To really protect the planet we have to stop consuming so many resources and producing so much waste. If every person cut waste by only 5 percent, we could collectively "lose" more than 20 billion pounds of trash a year. Talk about a diet worth sticking to! Learn what else we can gain if we reduce.

• Environmental domino effect. Using less scales back manufacturing, which prevents pollution, helps curtail global warming and climate change, and protects air, water, and wildlife.

• Money in the bank. Using less leads to buying less, which leads to money that can be saved for retirement or spent on items with minimal eco-impact, like college tuition or extra mortgage payments.

• Less stuff, more fun. Buying less leaves more time to enjoy friends and family, explore the outdoors, read, listen to music, play, exercise, garden, learn a new skill or perfect an old one, resume a hobby, and simply get more out of life. Americans on average spend six hours each week shopping for goods that may not be necessary.