Do just one thing
BOOK DONATION RULES
Even in an age of digital media, printed books are still in demand and can be donated if you’re ready to make room on your bookshelf at home. The rule of thumb for donating books is this: If the book was published in the last two or three years, donate it to your local library, which will resell the book at a fundraiser for their valuable work. If it’s older than that, donate it to a Salvation Army or Goodwill store. If the book is moldy, torn, missing pages or is a reference book like a dictionary or encyclopedia, recycle or toss it.
RECYLABLE PACKETS
Yes, the little plastic packets that hold ketchup, mustard, soy sauce and hot sauce are now recyclable. According to Taco Bell, nearly 8.2 billion packets are used in the United States every year. They are partnering with Terracycle to divert those packets from landfills and turn them into new recycled products. Just visit Terracycle. com to download a free shipping label to send plastic condiment packets from ANY brand to be recycled free of charge. Terracycle sorts, cleans and makes the packets they receive into new hard plastic products.
SCATTER SOIL IN YARD
As the weather is most likely cooling down where you live, your outdoor window boxes and garden pots may still have potting soil inside. So, the question is: Is that soil any good? If you are repotting a household plant, can you reuse the old soil? The answer is no, unless you know for certain that the soil is free of any disease. Since it’s virtually impossible to tell, the best way to reuse potting soil is to sprinkle it in the yard, where the sun will have a chance to “bake” the soil (killing any disease) and eventually it will blend right into the ground. Just scatter and rake the soil after it’s had a chance to “bake.”
CHECK SHOWERHEAD LEAKS
Take a moment to check your showerhead for any leaks this morning. A leaking showerhead that drips a minimum of 10 times per minute wastes around 500 gallons of water in a year. That’s enough to do 60 loads of dishes in your dishwasher! You can fix the leak easily with Teflon thread seal tape and a wrench, and there are 60-second tutorial videos online to show you how. It’ll make your old showerhead as good as new and is an inexpensive and easy fix anyone can do.
COMPOSTING LEAVES
Fall is a time when trees shed their leaves and homeowners rake them up. First and foremost: Don’t bag the leaves to be sent to a landfill. Look into composting programs in your community to make sure these nutrient-dense leaves become beneficial mulch. But you can also use them in your own yard by mowing the leaves right into your grass. Michigan State University did a study that showed your yard benefits from thin layers of leaves. Just mulch the leaves using your lawnmower with the blade set at 3 inches high. It’ll break down the leaves and feed the lawn, helping to create richer soil over time.
‘PEAKER PLANTS’
Did you know you should run appliances like your dishwasher, oven, washer and dryer before 6 p.m.? Peak energy usage happens around 6 p.m., and utility companies respond to that surge by turning to “peaker plants.” These power plants tend to be dirtier energy sources and can produce two to three times the carbon emissions of more conventional sources of energy. By helping to lessen the surge, you reduce your share of carbon emissions as well as your own energy bill.
NO ELECTRONICS IN TRASH
Never, ever throw broken electronics in the trash. With nearly 40 million tons of electronic waste created annually from laptops, phones, TVS and computers, it’s imperative to recycle your old electronics. And it’s easy: Many retailers, manufacturers and communities have free and convenient recycling programs in place to take your old products. Your old phones and laptops also contain valuable recyclable materials like copper, silver, gold and palladium, so there’s an incentive to prevent those from going to the landfill, too.