A product's packaging may proclaim that it's "recyclable," but that doesn't make it Earth-friendly, and in actuality it may be next to impossible to recycle. The real question you should ask when you see a recycling symbol is: Is it easily recyclable? Items like aluminum, paperboard, glass and some plastics that are accepted in your curbside recycling would qualify as easily recyclable. Other items -- those made from Styrofoam, for example -- may have a recycling mark, but are nearly impossible to recycle.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

One of the big benefits of making or using organic compost is that you really can't overuse it in your garden. Traditional fertilizers have to be carefully measured and applied to your lawn and garden because if they are overused, they can cause more harm than good. But with compost, you can be very liberal about piling it on top of the soil and raking it in, with no worries about harmful effects. So if you have a lot of compost, use it up -- your garden will thank you for it.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Whether you compost at home or bring your compostables to a collection site, do one thing: Remove any produce stickers. Almost all stickers that have a bar code for scanning are made from plastic, and plastic does not break down into compost. You can remove the stickers when you first bring produce home, or do this: Buy fruits and vegetables that don't have stickers on them to begin with. That's actually one more reason to support your local farmers markets over chain supermarkets.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION