Although recycling is crucial to the future of our planet, it still contributes to pollution. Recycled waste builds up and produces toxins when melted down. By precycling, you lower the amount of products that need to be recycled. This involves purchasing products with minimal packaging and maximum reusability. When you precycle, you save waste from landfills by reusing, repairing, and donating what you already have.Learn how to precycle with these simple lifestyle switches:Carry reusable bags. Bring your own bags when running errands. If you forget your bags always choose paper over plastic. Paper bags can be reused and can be recycled much easier than plastic ones. Some grocery stores will even enter you into a weekly drawing for free groceries if you bring your own bags. Who doesn’t want to be a winner? Baggu make an amazing assortment of reusable shopping bags in more than 30 colors.Pick products with minimal packaging. Avoid buying items that have multi-layer packaging bigger than the product itself. In most cases you can’t avoid packaging all together, so purchase products made from recycled materials.Refuse junk mail. Be the boss of your mailbox with services like Tonic Mail Stopper and Proquo.Give away, don’t throw away. Donate old clothing, toys, and electronics to your local Goodwill or community center. If you have old magazines and books you want to get rid of donate them to local hospitals and libraries.Repair broken items. Always try and repair before you throw away. How to Mend It is a wonderful resource for how to fix just about anything. For further repair advice, read Platform21’s Repair Manifesto.Drink from refillable bottles and mugs. Kick your water bottle addiction by buying a Sigg. If you buy a coffee every morning, bring your own reusable mug or try I’m Not a Paper Cup for coffee shop trips.Dispose your disposable habit. Eliminate the use of one-time use products such as razors, plastic eating utensils, and cigarette lighters. Instead buy reusable, refillable, and washable items.Rent it, don’t buy it. Borrow or rent tools you wont use everyday. Many hardware stores have the rent option instead of buy.Illustration by John DuBois.

  • Man’s dog suddenly becomes protective of his wife, Internet clocks the reason right away
    Dogs have impressive observational powers.Photo credit: Canva

    Reddit user Girlfriendhatesmefor’s three-year-old pitbull, Otis, had recently become overprotective of his wife. So he asked the online community if they knew what might be wrong with the dog.

    “A week or two ago, my wife got some sort of stomach bug,” the Reddit user wrote under the subreddit /r/dogs. “She was really nauseous and ill for about a week. Otis is very in tune with her emotions (we once got in a fight and she was upset, I swear he was staring daggers at me lol) and during this time didn’t even want to leave her to go on walks. We thought it was adorable!”

    His wife soon felt better, butthe dog’s behavior didn’t change.

    pregnancy signs, dogs and pregnancy, pitbull behavior, pet intuition, dog overprotection, Reddit stories, viral Reddit, dog instincts, canine emotions, dog owner tips
    Otis knew before they did. Canva

    Girlfriendhatesmefor began to fear that Otis’ behavior may be an early sign of an aggression issue or an indication that the dog was hurt or sick.

    So he threw a question out to fellow Reddit users: “Has anyone else’s dog suddenly developed attachment/aggression issues? Any and all advice appreciated, even if it’s that we’re being paranoid!”

    The most popular response to his thread was by ZZBC.

    Any chance your wife is pregnant?

    ZZBC | Reddit

    The potential news hit Girlfriendhatesmefor like a ton of bricks. A few days later, Girlfriendhatesmefor posted an update and ZZBC was right!

    “The wifey is pregnant!” the father-to-be wrote. “Otis is still being overprotective but it all makes sense now! Thanks for all the advice and kind words! Sorry for the delayed reply, I didn’t check back until just now!”

    Redditors responded with similar experiences.

    Anecdotal I know but I swear my dog knew I was pregnant before I was. He was super clingy (more than normal) and was always resting his head on my belly.

    realityisworse | Reddit

    So why do dogs get overprotective when someone is pregnant?

    Jeff Werber, PhD, president and chief veterinarian of the Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles, told Health.com that “dogs can also smell the hormonal changes going on in a woman’s body at that time.” He added the dog may “not understand that this new scent of your skin and breath is caused by a developing baby, but they will know that something is different with you—which might cause them to be more curious or attentive.”

    The big lesson here is to listen to your pets and to ask questions when their behavior abruptly changes. They may be trying to tell you something, and the news may be life-changing.

    This article originally appeared last year.

  • Throughout history, women have stood up and fought to break down barriers imposed on them from stereotypes and societal expectations. The trailblazers in these photos made history and redefined what a woman could be. In doing so, they paved the way for future generations to stand up and continue to fight for equality.

  • ,

    Why mass shootings spawn conspiracy theories

    Mass shootings and conspiracy theories have a long history.

    While conspiracy theories are not limited to any topic, there is one type of event that seems particularly likely to spark them: mass shootings, typically defined as attacks in which a shooter kills at least four other people.

    When one person kills many others in a single incident, particularly when it seems random, people naturally seek out answers for why the tragedy happened. After all, if a mass shooting is random, anyone can be a target.

    Pointing to some nefarious plan by a powerful group – such as the government – can be more comforting than the idea that the attack was the result of a disturbed or mentally ill individual who obtained a firearm legally.


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