We all contribute in some form or fashion to damaging our environment.

But each of us can help lessen the impact by making just a few simple lifestyle changes. 10 can get you started in the right direction.

First off, skip on the bottled water. The average American drinks 22 gallons of water from these bottles each year, and 90 percent of those bottles end up in the landfill. Reuse bottles when you can.

Another way to be green is to go bag less. A family can acquire up to 60 plastic bags per week, and those bags are not recyclable. Instead, check the store for a plastic bag recycle bin, or try re-usable bags that you use each trip to the store.

A third tip: buy local. Most grocery store items are shipped at least 1500 miles. buying locally produced items reduces the amount of carbon emissions used in transporting them to you.

Next, just unplug it. Anything that still glows once you turn it off is still zapping energy in your house. Try unplugging paper shredders and your computer to save some energy.

And go green by loading up the washer. A family of four averages 540 loads of laundry per year; that's 21,000 gallons of water. Wash when you have full loads and wash on cold when you can.

We'll have 5 more tips Tuesday night on 27 NEWS FIRST at 11.