Do just one thing

PLASTIC ‘PODS’

Turns out those plastic “pods” for washing machines and dishwashers are not good for the environment. When water comes in contacts with pods, the plastic dissolves to release the detergent inside, and then the dissolved plastic goes down the drain. While a good percentage of that plastic does get captured by wastewater treatment plants, a lot of it still ends up in aquatic ecosystems. The best way to help is to avoid plastic-encased pods and stick with powdered alternatives that are plastic-free, including the paperboard box they are packaged in.

ECO-FRIENDLY BANDAGES

When you need a bandage to cover a cut, scrape or wound, look for eco-friendly alternatives to traditional ones. Conventional bandages are made with plastic, synthetic fibers, PVC and other materials that are not biodegradable or compostable. The good news is there are greener choices in the marketplace now that are made with biodegradable materials like bamboo fiber and coconut oil. Since bandages are meant to be single-use, this is a simple way you can green up your first-aid box.

POWERFUL CINNAMON

One of the most powerful spices that can be used for purposes other than cooking is cinnamon. To remove odors from the air in your home, boil a few sticks of cinnamon in water and let them simmer for about 30 minutes. The active ingredient in cinnamon -- cinnamaldehyde, which gives the spice its flavor and scent -- attaches to odor molecules in the air and naturally neutralizes them. Instead of masking the odor of last night’s burnt casserole, cinnamon actually helps to give your home the smell of pure clean, which is no scent at all.

PUMPS NOT RECYCLABLE

While many personal care products like shampoo, conditioner and body lotion come packaged in plastic containers that are easily recyclable (usually marked with a No. 1 or 2 on the bottom), the pumps that come with them are not. While the plastic pump may look and feel like the same type of plastic as the bottle, it’s actually made from a variety of materials. Different components made from different types of plastic and metal go into engineering the pumps, so they should always be removed and discarded before recycling the bottle in your curbside bins.

‘FAMILY-STYLE’ DINNER

To cut back on food waste at home, try doing a “family-style” dinner where you and your guests serve yourselves in the kitchen and bring your plate of food to the table. When we plate food at the dining table, we tend to overindulge and leave food on the plate. That food ends up in the trash instead of being saved for leftovers. With nearly 1.3 billion tons of food going to waste every year globally, small actions to cut back can go a long way to reduce landfill waste and save money, too.

CARRY LESS ON PLANE

Carrying less on the plane with you is an easy way to cut back your CO2 emissions. A 2018 study by Finnair Airlines found that if every passenger who flew on their plans reduced their luggage weight by a single kilogram (2.2 pounds), the amount of fuel saved would equal “20 flights between Helsinki and Tokyo.” And if the amount went up to 5 kilograms (a bit over 10 pounds) of less weight in luggage, a whopping 5% of the flight’s carbon footprint would be eliminated.

DON’T JUST TOSS FOOD SCRAPS

You may wonder what’s the harm in leaving a banana peel, orange peel or apple core in the woods or on the side of the road. It’s all-natural and biodegradable, so it’ll easily break down and be gone in a few days, right? Wrong. Because the environment these food scraps are being left in isn’t ideal for breaking them down, it can take up to two years for fruit peels, skins and cores to go away. Unlike tossing them into a compost bin, which has microbes to help them degrade, tossing these items on the roadside or into the woods is akin to littering, leaving them as eyesores and trash.