When it comes to being a steward for Mother Earth, doing your part to change some long sown habits and influence the behavior of your neighbors can seem intimidating, but focusing on the big picture brings personal goals within reach. Instead of simply writing down “recycle more” or “live more green,” make a resolution to do what makes sense for a sustainable planet, and live with the intention to do right by it. Walk down a greener path in 2017 and consider these 5 environmental intentions to get started: Read up on environmental news If today’s most pressing issues don’t directly affect your day to day lifestyle, sustainability can be a topic that feels very out of sight, out of mind. Being more cognizant of the scope and scale of the world’s environmental challenges by reading up and creating dialogues within your community will help you set intentions. Connect with your food The demand for perfect-looking produce, pre-packaged items and inexpensive meats creates food waste, excess packaging waste, greenhouse emissions, damage to farming ecosystems, and a general disconnect between us and what we put in our bodies. Being more mindful of what food is for (sustenance and keeping us healthy) may inspire you to shop local, buy less at a time and learn to cook from scratch. Give your time and/or money to a cause With the resources, anything is possible. Donating your time or your money to a cause you believe in has an immediate impact and raises awareness of the issues to the people around you. TerraCycle’s recycling programs present a unique opportunity to dedicate your time to recycling and raise money for the charity of your choice.  Focus on investing in items with maximum reuse potential The post-holiday clearance sales are a popular time for people to update their wardrobe or stock up on housewares for the New Year, but be wary of trends. Reuse is one of the first steps in reducing your carbon footprint, and investing in quality items you enjoy and plan on using for long time is a way to streamline your consumption. Learn how to recycle right Recycling more does not equal throwing all of your household plastics in one bin and hoping for the best. Many municipalities have resources available that will tell you exactly what is accepted through curbside recycling, and any guidelines for recycling them correctly. For items that fall outside this scope, there are private recycling companies, TerraCycle’s free recycling programs and custom Zero Waste Box solutions, which enable you to recycle hundreds of different waste streams that are not accepted municipally.