You may have seen the beauty of another country or farmland by foot, but your hiking boots could actually be a source of contamination or be responsible for bringing non-endemic species into the United States. When you travel abroad, be sure to have your hiking boots cleaned before you head to the airport. These boots have deep treads, which can be filled with contaminated soil, seeds and other items that create a "biosecurity risk" if they accidentally get introduced to the biodiversity of the U.S. United States Customs is actually flagging people who wear hiking boots home, so be sure to scrub them clean or face an inspection or worse, be forced to toss them.

We all recycle, but there are ways to make it easier and more efficient. Labels on glass bottles and jars do not need to be removed; in fact, they help keep the bottles intact and prevent breakage. When glass is recycled, the labels are removed or burnt off during the melting process anyway. When recycling cardboard boxes, if you set the flattened boxes out at night and it rains, no need to worry. Wet cardboard is still recyclable. Finally, make room in your recycling bin by crushing aluminum cans. They are still recyclable, and it frees up space for bulkier recyclables.

If you're going to be away from home for a long period of time, it's a good idea to "power down" the home and cut waste to save money and energy. Go around the house and unplug major appliances like TVs, stereos, microwave ovens and even the refrigerator. Make sure the cable box, Wi-Fi and computers are completely unplugged from the wall sockets to stop trickle power, even if everything is turned off. Turn your water heater to the lowest setting possible and lower the thermostat, too. If you get a newspaper delivery, put a stop on delivery from the day you're gone to the day you're back.