Do you want to add houseplants to help beautify your home and purify the air? One option is to buy them at your local florist or home improvement center; another option is to get them totally free. The website Freecycle is like Craigslist, but without money ever changing hands for goods. And when people move from an old home to a new one, one of the most frequently listed items is ... houseplants! People don’t like the hassle of packing up plants and would rather see them go to a good home than into the trash. Search for some freebies at freecycle.org.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Did you know it’s possible to eat at a fast-food restaurant without generating any waste? One fast-food chain -- Subway -- actually wraps sandwiches in paper that is fully compostable. If you look closely at the paper, you’ll see a label that reads “Please Compost.” The trick is to ask for no plastic bag or napkins (and while you’re at it, no receipt). Then you can enjoy your sandwich and compost the paper to create a zero-waste fast-food experience when you’re on the go.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

Does your kitchen or bathroom drain have an unpleasant odor? Instead of dumping chlorine bleach down the drain to neutralize the odor, try this nontoxic solution: regular salt. Sometimes decomposing organic matter like food scraps can be stuck on the sides of pipes. The salt helps dislodge the stuck-on waste and acts like a mini scrubber for your pipes. Simply pour about 1/2 to 1 cup of salt down the drain and turn on the tap to try this tip.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION