All over the world, people are celebrating Earth Day through charity events, festivals and implementing eco-friendly practices. Here are a few ways that you can give back to the earth today and every day.

1. Turn off the lights: Every time you leave the room, make sure the lights are turned off to save energy.

2. Recycle cans and bottles: There are recycling bins stationed all over campus. Place your bottles in these bins instead of trash.

3. Pick up litter: See a discarded Wendy’s bag floating around campus? Pick it up an throw it in the garbage.

4. Keep reusable shopping bags in your car: If they’re in your car, you will never worry about forgetting them at home. If you don’t have any, you can pick some up at any grocery store for about 99 cents. Some stores will even give you a small discount for bringing your own.

5. Change your bulbs: Change out your light bulbs to CFL bulbs to conserve energy.

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6. Shop locally and organically: By choosing local stores, you are helping boost the economy right in your own neighborhood. If you shop organically, you are putting pressure on farmers to grow crops in ways that are better for you and the earth.

7. Recycle your plastic bags: Participating Wal-Mart and Target stores will accept your old plastic grocery bags. Also, The Last Word, located next to IHop on the corner of W.T. Harris and Tryon will always take your bags.

8. Take a shorter shower: Do you really need to take 30 minutes to shower? Cut down your shower time, or skip your shower for the day. It is better for your hair and skin to shower every other day rather than every day.

9. Make a compost pile: Fruit and veggie scraps, egg shells and coffee grounds are all biodegradable. Return these items to earth and you will reduce land fill space as well as enrich the soil.

10. Bike or take public transportation to class or work: If you have a commute that is less than ten miles round trip, it is not out of the question to bike. Biking will give you more exercise as well as cut down your carbon emissions. If biking is not an option for you, take public transportation or carpool with a friend.

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11. Plant a tree: It will eventually turn into a nice, shady spot and enrich the air.

12. Unplug: Unplug chargers and devices when you are not using them to conserve power.