3 . If you’re a teenager, you are in a very powerful position. Starting good money habits now will put you ahead for the rest of your life. Here are money tips for you.

You probably aren’t making a ton of money right now, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is time.     1     Let’s look at an example: At the end of your summer job, you have $1000. You invest it at a rate of return of 5%. At the end of those 50 years, you will have $11,467.49.

If you start the habit of saving money now, that habit will always be with you. Every dollar you get, whether it’s a gift, an allowance, or pay from a job, get into the habit of saving a part of it. Half of it would be ideal.     2     The older you get, the harder it can seem to save even 10% of your money.

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There is so much information available on the Internet. You can find articles that will teach you how to make $100 fast. There are also so many personal finance books to choose from to learn about where to start. You can talk to your parents for advice on money management, too.

FOMO is fear of missing out on all the fun.     4     It’s important, though, to give up what you want now for what you want most. What you want now is to take the money you made at your summer job and go on Spring Break. What you want most is to graduate debt free or to be able to quit a job you hate because you have a big emergency fund to see you through to your next job. You may not like it when you’re eighteen.     5    

4 . Different Approaches to Reducing Food Waste

Food plays a key role in people’s life. While many people in poor communities suffer from a shortage of food, a large amount of food is wasted in the rest of the world.     1     Here are some tips on how to reduce food waste.

Learn to store food. Not sure how to keep those greens from wilting overnight?

Can’t keep your tomatoes fresh for more than a day or two? Do your research on food storage and you’ll get the rewards. Not sure where to start?     2    

Use it all.     3     For example, leave the skin on carrots and potatoes (The skins actually have a ton of valuable nutrients!), save the beet greens for a salad, and don’t throw away the outer skin of oranges!

    4     Many fruits and vegetables are thrown away because they aren’t “pretty” enough. Buying food that comes in a different shape, size or colour helps use up food that might be given up.

Understand best-before dates correctly. People often confuse best-before dates with expiry dates. The best-before date has nothing to do with the safety of the food.     5     So while the taste may not be that good, many food items are still safe to eat for many days beyond the best-before date.

5 . ECycling refers to the recycling of electronic items, which are becoming a common problem in American home and throughout the world. The EPA, or Environmental Protection Agency, has actually started a program to help and motivate the recycling of electronics.

To get the program to the regional and neighborhood levels, the EPA directed “Plug-In to eCycling Partners”. These partnerships support electronic reusing programs in individual communities. They provide local governments, retailers and manufacturers with opportunities to reuse and recycle their items. Those who make and offer electronic devices then promote programs and opportunities for consumers to reuse their second-hand electronic products. One of the EPA’s goals is to enlighten customers about why the recycling of electronics is so important. They likewise wish to make eCycling chances easily accessible to specific consumers and their family electronics. According to the EPA, the eCycling program has actually been quite successful. In 2008, the EPA collected 66.5 million pounds of electronic devices through their Plug-In Partners.

Local governments have actually likewise got on board and passed laws intended to handle used electronic devices. Huge corporations have actually introduced eCycling programs at their local retail stores. One seller offers customers small, medium and big boxes for sale, which the customers then load with used electronics and go back to the store. Typically, customers bring their recyclable electronics to a location. When the electronic items are gathered by the EPA (typically this is done by the Partners), they are reused or recycled.

Reused items are repaired and refurbished, and passed on to others as a contribution. You can repair or recondition your very own electronic devices too, extending the life of the items and conserving the energy of making new materials. Reusing electronic devices includes making use of the products and parts of the items. These materials and parts are then made use of to produce another item. This is more efficient than making items from new materials.

Some items that are commonly eCycled consist of televisions, computer monitors, printers, notebook computer, keyboards and cable televisions. Less usual items include copying machines, CD players, voice mail machines, computer hard drives, mobile telephones, remote controls, radios, batteries, telephones, facsimile machines and computer games. Occasionally, electronic items such as microwaves, fans, vacuums, smoke alarms, and toasters are eCycled.

As the eCycling program continues, you or your organization may want to get involved. Check the EPA’s internet site (www.epa.gov) for regional eCycling programs, or for details on how your company can participate. Their website has links to organizations that are taking part in the eCycling program.

6 . Paper is one of our oldest, simplest and most important inventions. But it also presents a danger to the world in two significant ways. First, the making of paper requires the loss of millions of trees each year. Between 2001 and 2019, the world lost 386 million hectares of forest. Of the trees that were cut down, 42% went to paper production. And worldwide use of paper is expected to double in the next 40 years. Clearly, the planet cannot sustain such a high rate of forest loss.

The second great problem with paper is what happens once it is no longer useful. A huge quantity of wastepaper ends up in dumps and landfills (垃圾填埋场), where it can produce harmful gases. Paper in landfills leads to the release (释放) of methane, a gas that is a significant contributor in global warming.

One simple solution can greatly reduce both of these problems: paper recycling. Paper is mainly made from cellulose (纤维素), which makes up the cell walls of trees and many other plants. Because of its structure, cellulose can be used repeatedly in papermaking. So far, trees are the only source of cellulose that can fill the massive demand for paper products. Therefore, recycling paper is simply one of the best ways to save trees.

Thanks to advances in processing, recycled paper isn’t the dull-colored stuff many of us are familiar with any more. It now can offer the same print performance as non-recycled paper.

Effective recycling requires a consistent effort. The way to begin is with education and understanding. Once enough people realize the need for recycling, more effective recycling systems can be carried out. The massive loss of trees affects everybody on earth. Everyone should do their part to recycle paper and encourage government and industries to do the same.