When whitening whites, skip the harmful chlorine bleach. When bleach goes down the drain and eventually interacts with sewage water, a poisonous combination is created. Why take risks? Use hydrogen peroxide instead of bleach in your washing machine. It'll whiten whites and be kinder to the Earth.

4/3/10

Instead, go for the real deal, terra cotta. It literally means "baked Earth," which means it's fired-up clay. While terra cotta may chip or break, nothing can compete with the organic texture and feel of clay. And terra cotta is good for the Earth, too. If terra cotta should ever break, use the chips as a ground cover on an indoor plant.

4/2/10

4/1/10

While it's tempting to use lightweight, plastic faux terra cotta pots for your outdoor garden, it's best to avoid them. Most plastic pots are made from polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, which is made from a nonrenewable resource that is not biodegradable.