Many people use something called “treated wood” when constructing things like backyard decks. It’s a preferred choice for many contractors because treated wood -- on which toxic chemicals like arsenic are used -- is long-lasting and resists decay. But it’s also very toxic. Most communities consider treated wood scraps and even saw dust as a household hazardous waste and refuse to accept it in regular trash pickups. If you have scrap treated wood, never burn it; that releases the toxins through emissions and ash. Instead of chemically treated wood, look for natural alternatives like cedar or recycled plastic composite decking.

If your backyard garden has a bumper crop of fruits and vegetables this season, don’t let them go to waste. The nonprofit Ample Harvest can help you connect with a local food bank or pantry that will gladly take your perishable harvest. The key thing is to donate high-quality produce that is good enough that you would eat it. Even the smallest donations are welcome, since fresh produce is scarce. Learn more at ampleharvest.org, and be sure to tag #ampleharvest on Instagram when you donate.

When your bottle of dishwashing soap, shampoo or laundry detergent is empty (but there’s soapy residue on the inside), just screw on the plastic cap and throw it into the recycling bin. While it’s often a good thing to give recyclables a rinse to get them clean, leftover soap is actually desired by recyclers. The soap helps to get other nonsoapy recyclables clean.