There are some universal truths about how to recycle properly for your weekly garbage pick-up service. Never put plastic shopping bags, light bulbs, broken glass or food in your recycling bins and only recycle plastics that are labeled as a "1" or "2". Most services do not take plastics labeled with higher numbers.

Use nature's best pesticide by inviting birds, bugs and bats to combat unwanted insects. Install birdhouses for feathered friends who eat beetles and grubs. Bring in a few praying mantises to munch on aphids. Attract bats and toads, which love to dine on mosquitoes, with "houses" made from overturned flowerpots.

When possible, purchase recycled paper products. Producing one ton of paper from recycled stock can save up to 17 trees and will use 50 percent less water than making paper from virgin fiber.

Using recycled latex paint keeps harmful chemicals out of the landfill and it is a bargain at around $5 to $8 per gallon. Colors and finishes are sometimes limited, but for basic painting, it's a great way to go green.

Install solar panels on your home's roof that will work with the conventional water heater. The panels can cost a few thousand dollars, but they will reduce the need for electric water heating by two-thirds and trim about 12 percent from the average monthly electric bill.

While using compact fluorescent bulbs can save energy, the quality of lighting from an inexpensive bulb may be less than desirable. Splurge on the premium fluorescents, which cost $9 to $12, to get the highest quality lighting.

Thirty percent of the fossil fuel used on farms goes into the making of fertilizers. Not only does buying organic food help reduce levels of these pollutants, but also, chemical-free food always tastes better.

Look for locally grown food that is produced within 100 miles of home. This will reduce the amount of diesel fuel needed for shipment, the food will be fresher and it will help support local agriculture.

Choose paints that are low in volatile organic compounds (or VOCs) to help reduce chemical pollutants. These paints are much improved with new designer colors and are now equivalent in quality to regular paint. Using low VOC paints means feeling less lightheaded than when painting with standard latex-based products and they are less harmful to the environment.

A summer's worth of mowing, watering and fertilizing are tough on the environment. To reduce the amount of pollutants generated by these activities, try replacing some areas of your lawn with environmentally friendly alternatives like ornamental grasses and ivy.

An LCD flat panel uses one-third of the electricity of bulky tube-based models.

When purchasing a large screen television, look for the LCD and rear-projection features. These TVs will use less than half the energy of the plasma screen variety.

Not only is grilling a healthy way to cook, it also uses less energy than electric kitchen stoves. Propane and natural gas grills are best; they emit about half the amount of carbon dioxide as their charcoal counterparts. In addition, the heat stays outside, which reduces the work for the air conditioner.

Manufacturers of low-flow toilets are using advanced computer imaging to deliver more flush power with less water. The new models reduce water waste and can cut around $90 annually from the water bill.

Gasoline-powered lawn mowers can release as many pollutants into the atmosphere in 30 minutes as a car does in 90 minutes. Electric mowers don't dirty the air and cost only about $10 per year to operate.