Ink Cartridges

On average, 70 percent of used ink cartridges are thrown into landfills, where it will take over 1,000 years for them to decompose, according to tonerrecycle.net. "When something is tossed in the garbage and either landfilled or incinerated, the value of that material is lost forever," Lauren Taylor, the Global VP of Communications for TerraCycle, says. "When an object is recycled, it provides a more circular solution." Instead of letting those cartridges spend centuries in a landfill, look for recycling instructions on the cartridge's package. Staples will give you $3 off your next cartridge purchase for bringing in your used ones, and HP accepts old HP-brand cartridges via mail. Here are more simple ways to reduce waste—and save money.

Juice Pouches

Because most juice pouches are made of plastic polymer and aluminum, they unfortunately can't be recycled. You don't need to dump them, though. For every Honest Kids, Capri Sun, and Kool-Aid Drink pouch you send to TerraCycle, the company will donate 2 cents to the charity of your choice. (They provide free shipping, too!) What's more, your old juice pouches will get a second life as colorful purses, totes, and pencil cases, which are sold at Target and Walgreens stores throughout the U.S.