What if there was one small thing you could do each day to make the world a better place? Newsflash ... there is.

Anybody remember the episode of Seinfeld where Kramer is observing a surgery and drops a Junior Mint into the guy's body cavity? It was funny because it was so obviously outlandish -- of course doctors would notice if something was left in the body that shouldn't be there. Of course they would remove it before sewing the body shut, right?

Perhaps not.

Medical litter has become a major problem, with 72 deaths and 4675 injuries occurring due to "unretrieved device fragments" known as UDFs. Most often the problem has to do with wire guides for catheters used for heart operations -- they can break or fracture and the device (or fragments) are left behind. Bone screws are a problem as well, but there are other, less common issues, such as needles and scalpel blades being left behind. And often, even if the doctor is aware of the problem, the patient is not informed.

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Got some get-up-and-go this morning? Great. Now put on those running shoes, strap on your iPod, and do whatever it is you do to prep for your fancy fitness routine. Whatever you do, just make sure you do it outdoors -- and with a trash bag.

You are about to embark on an eco-running journey. The concept, started by Samuel Huber of Milwaukee, is simple: Just hang on to that bag and pick up any trash you encounter along your exercise route. Huber wants runners to combine their passion -- running -- with a purpose -- cleaning up the environment. He's sure it will make a difference. According to treehugger.com, studies show that by cleaning up an area you remove the incentive to contribute to its mess.

If you're not a runner, have no fear. You can still pick up litter while you walk, rollerblade, skateboard, or hike. Use your imagination. Just don't forget the trash bag.

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One Small Step is our attempt to show you all how easy it can be to improve your health, and the health of the planet. Each week, we'll take one more little step and encourage you to take it with us. This week, I'm taking a cue from my four-year-old and commiting to:

Pick up one extra piece of litter every day.

I live on a busy street, and as soon as my oldest son had gathered a repertoire of 10 words, he'd learned "whassat?" Naturally, his attention was drawn to the variety of delightful shiny colorful litter that decorated our sidewalk and we encountered on our daily walks. "Whassat?" he'd say, and I'd wonder if I could just say, "a culture of disrespect." But he saw it otherwise. Can you even imagine something so beautiful as a Gummy Lifesavers wrapper? An empty soda can?

He wanted to pick up these beauties, and though I wanted to rant and rail on the uncaring "neighbors" who left their trash behind, I had a minor flash of brilliance: I'll teach him to do his small part to make our world better. Every time he'd ask about a brightly-colored foil wrapper, I'd explain that it was garbage, and we'd make a game of searching for a place to put it.