Unless you are absolutely, positively sure how to do it, let the pros change your car's motor oil. The waste oil from just one oil change, if disposed of improperly, can contaminate a whole lot of water. The Environmental Protection Agency estimates up to a million gallons of fresh water can be affected by just a single oil change. This dirty water can end up in our drinking water and waterways, which can have an adverse effect on our health and wildlife. If you change your own oil, be sure to have your old oil properly recycled.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

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