ArcaMax

The “fast” culture that has inundated fashion with cheaply made garments has worked its way into the furniture business, but filling your home with cheaply made furniture is one of the worst things you can do for the environment. Avoid furniture composed of engineered woods, which look like solid wood but are made of particle board, plywood ...Read more

Did you know around 45% of America’s children live in neighborhoods that do not have public libraries or even stores that sell books? The nonprofit Kids Need to Read wants to change that and ensure that all children have access to quality reading materials by serving these communities and their underfunded public schools. If you have good-...Read more

Facebook Marketplace is more than just an easy way to turn your unwanted goods into some cash; it’s also better for the environment. While we’re used to donating items to charity shops, a high percentage of these items actually don’t get resold and end up in landfills. Facebook Marketplace (and other platforms like it) connects buyers and ...Read more

The U.N. Environment Programme estimates that close to 36% of all plastics produced in the world are single-use food and beverage containers. While most of these can be recycled, very few actually are. One way to help is to buy fresh fruits and vegetables unpackaged, unbagged and unwrapped. Avoid pre-washed salad mixes, precut fruit and cling-...Read more

The common belief used to be that a small bell on your cat's collar would make sound and scare away birds, thus preventing your cat from killing them; but in fact, our feathered friends don’t associate the ringing sound with danger. The best method to prevent your cat from killing birds is to keep your feline friend indoors. Studies have found...Read more

Here’s an interesting fact: Honey never expires. The water content of honey -- just 17% -- means the sweet stuff isn’t moist enough for things like bacteria or fungi to thrive. What does alter honey is light and heat, which can change its color, taste and aroma, so store your honey in a dark, cool place. And if you have honey that has ...Read more

When we think about saving energy in the kitchen, we often don’t think about the smaller things, like coffee grinders, blenders, toasters, coffee makers and microwave ovens. These smaller appliances are a frequent part of our lives and can waste a lot of energy over time. Instead of keeping them plugged into a wall outlet and drawing power ...Read more

If you hate standing in line at the post office, here’s a fast and eco-friendly way to get your postal supplies sent right to your home: You can order postage stamps, envelopes, boxes and other supplies from the United States Postal Service website. Since the post office is hard at work six days a week delivering mail, they’re going to be in...Read more

Have you heard of the 40-80 rule when it comes to personal electronics like laptops and smartphones? It describes the optimal range to keep your battery charged -- between 40% and 80% -- to make it function optimally with the longest lifespan. This prevents overcharging of the battery AND undercharging, both of which can cause too much stress on...Read more

If you have children who attend schools that require a uniform, consider donating the old unis to a local charity shop when your kids outgrow or replace them. The need is great; about 18,000 American public schools require students to wear uniforms. Your donation of gently used uniforms can help in a big way. And it's not just uniforms: Many ...Read more

If you have black-colored plastic reusable food containers or cooking utensils at home, it might be a good idea to toss them out. Recent studies have shown these products -- as well as children’s toys and grocery produce and meat trays -- have alarmingly high amounts of flame retardants in them. This is due to the fact that many of them are ...Read more

Choosing the right paint color for inside your home is more than just making the right on-trend choice. If you live in a climate that tends to be hotter, light colors like white, creams and even light gray help reflect the sunlight and heat that comes through the windows. Even pastel colors are good options to keep the inside as cool as possible...Read more

Ever see those woolen laundry dryer balls and wonder if they actually work? Turns out, not only do they speed up the drying time, but they have a whole host of other benefits. Depending on what you’re drying, using dryer balls can decrease drying time by as much as 50%. They fluff fabric as it’s being tangled and help lessen wet spots, ...Read more

Leaving your home for several weeks or months means you should take steps to reduce waste while you’re away. This is a good time to unplug energy hogs like refrigerators and freezers; just be sure they are empty, and leave the doors open so they dry out completely. Turn off the main water supply; it may not save you money, but it’ll give you...Read more

A dual-flush toilet is a great way to save water at home, because it lets you decide if you need a full or partial flush. But if you have a perfectly fine single-flush toilet, how can you save water? You can convert your toilet into a dual-flush simply by switching out the toilet flapper. For less than $10, you can add an adjustable flapper that...Read more

When it comes to buying eco-friendly wines at our local shop, many of us look for organic or biodynamic varietals. But you also should consider geography when it comes to picking the perfect vino. Just like produce, purchasing domestically grown/made wine is far better than buying varietals from faraway places like South Africa, France and ...Read more

Cold winter weather is around the corner for many of us, which means warm coats become part of our everyday wardrobe. Start by cleaning your coat at the onset of the winter season, either by laundering it at home or taking it to a professional. Remove stains on the outside by dabbing with a damp towel. And be sure to hang your coat in a well-...Read more

Laundry detergent sheets are all the rage now, replacing heavy plastic jugs as an eco-friendly way to add detergent to your washing machine. Since the soap is activated in water, it’s imperative to make sure the stack of sheets does not get wet or even come in contact with trace amounts of water. Remove the sheets from the existing paperboard ...Read more

This is a staggering statistic: Two billion disposable plastic razors are thrown away in the United States alone every single year. There are steps you can take to cut back on this waste and save some money, too. First, always dry your razor after use, since residual water on the blades can rust them and make them dull. Or, better yet, invest in...Read more

Yes, your canvas reusable shopping bags need to be washed on a regular basis, but the good news is, it’s easy. Just wash them in the washing machine in cold water with detergent. When the bags come out of the machine, they're likely to be very wrinkled and crumpled up, but don’t worry. Just unfold them (tug to get the wrinkles out) so they'...Read more