5/17/13

Old prescription medicine can be difficult to dispose of properly. The old-fashioned solution was to flush it down the toilet, but studies have shown prescription medicine can pollute our water sources and harm aquatic wildlife. Throwing medication in the trash can lead to abuse and misuse by children and wild animals. CVS is making medication disposal easy by offering a safe and inexpensive solution: For $3.99, you can fill a postage-paid envelope with medicine, and it will be sent to a licensed facility for safe destruction.

5/16/13

Birdhouses are an excellent way to help our feathered friends with shelter to raise their brood, but these houses need to be cleaned every year, since parasites and illness-causing bacteria can live inside. Wearing rubber gloves, remove the old nest from inside the birdhouse; you can leave it in the grass to decompose naturally. Then use a mixture of 1 part bleach to 9 parts hot water and spray the birdhouse to disinfect it. Scrub it with a sponge. Place the birdhouse in a sunny spot to dry out. Once you reinstall it, new birds will quickly make it their home.

5/15/13

Spring gardens often leave leftover plastic pots and trays from nurseries. To easily recycle them, you can take these items to any Lowe's stores to be recycled, even if you didn't purchase your plants there. Once the pots and plastic trays are collected, they are sorted based on what can be reused and what needs to be crushed and sent for plastic recycling. Learn more at lowes.com.