If your recycling bin is overflowing, the obvious solution is to try to flatten every can, tin and bottle so you can get more in. But this instinct should be avoided, because your recycler needs your recyclables to look as close to their original shape as possible. Sorting machines work based on recyclable dimensions. For example, cans and bottles are three-dimensional, and cardboard and paperboard are two-dimensional. If you flatten cans and plastic bottles, they can end up in the wrong recycling load. So if you must make a little more room, give your recyclables a very gentle squish.

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Cats are carnivores, which means they need a diet of animal-based protein to thrive. So you might think giving them a little water-packed tuna is a treat that's good for them, too, right? Think again. Tuna can have trace amounts of mercury in it, and giving a cat a consistent diet of tuna can lead to mercury poisoning. Also, unlike cartoons that show cats lapping up milk, the reality is most cats are also lactose-intolerant. So skip dairy products for your frisky feline, too.

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You might wonder what's the big deal about putting a chipped Pyrex glass dish in the recycling bin. Isn't all glass the same, after all? Unfortunately not. Heat-treated glass from brands like Pyrex and CorningWare melt at much higher temperatures than traditional glass recyclables. And if the sorters at the recycling facility don't catch it and pull it out, heat-treated glass can do a lot of damage. According to the website Recyclebank, "It takes only 5 grams of heat-treated glass to contaminate an entire 1-ton batch of recycled container glass." Be sure to throw your old heat-treated glass in the trash.

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