According to a paper published by Washington University, a gas-powered leaf blower emits nearly 300 times the amount of air pollutants of a pickup truck. It also found that just one hour of using a gas-powered lawn mower is equal to driving a car over 100 miles. The solution? Look for high-powered electric alternatives that don't rely on gas for power. Also, skip the leaf blower altogether; when leaves fall, just mow right over them to break them down so they degrade quickly into nutrient-rich mulch for your lawn.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

During COVID, online retailers saw a whopping 200% increase in sales, which means a whole lot of extra cardboard boxes ended up in recycling bins. When you have an excess of boxes, first try to reuse them, either when you need to ship things or for storage around the house. If you can't reuse them and are ready to recycle them instead, do two things: Flatten them and remove all the plastic tape. The tape is nonrecyclable and should always be removed and discarded.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION

According to the nonprofit Global Citizen, between 2012 and 2016, there was an "84% increase in recycling being rejected because of people contaminating it with nonrecyclable items." One way to help is to make sure your recyclables aren't coated in food, so give them a good rinse in the sink before placing them in the bin. Also, avoid the most commonly rejected items in recycling bins: laminated pouches, toys, toothpaste tubes, tissues, broken glass drinkware and old clothing.

ANDREWS MCMEEL SYNDICATION