Many of us use supermarket reward cards to help save money on our grocery bill when we shop, but did you know you can also help your community in just one step? Major supermarket chains, like Safeway, Pathmark, Shoprite, Meijers and many more, let you donate reward points when you register your card with a charity. The list of nonprofits includes schools, anti-hunger organizations and churches. Wouldn't it be nice to know that when you shop for groceries you can also help a local soup kitchen or food bank get funds to support their work? Individual stores list how to sync your card on their websites.

More than 30 million plastic hotel key cards are manufactured every year for hotel guests. Yes, some key cards are returned to the front desk and reused, but a large majority end up in the trash. Made from PVC plastic, these cards are not biodegradable and can also be unreliable when it's time to open your door. Starwood Hotels will soon launch a new program that eliminates key cards with a new smartphone app. The app is pre-programmed at check-in and allows guests to open the door with the tap of their phone. One more way technology is helping to cut waste.

Yes, memory foam mattresses and mattress toppers are made from petroleum-based resources, but that means they're 100 percent recyclable. Since the foam is petroleum-based, it's easy to melt down and turn into other plastic and foam products. Some manufacturers will take back old mattresses (for free), and there are nationwide recycling centers that collect them. To find one near you, visit earth911.com.