Did you know tea is the No. 2 most popular beverage in the world, right after water? Since tea is gaining popularity for its taste and health benefits, it makes sense to wonder if the tea you're brewing and sipping is environmentally friendly and grown with the farmers in mind. When buying tea, look for varietals that are certified by independent nonprofit organizations like the Rainforest Alliance or Fair Trade USA, which have standards to make sure the growing and labor practices are sustainable. And major tea companies are taking steps, too, creating Tea 2030, a project of Forum for the Future that works to create global sustainability. Brands like Tazo Tea, The Republic of Tea and Lipton are members of Tea 2030.

Naturally, it makes sense to fill your automatic dishwasher to full capacity before running a load. But did you know that many modern energy-efficient machines also have something called a "delay" feature? You can use this feature to run the dishwasher in the middle of the night, when energy is cheapest (because it's during off-peak hours). It reduces the energy grid load and you save money, all while waking up to freshly cleaned dishes.

When something expensive breaks, it's easy to toss it out and get something new. But in these greener times, the worlds of both ecology and technology are coming together to make repairing items easier, economical and ecological. Download apps like TaskRabbit to see if you can find someone to help you repair items like broken washing machines, dishwashers and other appliances. You might find a local repairman who is willing to offer his services at a steep discount and fix your appliances for you. If you must replace, find a place to recycle your old item.