As seen on The Drew Barrymore Show: 3 easy tips to live 'greenly'

Induction technology is having a big moment right now, and that's because it cooks twice as fast as a gas stove, and it's really easy to clean. But most importantly, induction cooktops don't emit toxic gases like gas stoves do. 

Many people aren't aware that nearly 1 in 8 childhood asthma cases are associated with having a gas stove at home. Gas stoves produce methane, a toxic greenhouse gas that's 28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide, and release chemicals that are linked to an increased risk of heart disease, cancer, and respiratory illness. 

If you do have a gas stove, don't panic! Just make sure you have good ventilation and are using the exhaust fan or opening a window when you cook.

But if you're looking to make an upgrade or do some home improvement, consider getting an induction stove — especially because you may be eligible for over $800 in incentives.

And even if you aren't fully ready to make the switch, you can get a portable induction cooktop burner for around $80 from brands like Duxtop, which many TCD teammates use (see here for a video) to cook everyday meals like mac and cheese in half the time.

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Many of us were taught that the only way to get your clothes clean was by washing on hot, but that's a myth! Washing on cold with a quality detergent is gentler on your clothes, and it's less likely your fabrics will shrink, fade, or wrinkle. Even the NFL has started washing on cold.

And the best part is that you could save up to $250 a year just by making this small switch. According to Energy Star, 90% of the energy used by operating washing machines goes toward heating water. So when you switch to cold cycles, you could save anywhere between $150-$250 a year on energy bills, depending on how many loads you run every week. 

And we're already seeing futuristic-looking washing machines by Electrolux, GE, and Samsung that have literally built this switch into washers, with an innovative feature that claims to enhance the machine's ability to wash on cold.

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Each year, 120 billion cosmetic packages are created, and only a few of them are recycled. Instead, most end up in landfills because they're made of multiple materials or the packaging is so small or flexible. 

But there's a solution: Pact Collective is a nonprofit that works with major beauty brands like Sephora and Ulta to recycle beauty "empties." Pact has over 3,000 bins across the U.S. and Canada where you can recycle your bottles. Just make sure products are clean and fully empty before you recycle them. Pact also has a mail-in program.

In the future, we'll be seeing more ways to recycle empties, more refillable products, more bar soaps and shampoos, and even compostable beauty packaging. Pact is also going full circle by creating new products from the materials it's recycling.

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You know that feeling when your pump lotion or hand soap still has liquid left in the bottom, but you can't get to it? 

Here's how to actually get that out: "Clamshell" it open with scissors and then use a rubber spatula to put the extra lotion/soap/etc., into a small jar. This simple tip could help you save money on new products by extending the life of your lotion for weeks.

The Cool Down covered the story of an exasperated customer who did this with 13 seemingly empty lotion bottles and saved 36 ounces of lotion that normally would have been tossed. That's almost two full bottles' worth of products. 

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