Even the best vacuum will break down and need to be replaced. So what to do with your old one? You can recycle it. Best Buy will take your old vacuum (in addition to a whole host of other electronics) and recycle it, free of charge. Just bring it to one of the store's retail locations, and it'll handle the rest. And if you’re in the market for a new vacuum, follow Best Buy on social media (@bestbuy), where it periodically announces discounts if you recycle an electronic. A recent post offered a 20 percent discount on a new Dyson if you brought in your old vacuum to be recycled.

Most Little League Baseball groups have taken steps to ban metal baseball bats in games because they can cause extreme head injuries to players. And like most antiquated sporting equipment, these bats may be collecting dust in the basement or in the storage spaces of athletic groups. The good news? They are easily recyclable, since the majority of a metal bat is aluminum. To recycle them, all you have to do is remove the grip, which is likely to be plastic. Then toss the bat into your curbside recycling bin.

There have been reports on the news lately about fur garments that are labeled faux actually being real fur. The fur comes from animals like rabbits, coyote and the wild raccoon dog. Since the science and technology in developing faux fur to feel and look just like the real thing has evolved significantly, you might ask, how can you tell if it’s fake? Faux fur is softer than most real fur. Look at the ends of the fur: If it tapers to a fine point at the end, it’s likely the real deal; if the strands are consistent in width tip to tip, it’s likely fake. And the final test? If you can burn a few strands, you’ll definitely know: Real fur smells like human hair being burnt.