ArcaMax

Plants need light for photosynthesis, and to thrive and be healthy over time. You might think placing a plant near a lamp is just as good as placing it near a sunny window, but the reality is sunlight has red and blue spectra light, which is what plants need most to grow. Traditional light bulbs lack the spectra light plants need, and while “...Read more

Gold prices are at an all-time high, and many are turning their scrap gold into cold, hard cash. But if you think pure gold can only come from broken jewelry or coins, think again: You might have some scrap gold in unexpected places. One unusual place is old dentures! They contain scrap gold and silver inside that can easily be salvaged and ...Read more

New recycling technologies now allow you to leave plastic caps on bottles when recycling. The sorting machinery can now separate the caps from the bottles. Just give the bottle a quick rinse before reattaching the cap. By leaving caps on, you help prevent small pieces from becoming litter, and the cap plastic itself is valuable to recyclers, ...Read more

While some popular houseplants thrive indoors, they should never be transplanted outdoors, where they can become invasive. The snake plant, for example, spreads rapidly through underground shoots and can crowd out native species. Similarly, the rubber plant grows aggressively outside and can overwhelm surrounding vegetation. These plants are ...Read more

With forecasts predicting one of the coldest winters on record, there are simple ways to stay warm while staying eco-friendly. Use natural sunlight to your advantage -- open curtains and blinds during the day to let in heat, then close them at night to help insulate your home. Clear snow as soon as it falls to prevent it from turning into ice, ...Read more

Flying can take a toll on the environment, but a few simple choices can make your trip more eco-friendly. Opt for daytime flights instead of nighttime ones, because contrails and cirrus clouds formed by aircraft trap heat and contribute to warming only at night. During the day, these clouds actually help reflect sunlight back into space, ...Read more

Wondering what to do with those old pumpkins and gourds from your front porch? The easiest option is to toss them into your compost bin, where they’ll naturally break down into nutrient-rich mulch. No compost bin? No problem: Just dig a hole and bury them directly in the ground. They’ll decompose quickly and enrich your soil. If you’d ...Read more

Do you want to keep carbonated beverages fizzy and prevent them from getting flat? A $7 reusable bottle cap (available at domestic goods stores and online) can help you do just that and keep your favorite beverage tasting new for weeks. Reusable bottle caps work because they re-pressurize the bottles by removing excess air through a manual pump ...Read more

Of the 6 million tons of trash that make it into the world's oceans every year, about 80% is plastic. The major threats to aquatic wildlife, including food packaging like six-pack rings, cling wrap and plastic sandwich bags, are often inadvertently dropped at the coasts by beachgoers. Even if they're deposited into a trash receptacle, a strong ...Read more