Around Earth Day you may hear more talk than usual about saving our planet, but making those smart and sometimes challenging choices every day is what's going to get the job done. Simply put, actions speak louder than words.

The good news is that even small steps can make a difference. Here are 10 ways to show the earth you care during Earth Month and beyond:

1. Switch to organics. Organic agriculture limits input of toxic and persistent chemicals in the air, soil and water. Choosing organic supports farmers and producers who believe in good health, quality foods and earth-friendly sustainable agricultural practices. And that's good for everyone, from the farm worker to the planet to your family — and for future generations too. Want to know more? Here are the top ten reasons to go organic!
2. Shop thoughtfully. Choose products from companies and businesses that do things to support the health of the planet. Recognize the power of your dollar and your choices. You can learn about a few of our many awesome vendors through our supplier stories blog series.
3. “Green” your cleaning. Read the labels to see what the products we carry don’t contain and use Eco-Scale™ ratings to make the best choice for you.
4. Choose how “green” you want to go.
5. Cold washing. Reduce energy usage by roughly 80% using cold water when you wash your clothes.
6. Bright idea! Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) last longer than standard bulbs and save energy too.
7. Shop bulk. Save packaging on groceries like grains, beans, cereals, pasta and snacks by buying them from our bulk bins. Don’t get confused — we buy in bulk and you buy as much or as little as you need. That way you save money and there’s no wasted food.
8. Bring a bag. Remember your reusable bags to save from using paper bags and you’ll get a little discount at checkout, too. But don’t just use reusable bags for grocery shopping; take them to the mall, the hardware store, really anywhere you shop for stuff. Reusing bags is an eco-nomical thing to do!
9. Clean face, clean body, clean hands. Our Premium Body Care® seal is on products that meet strict standards for quality sourcing, environmental impact, results and safety. With standards that prohibit more than 400 unacceptable ingredients, Premium Body Care allows you to be good to your whole body and the whole earth.
10. Recycle and buy recycled. Keep a recycling bin in your home as a reminder to recycle. Close the loop by buying products made from or packaged in recycled material! Preserve’s Gimme 5 program that takes in difficult-to-recycle #5 plastic, is a great example of this in action.
11. Bring it. Your lunch and your water bottle, that is. Reduce single-use packaging waste by toting reusable containers.

Of course, there are plenty more ways to show you care. How do you demonstrate your love for the planet on a daily basis?