This is nothing new, but now is the best time to be more mindful of your sustainability choices.

The world we live in is a fragile one and needs lots of love, care and support. And every decision that we make has a real-life impact on the health of the planet.

While it feels overwhelming to try and actually make a real difference for the world we live in, it is the simple steps of us all as a collective that will help save the earth and regenerate it to be better than ever before.

Living sustainably is important for numerous factors. When we do so, we are able to enhance the quality of air, protect natural recourses, support growth, preserve nature and even slow climate change.

Yes, you read that last one correctly! If we all pitch in, there is still time to slow the impacts of climate change and actually make an impact. This is because we all as humans leave a carbon footprint that directly impacts the overall greenhouse gas emissions on the planet. And with less of a carbon footprint, there will be less greenhouse gas—which puts less stress on the planet and gives it more time to recover and rejuvenate.

So where to start though? It can often feel overwhelming to try and even start making an impact in such a big and crazy world. But we are here to guide you along the way and help show you that by simply taking a few small changes with your everyday decisions, you will be able to make a world of difference—literally.

Here are all the ways you can live more sustainably and play an important role in saving the planet.

Bring Your Own Bags
This one is both sustainable and economical. In many states, you will get charged a tax now if you need to use plastic bags from a grocery store or department store. And some places have even banned plastic bags altogether. But by bringing your own reusable shopping totes with you everywhere you go, you will be able to avoid needing plastic bags and also lessen the demand for more being produced.

Imagine if every single person used their own reusable shopping totes. Not only would there be no more need for plastic bags at all, but we would all become more conscious shoppers too.

Plastic bags are one of the most damaging things on the planet, specifically the ocean. In fact, they are a large contributor to marine life endangerment, with many animals getting entangled or swallowing the bags.

And with so many cute designs for reusable shopping totes, you will make way more of a fashion statement using your own anyway.

Ride a Bike, Carpool or Walk
While the way you get around is largely dependent on the location in which you live, transportation habits are a huge way to change your carbon footprint and how much more sustainable you can live. If you do need to drive around to get to work or drop off the kids at school, then you can get creative with a car. There are electric car options that are becoming more affordable and do not require gas-guzzling tanks. There is also the option to carpool so that you are helping to create less traffic and cars on the road.

But if you do live in a walkable city, consider riding a bike to get around. You don’t have the be a professional cyclist to enjoy that. Instead, you can get an electric bike that ensures you still get around in style and don’t get too sweaty. Of course, walking is another great option too. While it is certainly not the fastest, it does double as a great form of exercise that keeps you healthy.

Opt for Vegan Skincare Products
Another part of your day that you can make more sustainable is switching up the types of skincare products that you use. Using vegan skincare products will mean that you are using more environmentally friendly ingredients. You likely wash your face and put lotions and serums on twice a day. So by switching to a brand like Rael you can make a real impact on the planet. Brands like this also have environmentally friendly feminine products, which are both better for you and the planet too.

Research Your Medicine
This is often something that many people don’t think of, but if you buy clean medicine from Genexa you can easily live more sustainably. These types of medicine approach ingredients similarly to sustainable skincare products—where they only put ingredients in that are good for both the planet and your own health. Who knew that the way in which you dealt with a cold or sore throat could have such a real impact on the world.

Choose to Go Package Free
Whenever possible, choose items that are Package Free. Especially with Christmas just around the corner, we can all reduce the amount of packaging—many of which are likely plastic—by opting to purchase gifts that don’t come in any packaging. While this action seems pretty small, if every person did it with even just one or two Christmas presents, there would be a real impact on wastage.

Grow Your Own Food
Back in the day, our ancestors were hunter-gatherers who ate only what they found. While modern-day convenience has allowed us to shop in bulk and often get more than what we really need, an enriching way to live more sustainably is to grow your own food. You can do this by starting a garden in your backyard, where after a few weeks of care you will have budding herbs and vegetables. Not only will it be a fulfilling accomplishment, but it will help provide benefits for other living organisms, such as insects who live off of pollinating. The food you grow will also help reduce the overall demand of transporting vegetables in trucks—which has a huge impact on CO2 emissions. And if you simply don’t have a green thumb, then don’t worry. There are often community gardens that you can reap the same benefits from as well!

Travel Smartly
The way that we travel is changing and there are now ways that you can give back to the planet on your next holiday. From choosing to offset your carbon footprint of a flight by planting a tree or donating money to a company to do it on your behalf to spending time helping those in a local community near your hotel, the way in which you travel can really make a significant impact on the world. You can also choose to stay at green certified hotels and do activities with operators who make it known that their mission is to operate sustainably.

It is often the little decisions that we make on a day to day basis that can have a real impact. The same principle applies when it comes to saving the planet. If all of us make small adjustments to our daily behaviors and decisions, the world will become a much better place for future generations to live in. From how we travel to what we purchase, these small choices are powerful ones. What will you focus on doing to play a role in living more sustainably?