6/15/13

Empty aerosol cans -- used for products from spray paint to hair spray -- can be recycled in most communities. The trick is to recycle only completely empty cans, so be sure to use up the product or spray it empty onto sheets of scrap paper. Contact your local waste hauler to ask if your empty cans can be deposited into your curbside recycling or if there is a special drop-off location for them.

6/14/13

Even the greenest-minded people sometimes buy bottled water, so the question is: Is it OK to refill a plastic water bottle? While these bottles are considered safe for one-time use, it's best to avoid refilling them since scratched bottles have the potential to leach the chemical DEHP, a plasticizer, if reused. If you do want to reuse the bottle, refill it and drink it immediately, then recycle it.

6/13/13

With thousands of environmental and animal-related charities vying for your donation dollars, it can be hard to pick just a few to support. To make the most informed choice about a charity's use of funds, look up their status on the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance site at give.org. You can see a nonprofit's financials, how it spends its donations, its tax status and even the salary of the organization's highest-ranking officials. Armed with accurate information, it should help you give to the right nonprofit for the work you support.