ArcaMax

Help keep backyard birds healthy by cleaning feeders every two weeks, or weekly if the weather has been rainy. If you spot mold, damp seed or sick birds, clean the feeder immediately. For hummingbird and jelly feeders, replace nectar every three to five days, or every one to two days in hot weather, and wash feeders weekly with hot water. You ...Read more

When shopping for bedsheets, opt for white over colored to reduce potential chemical exposure. Colored fabrics typically require synthetic dyes and chemical fixatives to help colors adhere and resist fading, while undyed white fabrics skip the dyeing process. Want to do even better? Choose white organic cotton sheets, which are made without most...Read more

Before tossing hard-to-recycle odds and ends into the trash, check out Staples. Its U.S. stores accept a surprising range of items for free recycling, including pens, markers, highlighters, crayons, CDs, DVDs, flash drives, old cords, empty glue sticks, binders, backpacks and even AirTag trackers and Apple Pencil accessories. You can also bring ...Read more

Fall is the perfect time to give your home a breath of fresh air before the windows stay closed for winter. Open them for five to 10 minutes to flush out stale air, lower indoor CO2 levels and clear cooking smells and everyday odors from pets or cleaning products. A quick burst of fresh air can temporarily reduce airborne volatile organic ...Read more

Food delivery often comes with a mountain of single-use containers, but aluminum takeout trays may be recyclable. Just scrape away food scraps, give them a quick rinse, and check your local recycling guidelines. The key thing is to crumple smaller pieces of aluminum into a ball at least the size of a tennis ball so they don't get lost during ...Read more

Today, many new cars contain smart glass: car windshields and windows that have integrated SPF to help block the sun's harmful rays. But many older cars do not have this feature, which means people who spend a significant amount of time in those cars can get sunburned or worse from the sun's rays permeating the cars' glass. Instead of replacing ...Read more

When choosing paint to use indoors, look for semi-gloss or satin finish instead of flat paint. The slight sheen helps reflect more light off the walls from light fixtures, so you can use fewer lights and lower-wattage bulbs to save energy. When buying paint, you can avoid overbuying by using an online paint calculator to help you purchase the ...Read more

Even if you're not in the market to adopt a pet from your local animal shelter, your virtual browsing for adoptable cats and dogs can help them find homes. When you find amazing pets, share and like their images on your social media channels. Connecting adoptable pets to your friends and followers by sharing their images can help them go viral ...Read more

A creaky door usually means reaching for a petroleum-based lubricant to spray inside and all over hinges to stop the annoying noise. But you don't have to use a nonrenewable chemical product to help hinges move with ease. Try food-grade mineral oil (from the pharmacy) or even a few drops of tea tree oil instead. They are made from renewable ...Read more

Even when they're unlit, scented candles can release small amounts of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and fragrance chemicals into the air, especially when left exposed in a warm room. If you love the scent but aren't burning the candle, keep it covered with its lid or store it in a closed container to help contain the fragrance. For an even ...Read more

Before buying new sporting equipment, check out Play It Again Sports, a resale retailer specializing in used gear for activities ranging from baseball and basketball to golf, hockey and cycling. Buying pre-owned equipment gives perfectly good items a second life, keeps usable materials out of landfills and can save you money in the process. You ...Read more

With the holiday season approaching, add one more request to your party invitation: Bring a reusable container. At the end of the gathering, guests can pack up extra appetizers, desserts and other leftovers to enjoy later instead of letting good food go to waste. Between Thanksgiving and New Year's, an estimated 1 million additional tons of food...Read more

The next time you use an app to order food, make a few simple choices to reduce waste. Look for restaurants offering reusable takeout containers through services like DeliverZero (on the DoorDash app), which uses reusable containers that you return within the required time frame. Skip disposable utensils, extra napkins and condiment packets you ...Read more

If you wear disposable contact lenses, never flush them down the toilet or rinse them down the sink. These tiny plastic lenses can pass through wastewater treatment systems and contribute to microplastic pollution in waterways. Instead, place used lenses in the trash, following the manufacturer's disposal instructions. Even better, ask your eye-...Read more

Winter utility bills can keep you up at night, but lowering your thermostat at bedtime may help in more ways than one. The National Sleep Foundation has traditionally recommended a bedroom temperature of 60 to 67 degrees Fahrenheit for comfortable sleep, although the ideal temperature varies from person to person. Turning down the heat while you...Read more

Before tossing beauty products that didn't work out or have passed their expiration date, consider whether they can be repurposed. A thoroughly cleaned mascara wand makes a handy tool for scrubbing dirt from jewelry settings and watch links. Unwanted nail polish can add a pop of color to the stems of wineglasses, giving them a personalized touch...Read more

Before tossing an empty chip bag, candy wrapper or juice pouch, tear it completely open down both sides so it lays flat. Small animals -- including birds, squirrels, raccoons and skunks -- can be attracted to crumbs and food odors left inside. If they stick their heads into an unopened package, their neck or face can become trapped, potentially ...Read more

Before buying a brand-new pair of shoes, check a thrift store, resale site or consignment shop for a pre-owned pair. Manufacturing a new pair of shoes can generate roughly 13 to 35 kilograms of CO2e, depending on the materials and construction. Buying secondhand extends the life of shoes that have already been made and avoids the emissions ...Read more

The next time you grab a coffee to go, consider leaving the plastic lid behind. Studies have found that heat can increase the release of microplastics from some disposable plastic beverage container lids. Instead, let your coffee cool slightly and drink it without the lid, or bring a reusable cup with a stainless-steel lid. Many coffee shops now...Read more

Plastic containers of lighter fluid and motor oil are often stamped with a No. 2 recycling symbol. While No. 2 is a commonly recycled variety of plastic, these containers are not. The reason is simple: Plastic containers that once held flammable liquids like these are not recyclable. The residual oil inside can ignite during processing, and it ...Read more