment

You waste money and the natural resources that go into producing them when you buy things you don't need on a regular basis.

Chose renting options from a specialty rental business or a home improvement store in case the equipment, tools, or party supplies that you need once in a great while are not available through friends.

For those items you already have in the tool shed that you don't regularly depend on, let friends and family know you are happy to share. Use block parties and everyday interactions to initiate a sharing culture in your neighborhood.

Donate used goods

Donation is a particularly positive alternative to throwing away used consumer goods in the trash. Give your used clothing, appliances, and furniture to people in need. In addition to the environmental benefits of giving these items a second life, you are also helping others.

Whenever possible, buy products that require less packaging

The waste landfills are bulked up with consumer product packaging. Containers and packaging make up the largest portion of municipal waste. Slightly more than a third gets recycled, but huge amounts end up in landfills. Packaging also adds significantly to both the cost and carbon footprint of consumer products.

Avoid disposable products

A great concern are the greenhouse gas emissions that result from these items manufacture and disposal. Store away a quantity of durable, bargain-priced dishes, flatware, and glassware for parties and picnics. Use cloth napkins, cloth diapers, cloth rags, rechargeable batteries, durable razors, and refillable coffee thermoses for take-out tea and coffee.

Break the bottle-water habit

Plastic bottles can take 450 years or more to decompose. So, yes, drink plenty of water for good health, but use a reusable water bottle or simply a glass as you pour water from your tap. Carry your own bottle for the outdoors.

Upcycle

Re-purpose items that still have life in them. The internet is full of crafty ideas for reusing waste materials, from high concept artistic statements -- like a chandelier from bicycle parts; an aquarium from an upright piano, or a pool table, from a classic car -- to simple DIY projects like turning plastic bottles into planters, wine bottle corks into bath mats, and various containers into toy organizers.

These kinds of reuses do not remove a large percentage of material from the waste stream, but, to the extent the re-imagined objects take the place of new purchases, they save energy, and reduce the greenhouse gas emissions required for their manufacture.

Give old electronics a new lease of life

If your TV, computer, cell phone or other consumer product containing electronics still works, give it to someone who can use it. There are non-profits that specialize in the charitable redistribution of computers and companies that refurbish electronics for resale. If your electronic device is no longer serviceable, there are many recyclers who are interested in the valuable metals it contains.

Recycle

Recycling preserves nature's resources, reduces pollution, and saves energy. Recycling involves sorting and cleaning waste to generate "secondary materials" - mainly glass, paper, metal and plastic that will be reused in products.

Make use of a clothesline

Your clothes dryer is one of the largest energy users in the home, and, for the average family emits over a ton of carbon a year. Air-drying can reduce the average household's carbon footprint by 2,400 pounds a year.

Many retail outlets sell racks and well-designed accessories for indoor drying. When you do use your dryer, use the setting that provides an automatic shut-off when your clothes are no longer damp. Use just enough energy to get the laundry dry. Be aware that you will lose energy if you add wet clothes to a load that is already partially dry.

What is your most frequent practice as a person who believes in sustainable living? Drop your reply in the comment.

Also, do your bit like and share with more people and create awareness.

Top posts straight to your inbox. Get Must Reads by signing up.

Like this column? Sign up to subscribe to email alerts and you'll never miss a post.