ArcaMax

Now you can use the power of Google to see if your home is a good candidate for solar panels. Simply enter your home address in Google’s Project Sunroof database. The site uses Google Earth imagery to pinpoint your home and gauge your roof shape; it then computes the eligibility of your home using local weather patterns. You get a personal ...Read more

We live in a world where when something breaks, you simply buy a new one to replace it, and hopefully the old one gets recycled. But a movement for repair is growing, and the platform IFixIt is a community with the motto “never take broken as an answer.” With over 119,000 free manuals, 230,000 solutions and 100+ million repairs done, it’s ...Read more

Do you chew gum to help keep your breath fresh? You might want to think again. Almost all gums have something called a “gum base” that makes them chewy, and it turns out it’s a mix of plasticizers, fillers, resins and other unknown chemical substances. This also makes chewing gum nonbiodegradable. To keep your breath fresh naturally, try ...Read more

If you would love to adopt a dog as a companion animal but simply can’t offer the time or proper home for him, do the next best thing: Help train adoptable dogs. Volunteering time at a shelter to train dogs to walk calmly and obey basic commands like “sit” and “stay” helps make them more adoptable to potential families. You'll get your...Read more

Lots of retailers now have convenient recycling bins for plastic shopping bags to be recycled. What many people don't realize is this: You don't have to bring back the specific retailer's bags to recycle; you can bring back any store's bags and deposit them in the bins. Plastic bags have value as a recyclable product (often made into plastic ...Read more

When shopping for clothes, fit and style aren’t the only things to consider: Look at what type of fabric the garment is made with. Polyester is considered the least eco-friendly textile because it’s petroleum-based and nonbiodegradable. And when you wash polyester clothing, it sheds microplastics into the water, which ends up polluting our ...Read more

Do you love radishes? If you love the roots, you will probably love the stems and leaves even more. First, yes: The leafy parts of radishes are totally edible. And they are delicious, with a slightly peppery taste that makes a wonderful addition to all sorts of cooking. They’re healthy, too, with magnesium, calcium and vitamin B6. Instead of ...Read more

When the last dill pickle is eaten, do you just dump the leftover juice down the drain? Here's a clever tip for that remaining pickle juice: Use it as a weed killer! Most pickling brines contain salt, which does an effective job of not only killing weeds, but preventing them, too. Pour your extra pickle juice over pesky weeds where they keep ...Read more

It’s grilling season, and it’s estimated that 46,000 tons of lighter fluid is burned every year to get grills going. That adds up to a lot of volatile organic compounds polluting our atmosphere. Make your next outdoor grilling more eco-friendly by using natural charcoal and a charcoal chimney to get the fire going. Avoid chemical fire-...Read more