Millions of people around the globe are trying to lose a few pounds, squeeze into their "goal jeans" and shrink their waists. And while losing weight can be beneficial to the health of many, I think we as a culture are far more focused on the wrong waist.

The truth is that our planet is crumpling under the stress of humanity, and we have both the power and responsibility to take better care of the world we all inhabit. There are many things we can do to help, and I'll highlight five simple ways that we can all reduce our waste and better our planet.

1. Alternate transportation

Using public transportation, walking, biking and carpooling are all great ways to reduce CO2 emissions and save money in the process. Reducing our carbon footprints really is as simple as taking it one step at a time.

2. Pre-owned goods

I love that thrifting has become trendy in recent years. It has become popular to purchase used clothing, and there are many other things that we rarely need to buy new, including books, tools, houses, cars, jewelry, electronics, artwork and even pets. There is plethora of stuff and it benefits the economy, our wallets and the planet to purchase what we can pre-owned. Plus, we can save the lives of thousands of helpless animals when we adopt our pets!

3. Reduced animal product consumption

Animal agriculture is the single biggest cause of greenhouse gas emissions. It takes 25,000 gallons of water to produce one pound of meat, whereas to produce the same amount of wheat it takes only 25 gallons. The majority of corn and oats produced on the planet are fed to cattle; if we redistributed the amount of food that is currently being produced on earth, we could feed over 8 billion people.

We could solve world hunger.This is so important.

There is really no need for animal product consumption today, and some significant research shows that cutting these products out is likely good for our health as well. It is easy to cut out or simply reduce the amount of meat, eggs and dairy we consume on a daily basis. Every small choice makes a difference.

Find out more about reducing animal product consumption here.

4. Reusable Bags/Containers

This is probably the most well-known waste-reducing tip, but it is worth highlighting here because it really does make a difference. A single person can easily come home with a dozen plastic bags from a trip to the grocery store. Using our own reusable bags can greatly reduce paper and plastic waste. We can also use reusable produce, bulk and Ziploc bags.

Additionally, we can use reusable water bottles, thermoses and even take-out containers. Styrofoam does not decompose, instead it just fills up landfills, which is pretty foul. There will always be some waste, but we can all make an impact in reducing the amount of garbage that exists.

5. Recycled Gift Wrap

We throw away newspaper and paper products all the time, and we also wrap presents all the time; I think this is a great opportunity to reduce our waste, get creative and save a few bucks.

It seems like we often picture tree-hugging hippies when we think of the people who discuss and care about the environment. But really, we all want to be more concerned citizens of this planet, and reducing our waste is an important step in taking care of our beautiful earth.