If you are decorating a new office -- whether at home or in a workplace -- don't think new when you can save the environment and money by going refurbished. Many major corporations overbuy furniture or have lightly used furniture, and they often donate it to charity or send it back to the manufacturer. The charities or companies then sell it for up to 80 percent off the retail cost. If you're buying from a charity, the proceeds from your purchase also go to support it, so it's win-win. Just search online for "refurbished office furniture" to find the organization closest to you.

If you fish, petroleum-based fishing line can be a menace and even lethal to fish, aquatic wildlife and birds if it gets loose and strewn in lakes and other waterways. When buying new fishing line, avoid petroleum-based plastic lines and look for new biodegradable ones instead. If the biodegradable line gets lost in the water, it will degrade quickly with just small amounts of carbon dioxide and water. But even with biodegradable fishing line, be sure to still bring the old fishing line back with you and dispose of it properly. Even during the biodegrading process, it can still be harmful to aquatic wildlife.

Here's another reason to give houseplants a try for your home: They purify the air. According to a story by NASA, common indoor houseplants can remove up to 87 percent of toxins from the air. They do this by absorbing the pollutants through their leaves and release breathable air back into the atmosphere. Also, don't forget about places where you work. Adding just one plant to your workspace can clean about 100 square feet of space, which is about the size of the average cubicle in America. Anything you can do to reduce the toxicity in your home and workplace is a good thing, and one simple plant can be that solution.