ArcaMax

Have you ever gone to check out at a retail chain like a drugstore and been given a receipt that feels like a mile-long waste of paper? The nonprofit organization Green America recently campaigned and convinced one of the largest chains –- CVS -- to give consumers the option to skip receipts and receive them digitally or not at all instead. ...Read more

Choosing fruit as a snack isn’t just healthy for you; it’s good for the planet, too. Many fruits grow on trees, which act as natural carbon sinks by pulling CO2 out of the atmosphere and storing it. Unlike annual crops that require replanting each season, fruit trees keep giving year after year, helping reduce soil erosion, supporting ...Read more

Ever tried cleaning your area rugs with fresh snow? It really works! On a very cold day with a few inches of clean, powdery snow, place your rug right on top of it. Use a broom to beat the surface (either side works) to loosen dust and dirt, then flip and repeat. The snow clings to debris while the freezing temperatures help kill dust mites and ...Read more

Do you enjoy feeding ducks and other waterfowl? Skip the bread -- it’s basically junk food for them, lacking essential nutrients and potentially causing digestive problems. A healthier option is thawed frozen peas, which are rich in niacin and similar to foods ducks naturally forage. Just remember to avoid canned peas, as they’re often ...Read more

It’s believed that people in the city of Los Angeles waste about 100 hours every year sitting in traffic, on average. Even worse than lost time, transportation is now the No. 1 source of carbon pollution in the United States, with much of it coming from cars and gridlock traffic. To cut down on traffic waste, avoid driving during peak hours ...Read more

When it comes to tissues, napkins and paper towels, what do you do with them after they’ve been used? The good news is that used paper products like napkins and towels are compostable; they just need to be layered as “brown” matter in a compost bin with “green” material like kitchen trimmings and grass clippings. But don’t forget the...Read more

Believe it or not, one of the most dangerous things your pet can eat isn’t a food at all: It’s the bag your favorite chips or snack foods come packaged in. When you’re done eating your BBQ potato chips, a few remnants of the snack remain in the bag. If you leave the bag where your dog can find it, they’ll naturally stick their head in. A...Read more

It's important to clean fruits and vegetables before you eat them, whether they are organic or conventionally grown. Just a quick wash under running water helps rinse away microorganisms that can make you sick; it also removes any residual chemicals or pesticides that may be on conventionally grown produce. But here's an important tip: Even if ...Read more

Fall is the best time to transform your lawn into an eco-friendly one. It all starts with spreading a thin layer of organic compost in areas that need the most TLC; just a 1/4-inch layer is enough to give a nutritional boost so it thrives in the spring. Then add grass seed and rake it into the compost mix. Also, use a lawnmower to break up ...Read more

Single-use coffee pods are one of the least sustainable ways to brew coffee -- most plastic pods can’t be recycled, instead ending up in landfills. But new innovations offer an eco-friendly alternative: all-aluminum pods. They work with your existing machine and are 100% recyclable, and since nearly 75% of all aluminum ever produced is still ...Read more

Did you tackle a little DIY project at home and now need to dispose of construction materials like drywall, bricks or roofing tiles? You probably can’t put them out with your regular trash. Here’s why: Construction debris is bulky and heavy, which can strain garbage trucks and landfill equipment. It can also pose safety risks, as old ...Read more

Many people like to hang a wreath on the door to decorate the front of the house. And many birds mistake wreaths for potential places to nest and call home. Since killing a bird that nests in your wreath is illegal in most communities, try this little trick: Embed some magnets inside the wreath. The natural magnetic field can be disruptive to ...Read more

Brown paper bags can be used for more than just packing a lunch. They are a fantastic item to have in the kitchen for a plastic-free and recyclable way to store produce items. Fresh mushrooms, potatoes and all types of berries and avocadoes thrive when stored in a paper bag. It protects them and allows them to breathe, all while the paper itself...Read more

If you see a houseplant with yellowing leaves, one of the most important things you should do is trim them off. Yellowing, almost-dead leaves won't revive and turn green again, so it's better to help the plant by removing them so it can dedicate all of its energy to generating new leaves. When you are done pruning, be sure to wipe the pruning ...Read more

Yes, paper coupons from the Sunday circular can be used to help those in need in your community. Clip them and check if local food banks, homeless shelters or senior centers can use them to save money or share with the people they serve. Just be sure the coupons aren’t expired, and allow enough time for recipients to use them.

ANDREWS MCMEEL ...Read more

Face painting is one of the many costume traditions of Halloween, but cosmetics sold at costume shops rarely come with a list of their ingredients, which could mean things like lead, arsenic and even mercury in your face paints. To avoid the possibility of spreading these chemicals on your kid's face, try this DIY solution: Use cornstarch, water...Read more

Instead of poisons or glue traps to keep field mice out of your home, try prevention to live in harmony with them. Use a flashlight outside your home at night to try to find small holes or cracks mice may find to enter. Plug those holes with steel wool or insulation; doing this not only prevents entry for mice, but it also helps insulate your ...Read more

Whether you're using ground turmeric, dried rosemary or fennel seeds, all the seasonings in your spice rack should be organic. Conventional dried herbs and spices are grown with chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Worse, they are often irradiated to kill bacteria. Organic herbs and spices, on the other hand, are cultivated without chemicals and...Read more

Putting brightly colored paper into the recycling bin is like tossing a red sock into a load of white clothes. Colored paper can contaminate paper recyclables and cause a whole batch to be thrown out. If you want to use reams of colored paper, avoid the deeply saturated or super-bright papers; instead, look for pastel sheets. Paper recycling ...Read more

An infestation of spiders, ants and beetles in your home during the winter months could be traced back to one source: firewood. Keeping firewood stacked up or in a basket by your indoor fireplace could be the source. With warmer temperatures inside your home, nesting insects inside the wood become active and flourish. Even keeping firewood by ...Read more