Do Just One Thing

12/22/13

If you collect your household recyclables outside of the home, be sure to place them inside a container with a tight-fitting lid. Glass and plastic jars that still have the residual smell of foods like peanut butter, yogurt and jams can become death traps to wild animals. The just-wide-enough mouths on the containers can be too tempting for animals that find their heads stuck inside with no way to remove the container. If you don’t have a recycling bin with a lid, consider storing these types of recyclables inside the house until collection day to help our furry friends.

12/21/13

Many of us have gift cards with small balances left on them that can be anywhere from a few cents to a few dollars. Instead of tossing the card, why not donate the remaining balance to schools that need them? All you have to do is visit www.PlasticJungle.com; enter the name of the retailer and the coded information on the card to find out what your exact remaining balance is. Choose the charity option to give to your choice of schools, which are vetted through donorschoose.org. It takes only minutes, and you’ll help a needy school fund its programs.

12/20/13

Electric hybrid cars like the Ford C-MAX Energi, Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt are becoming more common across America. Charging stations for these cars are being built at malls, stores, office buildings and other public places to accommodate their technology. To find charging stations, the iPhone and Android app CarStations makes it easy. It uses Google Maps to help you find the closest charging station so you can give your electric car a quick charge. Learn more at carstations.com.