Do you drink your hot coffee or tea through a straw to prevent staining your pearly whites? It might be time to stop. Plastic straws are often made with the chemical BPA, the chemical that has been phased out of food storage containers and reusable water bottles because of the possible link to endocrine disruption. Not all plastic straws are made with BPA, but since they are not marked with a recycling code, you can never tell. So it's best to skip using a straw -- they aren't eco-friendly anyway! -- and sip your hot brew from a reusable mug instead.

Computer recycling used to be very difficult. But with major retailers like Best Buy and Staples and manufacturers like Apple and Dell making it easy, it's a cinch to keep e-waste out of landfills. If you're concerned about your personal information getting stolen, take the step to wipe clean your old system before recycling it. There are free programs that you can download online that overwrite your files with snonsense data." Find these programs by searching the web for "hard drive scrubbing software."

When forests, fields and other green spaces get bulldozed for new construction, we don't just lose pretty spaces, it also reduce food for wildlife. One way to help support wild animals with food and shelter is to plant a native tree in your own backyard. Trees native to your specific growing region help maintain the much-needed biodiversity wild animals need. Not only do they look good and provide shade and value for a home, they also help reduce storm water runoff and remove pollutants from the air. Your local nursery should be able to help you choose a native tree that will work for your backyard.