Most of us know throwing away leftover paint, chemical cleaners and prescription medicines isn't just bad for the environment, but it's illegal, too. Those items are called "household hazardous waste," and they need to be properly disposed of. But did you know that common household items like hair dye, nail polish remover, nail polish and even batteries are also considered hazardous waste? If these items end up in the trash or down the drain, they can interact with other chemicals and create deadly gasses and explosions. Your community has designated hazardous waste collection days where you can drop off these items. They are properly contained and disposed of, so save your waste for those special collection days.

Did you know many exotic flowers sold at the supermarket or by florists come from far-away places like China and South America? Stems that come from far away are flown in on gas-guzzling planes. If you think flowers that have more frequent flier miles than you is crazy, think local instead. To find locally grown flowers -- which are also often less expensive -- use the website localharvest.org to find nearby growers. Just type in your zip code, and a list of local farmers, farms and retail stores will pop up.

Don't confuse the words "sell-by" and "use-by" on food packaging to mean expiration dates. These are simply recommended by the manufacturers or growers of perishable food to suggest when certain foods have passed their peak quality and should no longer be sold. The reality is most food -- other than baby food -- can be consumed at least one full week after the printed sell-by or use-by date on the packaging. The key thing is to use common sense: If the food looks spoiled or inedible, toss it (or compost it if it's compostable).