Cigarettes are a nightmare for public and environmental health. If you're trying to quit, that's the first step. But if you do smoke, please be aware that cigarette butts are not biodegradable and should be properly disposed of. There's a misconception that cigarettes break down because they're just paper and tobacco, but the reality is that there are tiny plastic particles in cigarettes. When carelessly tossed on the ground, the butts end up as pollution. Birds mistake the butts for food, and they end up ingested by marine animals. Proper disposal means throwing cigarettes in a trash receptacle. And then? Quitting.

Replacing an old water heater or have a brass headboard that's too damaged to donate? Whatever the metal items you might need to dispose of, there's actually a very good chance it has value as scrap metal. The new online website iScrapApp.com makes it easy to turn trash into cash. The online directory lists the scrap metal yards closest to you and what types of items they take. A "yard profile" for the location also lists reported prices for different types of scrap metals. It's all user-generated and helpful in figuring out how much you could potentially earn.

A 2012 study by the Center for Health, Environment and Justice found that 75 percent of children's school supplies (folders, backpacks and lunchboxes) contained toxic phthalates. If you're a parent trying to avoid pthalates, there are certain steps you can take to find nontoxic school supplies. First, look for canvas, hemp or cotton backpacks; avoid shiny, plastic-looking bags that are likely made with PVC. The same goes for lunch containers: Stainless steel containers or fabric lunch sacks are better than hard plastic boxes. And go with rigid paperboard binders over plastic ones.