When it comes to choosing a shower curtain, a nylon one is the greenest and easiest choice. Unlike fabric curtains that need a plastic liner, nylon curtains are naturally water-resistant and do not need a second liner. But they are also greener because they don't off-gas the way old-fashioned PVC shower curtains do. Even better: Unlike PVC, which is not recyclable, nylon shower curtains are recyclable and can be made into new products, like carpeting, string and fabric.

When shopping for new baskets, rugs and woven furniture, one sustainable material to look out for that's durable, eco-friendly and inexpensive is water hyacinth. Many Asian countries have had an uptick in the growth of the invasive aquatic water hyacinth plant. While beautiful in appearance, it can literally choke waterways, killing aquatic wildlife and turning lakes and streams into dead zones. Instead of using chemical herbicides to poison the waterways, furniture companies have been hiring local villagers to collect the plant, which is then dried and woven into beautiful home accessories. This keeps the waterways alive, provides jobs and turns a problem plant into something beautiful.

Do you flatten aluminum soda or beer cans before tossing them in the recycling bin? You shouldn't, and here's why: Many recycling facilities use automatic sorting machines that separate two-dimensional and three-dimensional items from co-mingled recycling bins. When you flatten a soda can, the sorting machine will often mistake it for paper. And when metal gets into paper recyclables, it can contaminate a whole load. But the good news: There's no need to be super careful about recycling perfectly round cans. Even dented and slightly crushed are fine. But totally flat cans should be left out of the recycling bin altogether.