When shopping for trash bags, consider trying new green bags that are totally degradable under landfill conditions. These new bags use something called “life-cycle plastics” that are just as durable as regular plastic trash bags, except they have one modification to accelerate their aging (or degrading). Under a landfill condition, the bags quickly return to organic matter and become a food source for microorganisms. You can find these bags now at all major home improvement stores, and they come in a wide variety of sizes.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

When you’re doing garden design work at home or constructing something that requires you to remove plants, think about giving the plants away. There is a real desire from people in your community to take healthy plants and use them in their own yards. All you have to do is dig up the bushes, flowers or small trees and wrap burlap around the roots. Or, even easier: Post your free plants on a site like Freecycle or Craigslist with the contingency that any takers come and dig the plants up themselves.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

When shopping for a printer, keep in mind some inkjet printers are designed to be used for high-quality printouts (like photos) and others are meant for more mundane tasks, like printing out reports and documents. High-quality printers that print at 1200 x 1200 dpi (dots per inch) may produce great-looking printouts, but they guzzle ink to generate that. If you’re only using a printer for regular office needs, consider a cheaper and more ink-efficient printer that prints at 600 x 300 DPI.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION