Small things you do in your life can have a big impact on the environment. There’s a reason why you hear reduce, reuse, and recycle repeated over and over when talking about the environment. It’s because these things work, and if we all do our part we can make a big difference.

Reducing:

Do you have a large family, or do you have plenty of storage space? Buy the case online. Don’t see how this helps? If you make one large purchase, it only ships once. That conserves fuel and cuts down on energy use.

Reusing:

When you go on trips (it is summer vacation, after all), do you buy sample bottles of things like shampoo and then throw them away? Save those bottles – or buy your own small ones – and buy shampoos in a larger size. You can refill the bottles any time you need them, and they won’t take up much space in your bathroom cabinet. Matrix Biolage Hydrating Shampoo comes in a 33.8 oz bottle, for example. You’ll save money that way, too: Typically, larger sizes cost less per ounce.

Recycling:

Do you have a junk drawer, filled with old cell phones and discarded electronics? I know I do. I didn’t know what to do with them, so I just stuffed them away and forgot about them. Throwing them out can mean leaching potentially toxic materials into landfills, so that was out, of course. I came across the drawer not too long ago, and stared at it in dismay. If I didn’t do something about these things soon, I was going to need another drawer to hold them all. I did some research and found Gazelle.com and SecureTradeIn.com, where you can sell your old cellphones and electronics.

You can also donate your old cell phones to charity:

• cellphonesforsoldiers.com
You can give your old cell phone to U.S. military personnel serving overseas and they can use them to call their families back home. That’s got to make you feel good. I donated my old cell phone to them.
• Collectivegood
They donate part of the money they receive from recycling your phone to the charity of your choice. One of their charities is the United Way, whose main focus is on resolving community issues. They tend to concentrate on education, income and health.

There are other ways to recycle, as well. Do you have any ideas for me? What are some ways you reduce, reuse, or recycle in your life? Let me know on Twitter, Facebook, or leave me a comment here on the blog.