1/6/14

More than 1,000 Starbucks stores in the United States and Canada already have front-of-store recycling bins. By 2015, 100 percent of the stores will have the program in place. What can you recycle? Every community is different, since every city, town or even shopping mall handles waste uniquely. Generally, the divided recycling bin handles recycling for paper cups and plastic lids and even diverts food waste to be composted.

1/5/14

It seems counterintuitive to put out toxic bait to poison mice and rats near your food, so do the best natural alternative instead to discourage them from eating your food: Soak a cotton ball in pure peppermint oil and place it at the base of your pantry. Mice hate the strong smell of peppermint and will do anything to stay away from it. The side benefit? It makes for a pleasant-smelling pantry for you! You can also mix peppermint oil with distilled water to make a spray and mist the entire inside of the pantry for a totally natural barrier.

1/4/14

Have you ever forgotten about a jar of honey only to discover it has crystallized and is as hard as a rock? There’s no need to toss it out when you can use it to help our bee population survive. In the spring, find a beehive or give the jar to someone who has honey hives in his backyard. You can also find local beekeepers through the website friendsofhoneybees.net. The jar can simply be placed inside or near the hive, and the bees will lick the jar clean. You can also rescue crystallized honey by placing it in a pot with hot water; the crystals will melt into ooey-gooey honey.