HOW TO LIVE SUSTAINABLY FOR FREE (free ways to live zero waste pt 5)

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

What other ways do you live sustainably for free? I want to keep this series going as long as possible!

[@corald3638]

I swapped buying traditional cat litter for wood pellets that are made from wood manufacturing waste.

[@virginialangford6257]

I think…and I have been living this way for many, many years…think…turn off the energy efficient light…do you even need the light? Or the air conditioning? Do you need a new this or that? Is furniture, drapes etc a fashion statement? Is it better to buy a good warm comforter or a cute quilt? Do good bed and bath linens save you long run? How can you adapt to a cold or warm environment? What can you reuse, can you mend it, take good care of it, hand wash instead of dry clean? Loose the few pounds instead of re buying another size? Rinse the last bit of something out of the jar, save the jar? Sweep before you vacuum? Not draw water to get to hot water without a plan for the cold water? Reuse take out containers…as much as possible. Think before you buy….do not buy convince…hand wash in the shower, do your own hair, nails and facials…and keep them simple. Stop wanting…that’s big! Research..is it better to make a cake or buy a mix? Can you substitute..or maybe not? Dry clothing on a line or rack, save soap slivers, buy bar soap, learn to sew, if you have internet you have as much TV as you need. Turn the thermostat down/ up…those before lived without the luxury of central heat or A/C…or TV or dishwashers or

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

@@virginialangford6257 yes for sure!

[@adelest9500]

I would be careful with the last tip, since not all human foods are safe for dogs :/ but if it is safe, it's a great idea, dog is happy and water is saved.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

Thank you for that! We are always safe to check but I should have disclaimed that others check, thanks for the reminder that we keep our doggos safe :)

[@rachels9598]

This gave me quite a chuckle! First time hearing this. No dogs, thanks. I'd just lick plate myself!

[@Volundur9567]

Garlic and onion is hella toxic to pets, especially cats and dogs. Spaghetti sauce often has these. Don't let pets lick human food up.

[@jazminjoyce4253]

Hey Hun, Ecosia use the add revenue from searches to plant trees, on average it's 45 searches to plant 1 tree. The 1:1 ratio is that 1 search removes 1kg of CO2 from the air. Not trying to be rude sorry, just wanted to make sure the info is accurate 🙂

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

Thank you for clarifying! I appreciate the help :)

[@evaastoul8160]

So helpful tips!! Another free sustainable tip I do all the time is to reuse your loose leaf tea (that you put in a tea strainer) one more time. That way you get two cups of tea for one and it tastes the same (just let it infuse a few minutes longer the second time). Saves waste and saves money ;)

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

Love that tip! Thanks for sharing! I will add it to my next iteration ;)

[@nancyhaynes7364]

Thanks for that tip!! Blessings

[@virginialangford6257]

My mother and I have exchanged the same birthday card for about 20 years…never been signed…same envelope has gone on you years…for some reason the return address has one of my very old return address stickers…for her address I take of the sticker with my address and put one of hers on…also if you have some one you regularly correspond with it’s a nice touch if you each have a sheet of the others address stickers.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

what a fun tradition too!

[@lawra89]

If you drink a lot of tea it costs less. it also tastes better.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

for sure!

[@haleynoelmusic]

My BF and I almost never use the oven, we just use our toaster oven since it's smaller and doesn't take as much energy to heat up!

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

that is awesome!!

[@audreyelwood2053]

I have never got the stigma over regifting! I love regifting my favorite books to friends and family!

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

i don't get it!

[@ciannacoleman5125]

If you use cast iron using oil is a necessity. Also there are benefits to consuming olive, coconut, avocado and other healthy fat oils. Yes it may not be “necessary” to use oil in some cases in others it is, but do what works for you.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

Definitely what works for you which is why I start these videos by saying you don't have to implement these all take what works :)

[@Warrrkotka]

When you boiled to much water in your kettle you can always pour down the rest of the water to cool it down so you can drink it later. You can also put a little container on the window ledge so after it rains you can use capture water to water your plants.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

While that is always great to reuse water the idea behind this tip is to save energy!

[@michaelafischer6177]

Sometimes I take the opportunity to de-clog my sink with a bit of bicarb if I have excess hot water! Although I understand that the purpose of the tip is saving energy. It might sound silly, but not overfilling the kettle and popping lids on my saucepans were two things I just wasn't doing *enough* and had to really consistently remind myself to monitor. Even though it was one of the seemingly smaller changes a person could make, it ended up being one of my more considerable ones, I think. I'm really convinced it's made a difference in the long-run.

[@stephanieschultz5453]

For “little plastic bag” uses, I suggest using biodegradable “poop bags,” which I have anyways for the dog. Plastic bags are saved for things like trips to the beach, but mostly go to the grocery store in the bins by the bottle return room. I deposit there all the plastic bags from grocery stores and from food packaging (chip bags-cleaned, etc) because plastic takes forever to break down.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

yup i use those :)

[@kathryncooper4001]

We all end up with plastic bags occasionally; I donate mine to thrift stores, so they can use them to pack their customers' purchases. I use compostable trash bags for my weekly garbage pickup. Saving so much money by living low-waste, I can afford to pay extra for trash bags and organic food.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

that is amazing!!

[@lynnegordon6749]

I just found your channel. Your Decluttering for Lent popped up on my feed tonight. Thank you. Your Cat is soooooo cute. ❤🇨🇦Lynne🐀and Pearl🐱 We like your dog too.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

I'm so glad you enjoy my videos, thanks for watching! I hope you stick around for future declutters :)

[@severnblood1570]

2:10 - If you live in a village or a small town like me, you can actually go otside the town and collect some herbs here! Dry them afterwards, and it will make for a great tea. It even doesn't need to be some special herbs, anything common like nettles will do!

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

that is seriously so cool! more foraging!!!

[@corald3638]

I save so much money switching to bulk loose leaf tea. My favorite is Lonestar Botanicals because they’re well priced, and high quality so I only use 1 to 2 tsp per mug.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

it's the best!

[@helmickkm]

I used to have a cat (RIP Ziggy) that would jump into our dishwasher when it was open to lick our plates clean. He was acting like we never fed him 😂 Of course, if it was food that was unsafe for him, we’d have to scoop him up and put him in kitty jail until we were done, but if it was safe, we just let him go to town until we were done cleaning the rest of the kitchen.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

hahahahahha animals are so funny !

[@martas9011]

One of the things I do all the time is re-purposing old socks for cleaning cloths; they're really good for dust! And for the cleaning I use kombucha vinegar (from my scoby hotel) infused with orange oil from oranges skin- great for wood and wooden chopping board (I always cut the peels in small pieces, dry them and use for various DIYs). Nothing is wasted in my house :)

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

amazing!! I should use my reallyyyyy old kombucha for cleaning cause it's definitely vinegar now haha

[@martas9011]

@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist haha yeah, been there too! :) Still, nothing gets wasted, which is brilliant!

[@kaitlynnewman9286]

The coffee ice cube tip >>>>

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

GAME CHANGER!

[@erintannehill]

I was so exited to see all the coffee and tea tips! I don’t cold brew my beverages but now I want to give them a try!

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

I loved doing clod brewed tea this summer! I hope you like trying the new tips!

[@adelest9500]

I always thought that water must be hot for tea to brew properly :O now I'm excited to try to cold brew it

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

@@adelest9500 I thought so too until one of my favorite authors talked about his favorite tea and how he cold brewed it and my mind was BLOWN so I tried it and love the way it turns out!! Now I sometimes throw a glass in the fridge when I go to work so I can enjoy it in the afternoon :)

[@anreadz]

Thank you for this 💕 I love these kinds of videos because this shows how small things matter when it comes to sustainability.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

Just like my outro quote, I strongly believe our small changes have a big impact in the long run when multiplied! Hope you enjoy this ongoing series :)

[@kiterafrey]

Also look into your city’s recycle center. I lived in a town growing up that got in serious hot water because they were charging extra for a recycling bin but they’d just dump all the recycling collected at the landfill dump too and didn’t recycle anything, despite charging people $50 a month for the service.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

IONSANE WHAT

[@caseylovesthesharks]

I just wrote a card to my friend and because of your tip, I didn't write her name on it!!

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

oh yay! hope they still enjoy it :)

[@Hollis_Creative_Corner]

So for me if I have food scraps they go to my chickens. If it's something they can't eat like avocado skin, I use the skins to dye fabrics and then compost. Egg shells go to my chickens and compost. I also use the deep litter method in the coop which essentially is composting and great for plants and also goes in my compost.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

that is so cool! I want chickens on a homestead one day :)

[@ginarose8183]

Love love love you!

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

thanks for being here!

[@FunnyMemo]

Use a toaster oven instead of the large oven

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

that's a good one for smaller things!

[@stacyberry6097]

I collected rain water for 2 day in buckets and got 50 gal. I had to dump my buckets quite a few times but it was fun checking like 6 times a day to see if my buckets were full, but fun. I had a 50 gal plastic drum that I got for free and found a great way to use it. Now free plant & garden water.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

that is sooo cool! I love collecting water, my plants love it more too :)

[@buckeyedav1]

I'm watching your tips backwards as they show up lol. Good tips and yeah we let our dogs lick the bowls and plates too and I compost my coffee grounds. We don't have a dishwasher but same thing. I love composting a month or so ago I was watching a video on composting and she mentioned using sawdust in your compost I found a lumber yard here locally and got this huge and I mean huge bag of saw dust for $10.00 it took up the entire back of my PT Cruiser so I add a pitcher of that to my food along with dirt and a little water every so often and till it up with a hand trowel I add egg shells along with any other food scraps (not onions or meat). I do a lot of canning so I always have things like corn silk and odds and ends but fairly large amounts as I Can usually in bulk most goes in to my compost bin. I love gardening. This morning we discovered we have a deer hanging out in my neighbors yard so I checked with several grocery stores and got free large netted onion bags to put around my garden to hopefully prevent the deer from eating my garden first for here in the inner city. I'm going tomorrow to get deer spray but also using the netting and pinwheels too (you know the whirly things we all had as kids?). I'm going to keep collecting the onion netting (also oranges come in it) and start thinking of other ways these can be used instead of going in the landfill which is awful. I am a crocheter and a sewer so I'm sure I can come up with better choices for these than being thrown in the trash. Anna In Ohio.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

Thank you so much for the support, Anna! What great tips you offer, too :)

[@martas9011]

Interesting tips! Thank you :) Just one suggestion/question- Could you add titles of what you are covering in the video bar? It would help jump to section people are interested in or find specific part...

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

I can definitely start adding time stamps to the description for this series :)

[@consultinghistorian]

Thank you

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

thank you!

[@floridasavannah]

"I talk fast" . . . Me, who plays videos on 2x: 😶😳

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

obvi that disclaimer isn't for everyone :)

[@jamiebruno6594]

We use the bonus tip all the time! 🐶🍽

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

yay!! great for everyone haha

[@caitlinmichelehill4590]

Listening to you on 2x speed is wild! :P

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

i haven't tried yet but I already talk 2x as fast as normal hahaha

[@caytlinparker6371]

Just make sure your dog (or other pets) can eat the food you can before you give it to them!

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

of course!

[@edenmatthews7266]

If you save 1 tablespoon of water a day it's 1.42 gallons of water a year

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

woah true!

[@varinafulcher5898]

Even though bowls go in dishwasher, not hygienic to let animals eat from human dishes.😮

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

i would love to see some sources! but I'll do me and you can do you

[@shaunaburton7136]

Figure out how to fix clothes, furniture, bags, shoes etc.... instead of replace. Learn to cook from scratch, sew, garden, etc..... it will reduce your packaging needs and save money

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

what great tips!

[@erilonearth]

i am watching so many of your videos hehe, but wow! i didn't know japanese airlines don't have e-boarding tickets. i only use e-boarding here in the states and thought it was universal but i guess not.. :/ good to know though!

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

awwww thank you so much! they "have" them but they NEVER accept them! I can't wait to use US airlines and use e-boarding passes again haha

[@hlobisilenhlapho4800]

I made eggs using a microwave simply because I was too lazy to use a pan and a stove. Microwave is the way!

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

oh for sure! so much quicker and less energy!

[@Volundur9567]

Why do British people look at me like a madman when I say I leave my teabag steep for hours, not minutes. I want that ish strong like Russian bear.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

because that is an abomination and I'm from the US hahaha bitter tea is not good

[@Volundur9567]

@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist lol it's herbal or fruit tea, so imo it ain't flavored enough until you let it really marinate in there🤣

[@agasz1153]

Or... I can lick my plate myself 😄

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

whatever suits your fancy hahahahaha

[@ms.pirate]

7:54 whos this? The mermaid one

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

just a friend haha i was talking about a video I made

[@kateg9437]

When giving dogs things to lick, you should beware of any ingredients. Onions and garlic are toxic to dogs, among others.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

I always research before hand but thanks for the reminder for others! Definintely important!