Each year at Don’t Trash AZ, we ask ourselves: how can we best care for the future environment of our state, our home?

There are many actions we can take in our daily lives to help protect our planet for generations to come.
To help spread the word, we’re sharing 50 ways you can make a positive impact on the environment and our home state of Arizona:

1. Don’t toss cigarette butts out the car window! Get yourself a travel ashtray to keep butts off our highways.
2. Recycle glass bottles and other approved items.
3. When transporting large items via car, truck or van, secure your load with tarps, nets or tie-downs.
4. Don’t toss food of any kind onto roadways.
5. Keep a trash bag in your car and dispose of litter properly when you get home.
6. Donate to organizations like Arizona’s Adopt-A-Highway! Volunteers remove litter off roads across the state.
7. Perform a litter cleanup in your neighborhood while staying a safe distance from others in the area.
8. Dispose of dirty diapers properly. They can take 500 years to decompose!
9. Borrow a book from a local library or share new ones with friends and family to avoid tossing them later.
10. See someone tossing litter from their vehicle? Call 1-877-3LITTER (877-354-8837) for the Arizona hotline.
11. Looking for environmentally friendly projects for your kids? Visit the Kids Lane Page.
12. Recycle cardboard and paper products.
13. Plant a tree.
14. Prevent food wrappers from flying out of your car window.
15. Utilize public transportation rather than driving, once it is safe again to do so.
16. Request a free travel trash bag from Don’t Trash Arizona. Sign up here.
17. Own a pick-up truck? Check the bed of your truck before you hit the road to ensure it’s free of trash or debris.
18. Pledge to try a new sustainable tip from this list!
19. Remember that biodegradable items like food can take years or weeks to decompose and potentially cause road hazards.
20. Donate old clothes.
21. Make the switch – purchase a reusable water bottle!
22. Start a fruit, vegetable or herb garden at home.
23. Protect wildlife from harm by not throwing food waste out of your car during road trips.
24. Love to hike? Take along a garbage bag and collect litter you see on the trails. Wear gloves and practice social distancing by hitting the trails when minimal people are around.
25. If you have rain gutters on your house, make sure to clean them out at least once a year. This prevents debris from building up in the long term and damaging your home, saving resources.
26. Stop using plastic straws.
27. There are 4 million residents in the Valley. Even a small piece of litter like a gum wrapper can create problems when multiplied.
28. Update the lights around your home with energy-efficient bulbs.
29. Replace dryer sheets with reusable, wool dryer balls.
30. Find out where you can recycle by visiting Recycling Resources.
31. Be mindful of how much electricity you use and review your electric company’s off-peak hours.
32. When something breaks, try to fix it first before replacing whenever possible.
33. Instead of buying gift wrapping paper, consider repurposing newspapers, posters, paper food bags or even cloth options like dishtowels.
34. Cut off the front of old holiday or birthday cards and repurpose them as gift tags or postcards.
35. Remember the most common littered items: small pieces of paper, fast food wrappers, beverage cans, Styrofoam, cardboard, plastic bottles, cigarette butts, tire parts, plastic bags & clothing.
36. Switch to paperless billing.
37. Pick up after your pet!
38. Maintain your vehicle. Tire treads and car parts can become hazardous road debris.
39. Reduce. Reuse. Recycle.
40. Take shorter showers.
41. Use a reusable grocery bag.
42. It costs Maricopa County taxpayers $4 million every year to clean up litter from freeways alone. Simply put, don’t litter!
43. Avoid using plasticware from takeout orders. Use your own flatware instead.
44. Don’t toss empty plastic water bottles, refill and reuse them. Then, recycle.
45. Support local businesses by purchasing produce from farmers in your community.
46. Try to clean with a cloth towel before using paper towels.
47. Reduce your carbon footprint by walking or riding your bicycle when possible, while making sure to keep a safe distance from others.
48. Save paper by only printing items when absolutely necessary.
49. Repair a leaky faucet to conserve water.
50. Cherish the Sonoran Desert and share photos showcasing Arizona’s beauty digitally via email and social media.

Together, let’s pledge to protect our environment year-round. Even from the comfort of your own home, your impact can go a long way toward making a difference. We hope this list inspires new habits to drive positive change for our planet and our home, Arizona. 

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