If you choose to reheat leftovers in the microwave, opt for microwave-safe containers made out of glass or ceramic. Plastic containers that are labeled "microwave safe" are not necessarily healthy; the label only means the containers can withstand higher temperatures before they soften and change shape. Plastic containers can still leach chemicals into food, and microscopic scratches in the plastic can harbor germs and bacteria.

The next time you eat out at a restaurant and want to bring leftovers home, ask for aluminum foil. Instead of hard-to-recycle paperboard boxes, plastic or Styrofoam, ask your server to simply wrap up your leftover chicken, pasta or fish in a few sheets of aluminum foil. When you bring your food home, transfer it to a reusable food storage container. Wash the aluminum foil, and crumple it up to toss into the recycling bin.

For years, a water-saving tip has been floating around the internet, suggesting that you put a brick into the water tank of your toilet. The idea is that the brick displaces water and turns a water-guzzling toilet into a more efficient one. But the reality is that while you do save half a gallon of water per flush using this method, it can ruin your plumbing. Bricks will disintegrate over time, and those particles and chunks will clog pipes. If you want to get the same effect without hurting your plumbing, try filling a plastic tub (like for margarine) with water and placing it inside. It'll do the job without disintegrating.