Fresh flowers are always an appreciated gift, but something so natural can also come with an eco-disastrous dark side. “Exotic” blooms mean one thing: They come from faraway places, like the bases of volcanoes in Ecuador or the hillsides of Colombia, which means they traveled a long way to get to the recipient. To avoid flowers that have more frequent-flyer miles than you do, think local. Locally grown flowers and plants or baskets full of local organic fruit are more sustainable and just as beautiful.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Sure, it makes sense to store milk, eggs and fresh fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator. But have you thought about storing things like oil and flour? Products that have oil in them are temperamental and can easily go rancid when left in warm conditions or when sunlight regularly beams onto the jar or container. Canola, safflower and olive oil should be stored in the refrigerator to help them stay fresh longer. And whole-grain flours (which still have trace oils and bran in the flour) also do better when stored in a cool, dark place like the refrigerator.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Just one manufacturer of disposable pens sells close to 9 billion of them every single year. Plastic pens are nearly impossible to recycle, and the majority end up in landfills. If you have a collection of dried-up plastic pens, you can send them to an artist called The Pen Guy who uses them to make large-scale collages that vary from abstract to whimsical patterns. He takes a wide variety of writing implements, including ballpoint and felt-tip pens, regular and dry-erase markers, and mechanical pencils. To learn how to donate, just visit his website at penguyart.com.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION