Did you know there are over 5.25 trillion pieces of plastic waste floating in the ocean? This is according to Naturally Geographic, and you’d be surprised to learn that 80% of that waste comes from land activity. A large amount of single-use plastic like straws, cups, water bottles and plastic bags ends up dumped in oceans. In fact, there are ocean patches full of garbage that are larger than the state of Texas. There is no guarantee that plastic placed in recycling bins will be recycled, so do this: Avoid as much single-use plastic as possible.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Are you throwing a huge event like an anniversary celebration, wedding or birthday party that will have a lot of beautiful floral arrangements? You can give those bouquets and centerpieces a new life with the organization Repeat Roses. The group picks up your arrangements, recycles the fresh flowers into smaller bouquets, then delivers them to hospitals, nursing homes and shelters. And after these second-life flowers wilt, Repeat Roses picks up and composts them to keep them out of landfills. To learn more, visit repeatroses.com.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Did you know nearly 50% of the CO2 emissions from hotels comes from heating and cooling the rooms? Many hotel chains now require a key card to be inserted into a dock inside the room to activate the electricity. Some social media hacks show how to bypass this so the room will be running air conditioning or heating all day long (even if you’re away), but avoid this. Help reduce CO2 emissions by turning power off in your hotel room when you’re gone and using it only when you’re in the room.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION