Recycling those aluminum sunscreen bottles is easy
If you apply sunscreen from a spray can, you might wonder if the bottle itself is recyclable when it’s empty. Good news: It is, and it’s easy. Spray sunscreen bottles are made from aluminum, which is a desired recyclable that is accepted by nearly every recycling program in the country. Just make sure the bottle is empty and remove the nozzle top, since it’s made from hard-to-recycle plastic. As for manual spray pump-style sunscreen bottles, the plastic bottle is recyclable, and the same rules apply: Remove the pump and components before recycling.
GIVE THE GARDEN A BOOST WITH OYSTER SHELLS
Do you enjoy oysters when you dine out? Take the shells home with you to give your garden a nutritional boost. Oyster shells are made from calcium carbonate, which is the same material found in chalk. It’s incredibly high in calcium, and plants love it. You can mix the shells into the soil whole or crush them up and rake into your garden. The shells can help aerate your soil to prevent compaction as well. If you want to compost them, crush them up so they’ll break down quickly.
HELP THE BEES; CHOOSE FRAGRANCE-FREE
Another reason to avoid artificial fragrances: They can confuse bees. Bees are vital to the natural world for the important work they do to pollinate flowers. They are naturally attracted to the sweet scent from flowers, but they are also attracted to artificial scents found in body washes, perfumes, shampoo, air fresheners and scented candles. This confusion can lead to less pollination of flowers. One way to help is to choose fragrance-free options whenever possible, since even trace amounts of artificial scent can be transferred outdoors.
PICK COTTON SCRUBBING CLOTHS OVER KITCHEN SPONGES
Traditional kitchen sponges are notorious for not lasting very long; they’re also made from nonrenewable resources like plastic and other synthetic materials. They aren’t recyclable, and over time, as they are used to wash dishes, they break down and shed microplastics into the water. When choosing kitchen cleaning aids, opt for greener alternatives like cotton scrubbing cloths and natural coconut scrubbers. They get the job done without any plastic waste.
CHOOSE ORGANIC WHEN BUYING RAISINS
Another item to always buy organic: raisins. Up to 26 pesticides have been found in independent studies on conventional grapes. Fresh grapes are often plucked and dried to make raisins, but it’s up for debate how well-washed the grapes are before drying. And since grapes are thin-skinned, whatever is sprayed on them is often absorbed into the grape. Choosing organic means they haven’t been treated with chemical pesticides and will be cleaner and safer for everyone to enjoy.
ICE CREAM TEST FOR THE FREEZER
One way to help extend the life of food is to freeze perishables and leftovers so they can be defrosted later to be enjoyed. But how do you know if your freezer is actually cold enough to preserve food? Do the ice cream test: If a container of ice cream is soft when you take it out of the freezer, your freezer is too warm. Turn down the temperature until your ice cream is solid, and you’ll know everything else is at the optimum temperature to stay preserved.
RECYCLE OLD USB FLASH DRIVES
Many of us have a junk drawer full of old USB flash drives that we’re not sure what to do with. They are reusable, so you can wipe them clean and use them at home or to share files with others. But if you have a lot, you can recycle them and do something good, too. The website RecycleUSB.com accepts working USB flash drives and erases them, then loads them with educational tools for children 5 to 12 years of age. Working in tandem with Sugar Labs, these flash drives can be used on any computer by children all over the world, including those who need educational tools the most.