While aluminum cans, glass jars and bottles have residual food waste on them and can still be recycled, one recyclable material that needs to be clean in order for it to be recycled is plastic. If a plastic container is covered in thick sauces or sticky melted cheese, it can contaminate an entire load of recyclables. Simply rinse recyclable plastics before putting them in the recycling bin. It will also help wildlife: If animals don't detect food, they won't rummage through your bin at night.

Did you know the No. 1 most recycled item in America is the car battery? According to Waste Management, a car battery is 60 percent lead, which is entirely recyclable. The lead is recycled and used to make new car batteries. The other 40 percent is plastic and sulfuric acid, both of which can be reclaimed and made into new products. The reason a car battery is the most recycled item is that all automotive centers are proactive in recycling them when they are replaced. But if you decide to replace your own car battery, be sure to take your dead battery to any automotive center to be recycled. It's free and as simple as dropping it off.

Have you heard that you should leave dryer lint outdoors for birds to pick up and use to feather their nest? The reality is that dryer lint contains chemical detergents from your clothes, which can irritate birds and cause harm. If you want to help birds, you can leave piles of dried grass (untreated with chemical fertilizers or pesticides), hair clumps (human, horse and dog fur, also untreated), and the good old basics -- twigs, moss and pine needles. Just leave them close to wherever you think birds may find them, and they'll weave them into their nests.