If you can plan ahead, one easy way to help reduce carbon emissions is to opt for ground shipping of purchases made online. Ground shipping may take a bit more time, but it usually does not involve gas-guzzling airplanes to guarantee your package is delivered overnight. Instead, it uses a fleet of trucks which have been programmed to deliver packages in the most fuel-efficient way from Point A to Point B. If you must overnight something, try to use the shipping company’s own packaging; many companies not only use packaging created from recycled materials, but then it can be reused.

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During the holiday season, many of us get gifts that are wrapped in tissue paper. And while tissue paper is technically recyclable, it can be hard to find a recycler that accepts it. When it comes to unbleached and white tissue paper, you can actually compost it. The fibers are short, it’s usually made from recycled materials and it degrades easily into beneficial mulch. If you can’t reuse it, compost it and you’ll keep some holiday waste out of the trash.

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Believe it or not, one of the most dangerous things your pet can eat isn’t a food at all: it’s the bag your favorite chips or snack foods come packaged in. When you’re done eating your BBQ potato chips, a few remnants of the snack remain in the bag. If you leave the bag where your dog can find it, they’ll naturally stick their head in. A Facebook page called “Prevent a Pet Suffocation” says many animals actually suffocate when they trap themselves in the bag and are unable to breathe. To prevent this, simply cut the bottom of the bag open before throwing it away.

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