By 2017, the manufacturing and use of plastic microbeads will be banned. The tiny beads -- which are in beauty products designed to exfoliate -- have been polluting our waterways because they do not biodegrade. They are also mistaken for food by fish. Ban or no ban, top beauty experts agree: They never did a good job anyway. When looking for natural skin products, look for natural exfoliators like rice, apricot seeds, nutshells and bamboo to get your skin looking its best.

Despite lower gas prices, it's always a good idea to maximize the fuel efficiency of your car whenever possible. One easy tip to improve your average miles per gallon is to take a look at your car's owner's manual. Find out what grade of motor oil is recommended; by using the recommended grade, you can improve your efficiency by 1 to 2 percent. Sometimes the recommended grade is actually the cheaper one! And always have your oil changed at a professional service station; all used motor oil is collected and recycled at a refinery.

Fluorescent tube lights are commonplace in commercial spaces, but also in laundry rooms and garages at home. While they do contain much less mercury than traditional CFL bulbs, they still have small amounts. Plus, as anyone who has replaced a tube light has probably witnessed, they are very easy to break. The good news is that LED technology has caught up with tube lighting. There are companies that are now creating LED tube lights that fit in the same fixtures, but have no mercury and last as much as 20 times longer. Search online to find suppliers.