6/19/13

Composting is good for the planet since it keeps beneficial organic ingredients like dead leaves, grass clippings and vegetable peels out of landfills and puts them back into the soil, where they become beneficial mulch. One caveat of composting is that it can attract mice and rats to your bin. To prevent that, try two things: One, bury food sources -- like potatoes and banana peels -- deep in the compost. This will mask the scent of food and make it less attractive to rodents. If your rodent problem is serious, consider composting only yard waste such as leaves, grass clippings and small branches. When the rodent problem is fixed, begin to add food waste back into your composting routine.

6/18/13

Recycling bins for compact fluorescent light bulbs are commonplace in stores such as Home Depot, Lowe's and Ikea. They're a free and safe way to dispose of these energy-efficient bulbs. But ever wonder how to safely dispose of or recycle a broken lamp? The website lamprecycle.org has a listing of recyclers in your area that can take old lighting and safely create scrap material from it. While it's not as convenient as recycling bins at big-box stores, it's a start to get old lighting recycled instead of trashed.

6/17/13

Many of us don't think twice about wearing sunscreen when we spend a day at the beach, but what about in your office? If you spend a lot of time by a sunny window, you're exposing yourself to harmful ultraviolet rays all day long. Not only is this harmful to your skin, it can also fade interior furnishings. Instead of slathering on zinc oxide or covering up the window, consider investing in a UV protection film that is placed right on top of the window. It will block 99 percent of the UV rays and is virtually invisible.