1/25/13

Starbucks is helping to make going green a lot easier. In an effort to reduce waste of disposable coffee cups, the coffee giant is now selling a $1 reusable cup modeled after their iconic paper cup. Customers who use any reusable cups are rewarded with a 10-cent discount for each refill. And in an effort to reduce waste from plastic gift cards, a new mobile app for your iPhone or Android phone lets you pay for your order with your phone. No waste and no fuss.

1/24/13

If you're thinking about sending a fruit basket as a gift to someone, consider purchasing your gift from Donate Fruit (donatefruit.com). For every gift of fresh fruit you purchase, the company will match your purchase, pound for pound, with a donation of fresh fruit to a food bank organization. Started in 2009 in response to the growing epidemic of hunger in the United States, your gift can give twice and help fight hunger -- all while delivering a freshly picked, delicious basket of fruit to your recipient.

1/23/13

Here's a weird, yet financially fruitful, recycling tip: Ever wonder if old gold teeth and crowns are recyclable in those cash-for-gold programs? Well, they are. The GoldBox (goldcrown-recycling.com) will take any size, any quantity and any quality of gold false teeth -- whether it's a single crown or a whole gold bridge, even if there are teeth still attached. Just fill out a form on its website, mail in the gold and it'll send you a check for the value of the gold, based on current market rates.