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As consumers, we all have an obligation to conserve our resources and reduce the amount of waste we dispose of. And it's not that hard, too. Everyone can start implementing little life changes that will make a difference.
ReduceWasteNow is the place to go if you're starting to get more concerned about the environment. Not only does the online shop offer sustainable products that will help you avoid plastic, but it also shares comprehensive advice on how to minimize your ecological footprint.
A good example of it is the 'old me vs. new me' meme.
More info: reducewastenow.shop | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Darwinist 5 years ago
That's reusing, but you can recycle it after it breaks. Eco products are a scam.
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Martz Migraña 5 years ago
Yep, I think I've never bought a water container or a thermo, I've always used those that you get as gifts from random brands or promotions 😂
Troux 5 years ago
The cheap ones aren't made of high quality anything. That's why they are cheap, but it doesn't mean they are single use.
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Jake Jones 4 years ago
..............................................................................
Graydon Lawson started ReduceWasteNow two years ago and has been operating it alone ever since. "I create all of the social media content, write the weekly blog posts, and manage the store — all while trying to balance school at the University of Victoria," Lawson told Bored Panda. "It's a lot of work, but every second is worth it. People seem to be really grateful to learn simple, actionable ways they can help the environment, and I love helping them do exactly that."
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#2
Martha Meyer 5 years ago
Hmm, good tip, but I guess you'd have to check that apple regularly so you can remove it before it goes bad.
Bernadett Nagy 5 years ago
This is tupid. ( im a gardener so i know what im saying) apple ill rot and pull the entire bag of potato. Apples are also stored in wooden crates searately. In single rows so they wont hit against each other and start rotting and if your apple wont rot after a week its 95% sprayed with conservating substances. Just rub your hand around your potatoes to desprout and dont be lazy.
Jaap van der Voort 5 years ago
So how come my homegrown apples don't rot after a couple of weeks? If you store them in a dark and cold place they will last for a long time.
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Aileen Grist 5 years ago
It works too - we've been using the same 3 apples for over 3 months - well one has now gone wrinkly but the other 2 are still fine. We buy our potatoes in 25 kilo sacks and it takes us 4-6 weeks to eat them all
Ted Farmer 5 years ago
This can’t be right. Apples emit large amounts of ethylene, which speeds up ripening.
Aileen Grist 5 years ago (edited)
I works though - I thought like you did until I tried it.
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Mandy Trouten 5 years ago
Always Me: Eats the potatoes before they have the chance to sprout. :)
Lawson thinks social media is great for educational purposes mostly because of how convenient it is. "A lot of people use it every day, and if you want to see how you can be more eco friendly, all you have to do is visit ReduceWasteNow and you have access to hundreds of different ways you can help the environment," he said, adding that social media is also a really great place to share things you're interested in with your friends. "So if someone really likes this Instagram post about sustainable products that save you money, they can just tag their friends in it, and maybe that inspires them to try some of the tips and be more eco friendly as well."
#3
Vorknkx 5 years ago
In a Slavic country, babushka would pickle them and they'd last for the whole winter if needed ;)
Wripolsi 5 years ago
I had to look Babushka up. Here, in India, it means the one who conspires. Maybe related to some mythical tales and stuff.
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N G 5 years ago
I don't believe this one. Carrots and water would turn slimy and rancid within 2 weeks
Thenatural 5 years ago
Or or ...do what I do and eat the f****n carrot after you've peeled it..yeah?
Caroline Seguin 5 years ago
You don't need to cut carrots. They keep well in the fridge. Plus I think that when you cut veggies, there is less vitamines in it.
As you might've noticed, ReduceWasteNow features touch upon various environmental topics. With the 'old me vs. new me' meme alone, it has already addressed excessive plastic use, food waste, and other themes. Lawson said he gets most of his ideas from the company's followers, paying attention to what they comment under his posts on various platforms. That way, he knows he's talking about what's important to the people.
#4
Gemjoybug 5 years ago
This is a great attitude, sometimes it feels like you are not making any difference but every little bit helps, and just being conscientious about it is a good start
Crystal R 4 years ago
As the saying goes, we need everyone doing it imperfectly, not a few people doing it perfectly.
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Steve Cruz 5 years ago
A friend in Germany lives in a condo community and BY COVENANT residents consume less and reduce waste. Changing "minor" items is encouraged: foil instead of plastic wrap -- wash the foil and reuse or recycle. Avoid all plastics, even reusables. Creating a "shopper force" at local stores, to discourage overpackaging and plastic packaging -- she is part of a co-op run by a group of residents. They buy bulk items and people provide containers.
People who frown at such changes might say that individual efforts toward a greener planet are meaningless set against the huge systemic changes that are required to prevent devastating global warming. But Lawson doesn't think so. He believes in the power of the community. "If more and more people vote with their dollars, try their best to live more sustainably, and continue to use their voice as well as their vote, change will come," he said.
#5
Carina Marsh 5 years ago
That is bad advice. It is recommended to wash rice thoroughly to flush out arsenic. This rice water contains arsenic and should not be used.
NMN 5 years ago
I admit, I'm lazy and only wash the rice when my mom comes to visit. Also you only have to wash parboiled rice.
Lillukka79 5 years ago
This is bs. Yes you can use it to water your plants to conserve water, but it has no nutritional value.
"Cooper, one of my best friends, made a great point about this as well, and I 100% agree with him. He said, 'Due to the rise in popularity of social media, it has become easier for individuals to voice their opinion, and to have their opinion heard and shared. As a result, corporations are facing the largest amount of social pressure in history, which has the potential to create real change. The power of numbers has never been so great.'"
Lawson believes that nowadays individuals can speak louder than ever before, and that we can create real change "by using our collective voice to tell the big corporations what we want. All we have to do is step forward, and speak up."
#6
Celtic Pirate Queen 5 years ago
Make a weekly menu plan based on the sale items at your grocery store & stick to it. I'm amazed at how much less food waste we have. And USE your Freezer!
Laurie Ostergaard-Overbey 5 years ago
but, later in article there are other suggestions. ? veg and fruit together? veg in water? salad wrapped up.....
Steve Cruz 5 years ago
Remember that food can be prepped and frozen. Bell peppers on sale? Buy plenty, dice and store. Same with onions. Don't throw away potato peels: wash the potato, dry it, peel and save peelings for soups, stews, or "Potato Skin" casserole (toss in olive oil, add salt/pepper, roast at 450-f for 30 minutes, top with shredded cheddar, sour cream, bacon bits, chopped green onion and olive slices).
Jamie S. Martindale 5 years ago
How many folks will be tempted to wear that sign around their necks?!
#7
Eliška Malachovová 5 years ago
most shops with home appliances, should be with either mugs or kitchen wares.
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Narwhal Blast 5 years ago
Paper tea bags can be used for a lot of things... you can put essential oils on them and use them in storage spaces or closets to keep bugs and smells out, for plants, they make good fertiliser, especially green and black tea, mosquito bites can be ailed with a green tea bag...
Leslie Burleson 5 years ago
Be careful of getting a cheapo metal one ... they rust really quickly
Marco Conti 5 years ago
I can actually taste the bag now that I have been using infusers for about 10 years. The one in the picture on the right is a diabolic failure though. The ones I bought recently are screw top cylinders and never come open by mistake, unlike the one in the photo that will fail after a few times in a crowded drawer.
Edison Michael 5 years ago
I just need to find a decent infuser. Every one I ever had always leaked a bunch of leaves on my tea, so it would be just the same as if I just poured the leaves on the cup and sifted it before drinking. Which is what I currently do.
Jeff Requier 5 years ago
tea balls have been around for ever. I had to always make my parents tea, and only tea balls were used
Dave In MD 5 years ago
"Tea Infuser"? Had one 30 years ago, called a tea ball. Was used with loose tea. . I guess the trend now is pretentious names.
#8
Menecairiel 5 years ago
My family has always done it. Need a cleaning cloth for windows, polishing silver etc.? "Where is that old tee shirt/night gown? I need to cut it up!" Also used for polishing shoes...
Monday 5 years ago
Assuming they're still in good condition yes. But the old worn out ones full of holes probably aren't good for donating.
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Anggi Santika 5 years ago
Always do this with old t-shirts and towels. They actually absorb better than rags.
Freya the Wanderer 5 years ago
My family has always used old T-shirts as rags. They're great for making quilts, too.
#9
Vorknkx 5 years ago (edited)
BTW, bread can be frozen solid... and thus it can retain its freshness for quite some time. Just make sure to unfreeze it slowly, preferably inside something (to keep it from going dry). Do it correctly, and it will taste just like freshly baked, even if it was bought a month ago.
Martha Meyer 5 years ago
Old stale bread goes into meatballs here in Germany. Or you can use it for breading.
Danusha Kuchtová 5 years ago
when it's hard enough just slam and smash it and you'll get the perfect crumbely ingredient to add to perfect some meatballs for a lovely lady & the tramp pasta dish. >> please never feed ducks, birds and so ob with bread
#10
Ms Phit 5 years ago
And keep old overripe fruit AWAY from new fruit, especially bananas, unless you want them all to ripen way too fast
Kim 5 years ago
Has never happened to me. I keep my brown spotted bananas in the same bowl as my fresh apples. Nothing happens, literally. 😂😂 They ripen from the inside, what’s next to them doesn’t really matter. Once you pick a fruit from it’s free it’s totally reliant on itself and not even sunshine does much. Only thing you can really do to keep fruit from ripening to fast is to keep them cold. Cold cold cold. That’s it.
Load More Replies... JuJu 5 years ago
This picture irks me. They just separated the colors, not veg from fruit. Whoever did that, I hope you will always find a nudged part on every aplle you will eat in your life.
Laurie Ostergaard-Overbey 5 years ago
wait, what happened to my 'use it first bin' you just had me set up?
Ristina Nielsen 5 years ago
Sorry, that's too simplified... For an example, cucumber and tomato don't match well. AND some plant parts, like bananas and tomatoes, are best stored at room temeprarure.
Lucy Gray Baird🐦🐍 5 years ago
I like how there is green apples and grapes in the veggie side 🤦🏼♀️ And carrots on the fruit side
#11
Bardhi's Dad 5 years ago
You can replace almost every single-use item with reusable stuff, though
NMN 5 years ago
Sponges are not single use, that one in the pic is not single use either. But they are definitely not as durable and not biodegradable as the hemp option shown, and that's the point.
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Catlady6000 5 years ago
Loofahs work really well too. My grandma grew those and called them dishrag gourds. Grow your own vine, you'll have a lifetime supply, and when they're worn out, wash'em and put'em in the compost
Cassie 5 years ago
Same here. We use washrags that can be easily washed and used over and over again. I have one that was handed down to me when I moved out of my parents' house that is now very thin and has some holes, but still works well enough to wipe things down. It was initially purchased in the 1970s.
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Andrew Wozniak 5 years ago
My sister knit us some reuseable cotton scrub pads for washing dishes. they are great.
#12
NMN 5 years ago
They jumped from incandescent to LED? We've had fluorescent since late 90's (which means we only had to buy them twice) before switching to LED more recently
Andrew Wozniak 5 years ago
we moved into our house 7 years ago and still have incandescent bulbs that were installed by the previous owner.
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Megan Curl 5 years ago
Yea, well in the U.S. you can’t buy incandescent bulbs anymore, so that’s easy.
Elizabeth Butler 5 years ago
We use a mix but I quit buying fluorescent as soon as LED was available. Fluorescent is an environmental nightmare.
Jennifer Biness 5 years ago
Or keep using incandescent for poor souls like me who get migraines
Karin Gibson 5 years ago
They haven't been available in the UK either for absolutely ages.....about 8-10 years.
Bernadett Nagy 5 years ago
If you use them in places where you dont switch the light on and off every 5 seconds sure.but led dont like to be a disco light.
Amanda In TN 5 years ago
And hopefully EVERYONE disposes of these new mandatory LED bulbs properly!
#13
Curry on... 5 years ago
I gave a friend a gift of some cute reusable bags, but now because of covid, her local stores aren't allowing them. :(
Leslie Burleson 5 years ago
We use to tease eachother and say "ok Popo",if one of us washed and reused plastic ware . Popo was my extremely cantankerous grandfather who was the king of saving a buck. Mimics Popo: "shut the damn door ! I'm not air conditioning the neighborhood"! "You're letting all the cold air out of the fridge ! " " who put their spork in the trash ?!" Were some of his infamous sayings lmfao . Now we are always saying them to our kids . And that's how you know you're old lol
Freya the Wanderer 5 years ago
Some stores gve you a nickel credit each time you use reusable bags, per bag. Those nickels add up.
Leslie Burleson 5 years ago
That is cool ! I wonder if my store does that ? I'm going to check it out .
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Jennifer Norton 4 years ago
I love my reusable bags! You can actually get more in them than the plastic ones, let trips from the car to the house to get all the groceries in!
Kitty Twinkle 5 years ago
That's right! I never use plastic, one-use-only bottles and packages because they release a chemical that can be bad for you. And besides, getting multiple usage containers can save you so much money because you don't have to buy a lot.
#14
Nina Johansson 5 years ago
Or just chop and freeze them as soon as you buy them and skip the oil. I don't need oil for everything and herbs freeze really well.
DaVo 5 years ago
Or just have fresh herbs in your garden or on your balcony. They're easy enough to grow.
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Anja Schmidt 5 years ago
or just freeze it in seperate reusable plastic bags ... cilantro ... basil ... coriander ...
Pippa Runs 5 years ago (edited)
So should I put my chopped basil from the garden in the freezer, or not? Because I suck at growing it without tomatoes and they’re thriving. Would love to save some!
#15
Danusha Kuchtová 5 years ago
well thanks for the hack but for me this is so random I even can't believe. Is this really a thing, kale? limp kale? Honestly... : you're about throwing it away but then decide to cut, put it in some water and then in the fridge, see it "bloom", that's supercool but no reason to eat it. so in this point --> compost rocks and theres nothing wrong about
Christina Zimmerman 4 years ago
I stick it in the freezer and when you need it for soup take it out and dump it into soup
#16
SirPatTheCat 5 years ago
Also maybe they have a lemon tree/bush. I have a giant orange tree at home and we never know what to do with all of them
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Jenny Dunford 5 years ago
Chop them up, freeze them and add to gin or soft drinks instead of ice cubes.
Narwhal Blast 5 years ago
I slice it and freeze it and use it in the summer instead of ice. Also, frozen lemon is allegedly not so acid for the stomach anymore, but I'm not entirely sure about this.
FuturamaFan 5 years ago
please be aware that some nutrients like vitamin c degrade over time(even when frozen)
Beth Dykes 5 years ago
Just put the whole lemon in a bag in the freezer. Juices great after thawing.
Aileen Grist 5 years ago
Peel the lemons - zest the peel - discard the white - pulp and freeze.
#17
DDmaybeandor 5 years ago
Almost all fabric when it's manufactured has scotchguard automatically applied. It's a water repellent that is usually desirable on fabric. Unfortunately, I've rarely met a kitchen towel or washcloth that didn't have this treatment. That's why old towels and rags soak up spills the best, the scotchguard has worn off. Old cotton t- shirts also work well.
Neill Powell 5 years ago
Paper towels are biodegradable. Microfiber cloths are made of plastic fibers derived from crude oil or natural gas. Cotton is one of the thirstiest crops in the world; each year 198 trillion liters of water is used in its production. This one is debunked right out the door.
Elizabeth Butler 5 years ago
WOW all the anti-cloth comments!!!!!! Cloth is better for most stuff and I save the paper for truly nasty or greasy messes. Old tee shirts cut up are the BEST for most everything.
Helen Johnston 5 years ago
if you have an old cloth nappy and you have a spill just use that as it is a great moisture soaker for any spill
Aileen Grist 5 years ago
There's a fine balancw here. Paper towels, use and throw away, cloths have to be washed, dried etc., usng resources on top of the making of them
Steve Cruz 5 years ago
"Glass Clothes" -- a dishcloth that doesn't shed lint (for polishing glassware) -- are available online in bulk. Get a pile of them and there's no need for paper towels. If you use paper products, paper towels and tissues are compostable.
#18
Monday 5 years ago
THANK YOU. A lot of these tips are providing more expensive alternatives that just aren't in the budget.
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Louloubelle 5 years ago
At the risk of sounding like someone who is a bit prejudice. It does seem that people that are "concerned about the environment" have more money than the rest of us working stiffs.
Leslie Burleson 5 years ago
That definitely used to be the case , but now these products are becoming so common that the prices are going down and many are affordable .
Load More Replies... Freya the Wanderer 5 years ago
Old me: Bought jars of spaghetti sauce. New me: Makes my own from diced tomatoes, tomato puree, a couple herbs, a little garlic, mushrooms and whatever is lying around. Great way to save raw spinach that's starting to go bad.
Red rockin lobster 5 years ago
Or you can make your own ragù and save it in bottles. Much healthier and pays of. You just need more time but can dedicate one morning to it.
No you didn't 5 years ago
This only makes sense if you reuse the glass container. If it's single use and you throw it out afterwards, plastic is actually more environmentally friendly in this case. Still bad, of course.
Nhaundar 5 years ago (edited)
Thats why we have recycling containers for different glastypes in the whole country. And 'Mehrwegflaschen' glasbottles and jars who you can give back where youd buyed them and get som money (cents) back, this is also a System for plasticbottles only there gonna be resycled.
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Isabella 5 years ago
Plastic... whaaaat? You have PLASTIC jars in US? and you sell acidic foods in them? sweet buttery jesus, why?! It is just making the food poisonous in the long run. We only use plastic containers for dry food where I live.
Everybody Say Love! 5 years ago
"Sweet buttery Jesus" is the best thing i've seen today xD
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NamiKoa 5 years ago
It's really difficult to get things just right. In Germany we drink lots of carbonated water, you can get it in disposable plastic bottles, but also in cases of plastic or glass bottles that are returned, washed, and reused. Depending on how far the consumer is from the manufacturer, water bottles can be better or worse for the environment because of the additional weight. And if you recycle the disposable bottles but not the reusable plastic bottles, that also makes a difference... Sometimes I wish things were simpler.
TheDivineMs.M 5 years ago
Actually- where I live they don't recycle glass so we have to throw it away. So I buy the plastic so I can at least put it in the recycle bin.
DDmaybeandor 5 years ago
But isn't glass biodegrade? It's just melted sand, right?
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TheReader19 5 years ago
I'm from the UK, ALDI and Lidl sell pasta sauce in glass for USA equivalent of $1, can you not get it from there. I haven't seen any plastic pasta jars here, so I'm quite interested in your countries equivalent items
#19
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup water
3 tablespoons olive oil
.
Directions:
1) In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Stir in water and oil. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 10-12 times, adding a little flour or water if needed to achieve a smooth dough. Let rest for 10 minutes.
2) Divide dough into 8 portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 7-in. circle.
3) In a greased cast-iron or other heavy skillet, cook tortillas over medium heat until lightly browned, 1 minute on each side. Serve warm.
Roman Hans 5 years ago
I’m sure they’re much better than store-bought but I assume we’re talking about an hour plus of work to save a dollar and a plastic bag.
Steen Pedersen 5 years ago
actually....dough can be ready in 10 mins, so if not going to store anyway it's faster
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kjorn 5 years ago (edited)
i make my own bread and my own bagel. i wanna make my own pasta but that's where my wife patience stop me :-)
Sabienn 5 years ago
I don't know why you got downvoted. Not everyone has the time and or energy to make literally everything themselves
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Leesa DeAndrea 5 years ago
If I have to make tortillas to eat tortillas then I just won't eat tortillas.
Cecilia Bivald 5 years ago
But how is your flour/salt/olive oil sold? Sorry sorry..just had to..
Fabián Dávila 4 years ago
Those are different type of "tortillas". First ones are real tortillas made of corn, the second ones are made of wheat.
FuturamaFan 5 years ago
That's not tortilla, tortilla is corn flour. Appreciate the intention though.
#20
Crystal Reed 5 years ago
But... won't the peels also fertilize my plants if they're part of the compost that I mix in with the soil?
Serbob 5 years ago
Nope. Banana peels have to leave my house or I get fruit fly infestations. They go out into the back of my property in the compost heap.
NMN 5 years ago
I guess if it's in a jar the fruit flies won't get there (or get out in case there were eggs there already)
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Vivian Laetsch 5 years ago
My mom does this and for a while we had gross banana water sitting around everywhereee
Steve Cruz 5 years ago
Too many bananas ripe at one time? PUT THEM IN THE FREEZER! They last for months. The skins turn black, but the flesh remains creamy and flavorful. Run warm water on them to peel or let them sit out for 10-15 minutes. Great for smoothies, pancakes, banana nut bread,
Everybody Say Love! 5 years ago
I've only just started composting\vermicomposting and have done a little research on this. Apparently the potassium content found it steeped 'banana tea' is so minimal, you may as well just compost the peel. Chop it up first so it's easier for your wormy buddies to break down faster :) Sources: Epic Gardening (YouTube), GardenMyths - https://www.gardenmyths.com/banana-peels-garden/, Laidback Gardener - https://laidbackgardener.blog/2020/02/10/are-banana-peels-really-miraculous-in-the-garden/ There's tons of stuff out there for and against however, I would rather spend my time feeding my wigglies than steeping tea.
#21
GirlFriday 5 years ago
But colored pencils aren't as effective and are VERY UNPROFESSIONAL on documents. They also cause financial documents to be rejected by financial institutions.
NMN 5 years ago
I guess ANY highlighter would be very unprofessional in an official document
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Mohammad Ammar 5 years ago
Maybe if these alternatives were widely available I'd consider buying them.
Tiffany Marie 5 years ago
Use wooden highlighters from trees that were cut down to make them 😆
#22
Enuya 5 years ago (edited)
How is it that your onions spoil fast? Whenever I buy onions, they can lay on the shelf for MONTHS (I don't know if 8 months, since I always eat them sooner, but 3-4 months for sure) - without any tights or any other equipment. Isn't every onion like that?
no_name 5 years ago
I guess it has something to do with living in semi-warm apartment, because my onions last for like three days tops, then they're unusable. And I don't have a basement or anything like that.
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Crystal R 4 years ago
You can actually just store onions in any basket. If they're not crowded it works just as good. The benefit of this is if one goes bad the others are separated, the bad part is that it's difficult to grab an onion when you need one. If you like them like this you can also grow your own and braid their tops to hang like this
Stannous Flouride 5 years ago
Also, if they're already in a stocking you have them handy if you want to wallop the crap out of someone.
#23
Tinka Silberwolf 5 years ago
They are very uncomon in my country - I don't even know how to use it. Do you really get clean? How do you dry your skin - do you use a towl or paper? What do you do in a public restroom?
Laura Maeflower 5 years ago
I have all these questions too. I've never used one and I'm from Canada. Is it really strong enough of a spray to clean it all off?
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Michele Ottone 5 years ago
In Italy a separate bidet is a standard equipment in all houses, no matter how small or basic they are. The are in most hotels, too.
Olivia Agave 5 years ago
A bidet attachment for your shower is even cheaper and uses less space, or you can just use your shower as a bidet too. Way cleaner.
Laura Gillette 5 years ago
Don't you still need some TP to dry yourself off afterwards, though?
Isa Car 5 years ago
probably depends on how warm it is (and maybe what clothes you are wearing).
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Dario Li Causi 5 years ago
Sorry, thats not a bidet, plus you still need the paper even if you have one.
FuturamaFan 5 years ago
50 per cent of the problem remains, butt is clean, but what about wet butt?
Anja Schmidt 5 years ago
on amazon there is e.g. a cheap, flexible hand shower that can be easily installed on the tap if you have a sink next to the toilet.
#24
Stephanie Chapman 5 years ago
Bidet question - after rinsing do you use carry your own towel to get dry? Or is there a blowdryer function? or do you just give a little shake and hope for the best? I've always wondered about the protocol on this.
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Catlady6000 5 years ago
Yeah, there really are very few good choices. Other than avoiding plastic and styrofoam, I really don't worry about it. A lot of these are just exchanging one type of pollution for another.
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Elizabeth Butler 5 years ago
Better yet find recycled TP--better even than that TP made of bamboo. Several brands, buy online. Not flushing virgin trees down our toilets.
NoodleBear 5 years ago
Again, almost all these alternatives are friggin EXPENSIVE; I’m honestly so broke I had to learn how to cut my own hair so I don’t have to go to a salon
Raphael Biock 5 years ago
Many do this mistake. You need waaaay more water to produce the same amount of packaging made of paper/cardboard than plastic, so in the end it is not better for the enviroment. Only advantage is, that you can reuse the box.
Belinda Milner 2 years ago
I have just researched biodegradable/recycled/plastic free loo paper - it's hellishly expensive. The average roll of toilet paper is about R6/roll. The environmentally friendly ones are around R55/roll. We can't afford to pay R55 for something we're wiping our bums with...
#25
Enuya 5 years ago
Rechargeable batteries were a thing more than ten years ago. I remember when I was about 10-12 and my dad made my whole family using them. So much more economical than single-use ones!
Daria B 5 years ago (edited)
Yep, I used to purposefully buy and use them back in the 2000s. Nowadays, more and more devices have in-built USB rechargeable batteries.
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Radek Suski 5 years ago
I spent more money on rechargeable batteries than on regular one. These tend to go bad pretty quickly and I think it causes actually more damage to the environment
Gosia Buczek 5 years ago
Rechargeable ones unfortunately don't fit sometimes because they are bit bigger
Stannous Flouride 5 years ago
Alkaline batteries are non-toxic when they're disposed of and just break down They can be tossed in the trash. Rechargeables have cadmium and other metals and need special disposal.
Paul K. Johnson 5 years ago
I have some items that won't run with NiCads or NiMh batteries because of the lower voltage. You can buy Lithium cells that are 1.5 volts and charge from USB. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07VDS5FNG/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Leslie Burleson 5 years ago
We use rechargeable . Sometimes you get a dud battery that doesn't work well , but usually they will last you quite a while if you take care of them. With the amount of batteries my kids use I'd have to have my own landfill too keep buying new ones. The babies toys, the gaming system controllers , tv controllers , flashlights are things we use all the time . That's a lot of damn batteries
Matthew Smith 5 years ago
Now days you can use rechargeable batteries in most things, however not for remote controls, there will be always a use for the single use batteries at least for now.
Neill Powell 5 years ago
There are no incentives for battery manufacturers, particularly the USA, to promote rechargeable batteries. If they were big on it, every charger would be solar powered and all that jazz. There would be rebates for returning worn ones. China is killing it on the rechargeable industry. Even though they may only have 1/3 of the capacity the disposable ones do, you would still get at least 20x recharges out of them. And then there's the price, Chinese AAA batteries cost less that $1, how much do your big-name ones cost?
Jim Ellington 5 years ago
Regular batteries are manufactured with intentional weak spots so that they are more likely to explode if you try to recharge them. Heard it from a Duracell sales rep.
Matthew Smith 5 years ago
There was a special charger made that could recharge standard batteries, it wasn't very good, in fact it was a waste of money.
Load More Replies... #26
Monday 5 years ago
Or just buy the correct amount of leafy greens and eat them all before they wilt.
Jim Ellington 5 years ago
The tea towel industry takes exception to your statement.
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Vickie Martin 4 years ago
You can also place a paper towel in the bag and it keeps them fresher longer
Laura Rodrigues 5 years ago
Ummm, cut them, grind them, freeze them. Then use em in smoothies and soups.
Jeff Requier 5 years ago
You know this person is a vegan so they must be starving them selves, I Eat meat and dont have half the issues they do with waste vegetables
#27
SirPatTheCat 5 years ago
Cotton pads are generally used on eyes/face though so it's better to be gentle
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Mel Fairfeather 5 years ago
The best makeup removing cloth I've ever found is a dollar tree microfiber cleaning cloth that I cut into little squares!
clive apps 5 years ago
You could give up using makeup entirely for a number of health and financial benefits.
#28
Mary 5 years ago
Just make sure you remove the seeds. They are toxic for birds.
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Nigel Rodgers 5 years ago (edited)
Or just eat the whole Apple. Cyanide in apples isn't enough to harm you. If you're skeptical, then don't take my word for it.
Crystal R 4 years ago
Just spit out the seeds, it's only the seeds. I eat them though lol
Load More Replies... Everybody Say Love! 5 years ago
Can someone please explain why composting is now considered waste? That's what these messages seem to imply, no? If the compost is going into yours and other people's gardens, then surely that's a good thing?
Cecilia Bivald 5 years ago
In general, buying less is always better. Taking care of your waste is step two. Though here I think it is about using up the apple cores before you compost them instead of buying ready made apple juice
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#29
Menecairiel 5 years ago
That...is not tea...that is what you drink if you want to knock yourself out for the night but also wake up in the morning almost wetting the bed....
Vickie Martin 4 years ago
Have you checked the price lately for looseleaf tea vs. bagged tea? Its astronomical.
Leslie Burleson 5 years ago
How do you reuse the tin ? Do you get them refilled or do you repurpose them ?
#30
Troux 5 years ago
Unpackaged soap is fine, but how can I clean my skin with a dried blueberry or flower?
Demongrrrrl 5 years ago
Bar soaps retain germs for a long time. Liquid soap is better, especially now.
Onion rings like to make your breath smelly 5 years ago
my mom buys soap refill and reuses plastic soap dispensers so we dont have to buy a new soap every time it goes out
#31
Enuya 5 years ago
Well, good luck with that. I agree, this mixture works in MOST cases, but sometimes... sorry, sometimes you just need to use something with detergent if you want to clean the surface properly.
Nubmaeme 5 years ago
I found simply dish detergent cleans bathroom sinks, etc rather well. Then I spray them with undiluted vinegar. It keeps mold and soap build-up at bay better than commercial cleaners.
Load More Replies... Jim Ellington 5 years ago
I don't know about that - vinegar and baking soda react with each other to make a foamy mess. And for whom are these oils "essential"? Most people go all their lives without them, so they hardly seem essential.
Karla Garza 5 years ago
Why add an acid to a base? You just made both of them useless, whoever made this needs to go take highschool chemistry again
Belinda Milner 2 years ago
There are a number of unreasonably priced environmentally friendly cleaners available ...
Crystal R 4 years ago
Don't mix vinegar and baking soda, it makes salt water. Use plain vinegar of any kind as a cleaner and add scent if you want. Baking soda is good for scrubbing, leaving to set on something like a stovetop, or deoderizing. You can rinse off the baking soda with vinegar to make bubbles and that can maybe help as a surfactant, but mixing it beforehand just makes slightly vinegary saltwater.
Lillukka79 5 years ago
Vinegar is a great cleaner, baking soda is a great cleaner, mixin the two in a bottle, you get water, sodiumacetate and carbondioxide. Know your chemistry.
#32
kjorn 5 years ago
again here… how much? people tend to forget that the price of that stuff it's not for everyone. it's easy to be eco-friendly when you can affort that stuff. if i had the choice between 3 toothbrush at the dollarstore of one who cost 10$ and be do the job for a month… my choice is easy to make. when this kind of choice it's what decide if you eat or not...
SirPatTheCat 5 years ago
It's more of a personal thing though. "Here's what I am doing, maybe you could too", but no one is saying like if you don't buy all these things you are a horrible person who hates the earth. In general, I think people in the community are pretty respectful of people's limitations and will be happy for whatever small changes you can make. I'm sure there are a couple people who are rude and unreasonable, but that's a small percentage of people who will appear in almost any group.
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hobbitly 5 years ago
Yes but at least its less plastic cause the handle isnt made of plastic so it is a better choice for the environment.
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Krazy Kat 5 years ago
I was working in Bangladesh and thought I'd gift toothbrushes to some of the houseboys where I was staying. A day or 2 later I saw one of the boys brushing his teeth with a tree stem as he usually did. When I asked about the brush, he had given it to his wife to scrub things as it was unsanitary to use it twice in his mouth.
Maria 5 years ago
Interesting. I guess he knew it was a clean tree stem though?
Load More Replies... Jeff Requier 5 years ago
inhale your food so you never need to brush (my brother never got cavities and ate more then most)
JoodLikesTea 5 years ago
I found them 3x as expensive and the bamboo/handle splintered- i had cuts on the inside of my mouth. Also, my dentist said they can lose bristles and are not always effective at cleaning your teeth properly. Hard no.
Leslie Burleson 5 years ago
I think everyone has an eco saving tactic that is just impossible for their lifestyle. You do the best you can
Goat express 2 years ago
Our grocery store sells store brand bamboo toothbrushes that are super cheap, like $2
no_name 5 years ago
Ok this one I would appreciate to apply, but I would understand it in countries where you actually have some kind of biodegrade garbage can or anything like that. In my country it would just mean that I have to throw it in regural garbage can and it would travel straight into the landfill to be burned or stored for another few years until someone decides what to do with all that garbage. The plastic one I can throw in garbage can meant for plastic to be recycled. So unless I want to have my own compost at home, what would you suggest?
#33
Linus Nilsson 5 years ago
What kind of psycho keeps the avocado sliced, instead of just eating them within seconds?
NMN 5 years ago (edited)
Brazilian avocados (mostly "fortuna" var.) are 600g - 1000g on average. Good luck if you wanna try 1 kg of avocado in one sitting (~2 lbs)
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Ruth Beaty 5 years ago
Actually, I found that if you peel it and wrap it tightly in plastic wrap (yeah, yeah, I know) it will keep in the fridge for several days. Great if you can't use one right away for some reason but don't want it to go bad.
Bardhi's Dad 5 years ago
You can put cherry juice also, and your avocado will not be brown anymore, though 🤣
#34
Radek Suski 5 years ago
Or better cook those in a steamer so it won't loose so much ingredients
Johnny 5 years ago
This seems like a tiny return on effort -- unless you're getting your water from a bottle, the environmental cost of a quart of water is effectively zero, but the environmental cost of you living and breathing is non-zero, so those extra few minutes you take to walk the water over to your plants to water them likely far outweighs the environmental benefit of saving the water.
Jennifer Norton 4 years ago
These tips about saving the cooking water for plants is all well and good but what about those of us that don't have plants, or gardens etc. I have no use for this water!
Crystal R 4 years ago
Can make stock or soup, or use to flush the toilet if you really want to use it. Otherwise you wan water outdoor plants if you have those or just let it go :)
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Angela-Jayne Linford 4 years ago
We use our veggie water to make our gravy (probably not potatoes though) so I'm saving heaps by doing that plus none of the nutrients are wasted
#35
Cassie 5 years ago
I switched to an aqueous ozone laundry gizmo and don't use detergent at all anymore. I have teenage boys and this is the first time their underwear don't smell like perfumed funk. They finally smell clean now. Plus, it works best in cold water, so no plastic containers, no environmental impact from detergents, and we reduce our power consumption all while getting cleaner laundry.
Lily Langtry 5 years ago
This sounds great, I looked into it and unfortunately it's way out of my budget ($300+) but I'll put it on my wish list for someday. Thanks for mentioning it, I didn't know this existed.
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Susan Reid Smith 5 years ago
I don't want pre-measured detergent. I use less or more depending on the size of the load and the type of thing to be laundered.
Just JoLynn 5 years ago
Am I tripping or is that little package of detergent made from plastic?
Cassie 5 years ago
The individual use pouches are designed to dissolve to release the contents on use and are not plastic. It's made of biological material.
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Carrie Roettger 5 years ago
We did that for a long time. It was the best laundry soap we've ever used. My daughter has super sensitive skin (even ALL free and clear caused a reaction) and our homemade stuff NEVER caused her any problems.
Load More Replies... GirlFriday 5 years ago
What is the cost comparison and how effective is the laundry detergent? Is it made for sensitive skin? All Laundry detergent comes in recyclable bottles and bags, it very effective in cleaning, is safe for sensitive skin and costs about $4.00 for 32 loads.
Belinda Milner 2 years ago
There are a number of unreasonably priced environmentally friendly options available ...
Kris Vandenberghe 4 years ago
Those pods are just a bag of micro-plastics. VERY bad for the environment!
PurpleUnicorn 5 years ago
I tried a detergent free alternative but was never too happy with the results
Matilda Flink 5 years ago (edited)
I make my own since I am mostly allergic to detergent, you just take 1 part vinager to 2 parts water. Splash some in, it will help clean your machine, it is not harmful for nature and you get loooooots of it for really chep. And it won't make the laundry smell weird either.
#36
Martha Meyer 5 years ago
I just use tupperware for sandwiches. They go in the dish washer like everything else.
divydumdrop hello 5 years ago
You can also use reusable food containers! They are affordable and can be reused for years.
Barbara Stewart 5 years ago
It depends on what I had in the bag I rewash my plastic bags and reuse them.
Jessica Friend 5 years ago
buy a cheapo sandwich holder box thingy those bags start at like 14$ I found a sandwich holder for like 2$ at Walmart or just find Tupperware with separate compartments
GirlFriday 5 years ago
A six pack of reusable sandwich bags is $14.00 on Amazon. I am betting that many children do not return their sandwich bags at the end of the day.
E Tastic 3 years ago
And then you have to contaminate the water supply by washing it and wasting energy and if you run it through your washing machine you are wasting electricity. Hopefully it never gets wet nor stays wet for then it gets moldy and that is far more toxic than a plastic bag which I always recycle all plastic!
#37
GirlFriday 5 years ago
Beeswax food wrap is $18 per roll (on average) and you can use it five time before pitching it. Saran wrap is $3.00 per roll and you get about 10 times as much on a roll. Beeswax does not keep food fresh as long so you are wasting money and resources by buying it.
Monica Michelle 5 years ago
They are super easy to make. You can buy beeswax pellets for 6 and take any tight weave fabric. Melt bees wax dip fabric in and there you have it
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Sabienn 5 years ago
You can also use reusable containers, if you don't want to use plastic ones, buy glass ones. Reusable containers can last for years.
Catlady6000 5 years ago
Really the best choice. I even reuse cleaned glass jars that other food came in. I also use as many plastic jars as possible for craft storage.
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Zaineb Bookwala 5 years ago
Or just buy silicon stretch lids. $3-4 for a pack of 6 lids of different sizes. Lasts for years
Connie Martin 5 years ago
Beeswax ones to me are just gross. They don't feel clean even when they're brand new. I hardly ever need to use plastic wrap anyway; a roll lasts me about 3 years.
Laurie Ostergaard-Overbey 5 years ago
who uses saran wrap anymore? again, few can afford these 'renewable' products. i do buy plastic covers at the dollar tree, 20+ for a buck, and i wash and reuse them
Michał Jastrzębski 5 years ago
beeswax is not for everyone tho - many people are allergic to bees-derived products
#38
Stijn Cornelis 5 years ago (edited)
Almond cultivation needs a lot of water (4 liters for 1 almond) and is primarily (80% of global production) cultivated in California, you know, the state that's plagued by drought... Purely ecological, it's better to avoid almonds.
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Moo Moo Futch 5 years ago
However, absolutely NO milk alternative tastes even reasonable in tea (Yorkshire Tea for example). In coffee it's fine but Tea is appalling and as a Brit, my body is made up of 95% tea and 5% other - I assume - important gizzards and so on. If I didn't have a cuppa first thing in the morning, I can guarantee by noon a Murder will occur. So I'm afraid, old me is cows milk, new me is Cows milk. Until an alternative comes along that tastes as good as cows milk that is.
Molly Lockham 5 years ago
Just randomly, ASDA own brand oat milk is the most neutral and inoffensive alternative milk! Would definitely recommend a try. No, it's not the same, but it's pretty close for me!
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🍿WhErE iS mY pOpCoRn🍿 5 years ago
Humans are the only animals that still drink milk when they’re adults
#39
Monday 5 years ago
Again....why is composting the "bad" option? At least we're putting something back into the soil. If we eat it those nutrients are never making it back to the soil.
lenka 5 years ago
Partly to get another use out of it, but it's also to reduce the need to BUY a product - and its packaging. If I make my own vegetable stock with cut offs I get another use out of the vegetable, but the biggest benefit is that I don't have to throw away the packaging that my purchased stock comes in.
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Averil Aplin 4 years ago
I done this last month for the first time! It is AMAZING and I froze all the stock in Ice Cube trays and then emptied into an old butter pot THEN put the peelings into compost.
Katie Peter 5 years ago
My dad does both we have a compost pile in our backyard and sometimes if there is leftover veggies we use them to make stock
Neill Powell 5 years ago
I find this stupid. Composting will allow new, fresh fruits and veggies to grow. making some stock will use electricity, detergent to clean and obviously the fridge/freezer to store.
#40
divydumdrop hello 5 years ago
You can also use gift bags, that the people you give them to can reuse when they give a gift to someone else. We have been saving gift bags for years and have a nice stock of them for gifting :)
Freya the Wanderer 5 years ago
Old my family: Gave gifts that require wrapping and shipping. New my family: Give to reputable charities in each other's name.
Jennifer Norton 4 years ago
I have a gift bag full of gift bags to reuse and I love using fun bags and other stuff like that. Totally agree with this one because wrapping paper is expensive!
Mark Evans 4 years ago
Or I can use brown parcel paper. It's more eco friendly and a better value then traditional wrapping paper. I bought a large roll (200 metres) for only £13. It's gonna last me for years.
Mariele Scherzinger 5 years ago
I have been using old newspapers to wrap up gifts since the 90s.
Aileen Grist 5 years ago
Who g ives a crap toilet roll wrappers make fun gift wrap. I want to start a family competition on who can reuse the wrapping paper the most - write name on the inside when received each time.
#41
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 tbs coconut sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1.5 tbs pumpkin puree (can use mashed banana/applesauce)
1 flax “egg” (1 tbsp ground flax seed mixed with 3 tbsp water)
1/4 cup almond milk
2 tbs peanut butter
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch salt
optional: handful of vegan chocolate chips
Note: please use a small loaf tin as this is a single portion! I imagine this will work if you bake them in several small ramekins to make a mini tiered cake. if you want to use a standard issue loaf tin, please double/triple the recipe!
Preheat your oven to 180C/360F and prepare a small loaf tin by greasing it well and lining with parchment paper. Prepare your flax egg as well.
Blend rolled oats until a flour-like consistency (or use oat flour). Mix in cocoa powder, baking powder and coconut sugar. Stir in pumpkin puree, flax egg, almond milk, vanilla and peanut butter. Batter should be thick and fudgy!
Bake at 180C/360F for about 25-30 minutes until the middle springs back to the touch -- it should be a little damp in the middle when a skewer comes out. cool completely in the pan on a wire rack and let chill overnight for maximum fudginess. I used my chocolate tahini ganache recipe:
For the tahini chocolate ganache, mix the following ingredients:
1/3 cup cocoa powder
3 tbs tahini
2 tbs maple syrup/liquid sweetener
NoodleBear 5 years ago
But what if we don’t want vegan cake? If you want a good recipe, ask me, I’m a baker/cake decorator :)
Martha Meyer 5 years ago
LOL I buy my cake at the bakery. That packaged supermarket stuff is vile.
DC 5 years ago
Honestly ... I have only eaten one bakery's cake in years, and that is to support them providing vegan options ... which I can do better by myself. But, another reason - I always make a cake of a size that is worth the effort. I can't eat an entire cake like every week and within the two days it will be fine, and they sell them by the piece ... and aren't bad ... and my Dad knows the family that founded this bakery, they were neighbours (and had one bakery then, like every baker). The other side of the family had a major bakery prior to WW2, but you can't take THAT with you if you're lucky you could take your life with you until after the war...
#42
Monday 5 years ago
Why is everyone making it seem like composting your unwanted fruit parts is a bad thing? Compost is good.
hobbitly 5 years ago
I dont think composting is bad, these ideas are about getting another use out of them.
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Barbara Stewart 5 years ago
If I`m just using the lemon for juice I grate the rind first and freeze it for later to use in baking or cooking.
Fieke Engelen 5 years ago
Me too, I have several small containers with lemon grated zest and lime and orange too
Load More Replies... Leslie Burleson 5 years ago
My mom always boiled them with some spices to make your house smell awesome in a non toxic way
Catlady6000 5 years ago
Lemons are also a natural antibacterial and lemon in water makes a good liver cleanse
Deanne Richards 4 years ago
it's just a way to get a second use from the lemons you can still compost ,
Delilah Boyd 5 years ago
Don't eat the Orange, lime or lemon peels! They are loaded with chemicals & dyes!
#43
kjorn 5 years ago (edited)
again… money… what's the price of that? make them affordable and easy to find and i'd buy that with pleasure.
Sue Torre 5 years ago
Agreed. Price for the least of us and green will become everyday and not special.
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GirlFriday 5 years ago
The deodorant that is shown in the picture is $12.97 per roll on Amazon. Dove is $4. There is also less of the $12.97 deodorant.
Laura Maeflower 5 years ago
This is the issue right now. People can't afford all the eco-friendly options or don't have time to be eco-friendly. It would be great if the companies we buy from would make better choices, but I understand they have the same money choices to make. Hopefully things will keep slowly getting better and people will do what they can where they can.
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Amber Phillips 5 years ago
you can hide money and use the empty deodorant bottles to organize things #_#
Aileen Grist 5 years ago
Or make your own - there are plenty of recipes on line. That way there's no aluminium in it.
#44
Crystal R 4 years ago
In that case, both of them wouldn't work lol. Also the boxed granular dishwasher detergent is your best option over the squeezy bottle and the pods
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Leslie Burleson 5 years ago
Yeah this would be one of the no's for my household . We have our family of five , our grandson , and our daughter's best friend all live in one house . That many people are messy as heck. I think that soap block would melt from always sitting in water , and it would probably be covered in some sort of pet hair . We do use refillable bottles though
Lisa Chambers 5 years ago
Dawn dish liquid removes fleas from rescued dogs and cats. It washed oil off sea birds when they were horribly covered in spill oil. It works wonders. I dont think I care to switch but I wouldnt mind bringing my own bottle to the store to get more soap when I am out.
Jean Shiverdecker 3 years ago
I tried block dish soap, it was just Ivory soap in a large block and didn't clean without leaving residue on everything.
Druth Vlodovic 5 years ago
Just buy a big jug of refill, I have been using the same aqueeze bottle for close to 7 years and have gone through a couple 3 litre jugs of dishsoap.
#45
1) Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with cold water and ice.
2) For the herbs, cut off the stems and remove any bruised, dry or damaged leaves.
3) Submerge the picked herbs into the ice bath.
4) Soak for about 15-30 minutes, or until they perk up and look refreshed.
5) Drain the herbs in a colander.
6) Dry thoroughly with a clean kitchen towel or salad spinner.
7) To store, place the herbs in an air-tight container lined with a thin cloth on the top and bottom to absorb any extra moisture. You can also do this in a reusable sandwich bag. Use within a couple of days.
Brigs 5 years ago
So you have removed the bruised, dry or damaged leaves from your wilted herbs...news alert...you are left with nothing!!!
Red rockin lobster 5 years ago
You're left with the good ones...for which you don't need to prepare the ice bath
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kate h 5 years ago
Better method: When you get your fresh herbs home, cut the stems with a sharp scissors and put them in a glass with about 2" of very warm water. (the warm water opens the cells in the stems so they can upload the water.) Leave on counter for 6 hours or overnight, then store in fridge. Change water every 2 days.
#46
Laurie Ostergaard-Overbey 5 years ago
sigh.. i feel like they are really stretching for this article. again, cost and availability?
#47
How to make an activated charcoal face mask
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon bentonite clay
1 teaspoon activated charcoal
1 teaspoon organic raw apple cider vinegar
3 drops tea tree oil
Directions:
1) In a small glass bowl, combine clay, charcoal powder, apple cider vinegar and tea tree oil. Stir to combine. If the mixture is too dry, add a few drops of water at a time until desired consistency is reached.
2) Apply mask to clean face, spreading in an even layer. Wash hands and rinse out glass bowl.
3) Leave mask on for 10 minutes. Rinse mask off with warm water and a washcloth. If you have trouble getting rid of the colour, apply a bit of makeup remover with a reusable facial pad to stained spots.
4) Moisturize as normal.
Red rockin lobster 5 years ago
...add a few panda hairs and a shark tooth, the mask will be sublime. All the things we have home
Elsker 5 years ago
Exactly. Arent there better recipes out there with regular ingredients such as honey and avocado?
Load More Replies... Vickie Martin 4 years ago
And buying all of those ingredients triples the price of the mask in the tube.
Just JoLynn 5 years ago
How do buy a zero waste face mask? If you have to the stuff on hand to make your own than I get the zero waste, but if you buy anything it has to be packaged in some way for transport and therefore has waste. IDK, I'm sure I'm overthinking this.
#48
Ingredients:
2 cups warm water 110 degrees F/45 degrees C
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
5-6 cups flour You can use all-purpose flour OR bread flour!
.
Recipe:
1) In a large bowl, dissolve the 1 TBSP of the sugar in warm water and then stir in yeast. Allow to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
2) Mix remaining sugar, salt and oil into the yeast. Mix in flour one cup at a time. Dough should be tacky and clean the sides of the bowl save for a small part at the bottom. Too much flour added in yields a dry loaf of bread, so if you're worried you added too much, add a bit more hot water, until you get the correct consistency.
3) Knead dough for 7 minutes. Place in a well oiled bowl, and turn dough to coat. Cover with a damp cloth. Allow to rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
4) Punch dough down. Knead for 1 minute and divide in half. Shape into loaves and place into two greased 9x5 inch loaf pans. Allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until dough has risen 1 inch above pans.
5) Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 30-40 minutes. Let cool, then eat!
Neill Powell 5 years ago
Bakeries also produce at economies of scale, both in cost and energy consumption. Bread is better, environmentally bought at the baker.
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Jim Ellington 5 years ago
The bread on the right has too many bubbles to make a good sandwich. The condiments will leak out of the holes.
lenka 5 years ago
Yes, all risen breads have sugar. It activates the yeast
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FuturamaFan 5 years ago
Time, dear time. plus technically it is cheaper and efficient to make things on large scale.
#49
Daria B 5 years ago (edited)
This one depends on many things. It takes longer for long hair, especially if you need conditioner. Also, if your water heating system takes a bit for the warm water to come out, a couple of minutes (and some water) will be wasted on waiting for the warm water alone. You may still turn it off while applying soap/shampoo/etc. and turn it back on to wash it off.
Jo Choto 5 years ago
I agree Daria. Because I have long hair, I only wash it a couple of times a week. I don't wash it when i shower because it makes my shower way longer, but when i wash my hair separately, I can turn the water off while I'm lathering, etc.
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Freya the Wanderer 5 years ago
You can save water by taking a "Navy shower." Get yourself all wet, turn the water off, soap & shampoo up, then turn water back on & rinse.
Johnny 5 years ago
I have a valve on my shower head to help do that, so you just reach up and turn off the water while you lather, then when you're ready to rinse, turn it back on and the water temperature is the same.
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Amy Pattie 5 years ago
In Australia during a drought, a four minute shower is deemed sufficient. Also, in many industries it’s socially acceptable to shower every second day.
Ms Phit 5 years ago
Yes!!!! I've just had the timed showers talk with my teenager.... they were "timing" by listening to music, until I pointed out that songs can range from 1 to 12+ minutes... they're now adding a timer and are down to 8 minutes, which is a vast improvement. We live in a desert, so water is super expensive for good reason. I'm not fond of $300/month water bills!
Paula Divello 5 years ago
yup! volume doesn't equal pressure either you can have good water pressure with less water
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Irina Deneva-Slav 5 years ago
A series of horrible water outages years ago trained me to shower in 3 minutes or less. I'm glad I stuck with the habit.
Jessica Friend 5 years ago
or get a eco friendly shower head? I take 20 min showers some times longer and i know i don't use any where near 50 gallons, plug the tub while showering will tell you an estimate most slandered tubs hold about 30-50 gallons.
clive apps 5 years ago (edited)
Overall a good collection of tips. Soaking and turning water off while cleaning, then back on to rinse can cut water use even further. Water may only be running for about 1 minutes total of any length shower this way.
#50
clive apps 5 years ago
Possibility of ingesting toxins from decomposing fruit. Still better to cut of damaged or decaying portions and composting them.
Laurie Ostergaard-Overbey 5 years ago
HAHAHAHAHA um, no, mold and rot do NOT go away in ice water LOL
Vickie Martin 4 years ago
So its a partially rotten strawberry disguised as a good one? You can't get rid of decay except to cut it out.
#51
Cassie 5 years ago
I just use wooden clothes pins. They're good for laundry, closing bags, putting the mail out on our porch box, teasing each other, etc. Wide variety of uses in a sustainable package.
Cassie 5 years ago
You can use them with 3M Command strips to hang stuff on the wall or with a bit of magnet strip to clip things to the fridge, too.
Load More Replies... Ms Phit 5 years ago
To use up what is already being used and not go out to buy more, which creates more waste
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kjorn 5 years ago
and the particule got stuck in the pipe and you need a plumber to unclogged that
GirlFriday 5 years ago
Agreed. The lemon wedges fly off of the rack, get lodged in your filter or trap and then the pulp clogs the drain and you have to pay $200 for a plumber.
Load More Replies... Megan Curl 5 years ago
Unless you wrap it in something and tie it down, it’s going to kill the dishwasher. And you still have the rind. So...?
brandon sat 5 years ago
actually it probably wont kill the dishwasher. all dishwashers now have a mesh guard in the bottom to catch food particles. it might clog it up, but thats a easy clean.
Load More Replies... #53
Suzy Lee Ferry 5 years ago
Or don't shop on Amazon ever and the Earth will be a better place to live
Load More Replies... #54
#55
#56
#57
½ cup sugar (100 g)
¾ cup dark brown sugar (165 g), packed
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup refined coconut oil (120 g), melted
¼ cup non-dairy milk (60 mL)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ cups flour (185 g)
½ teaspoon baking soda
4 oz vegan semi-sweet chocolate (115 g), chunks
4 oz vegan dark chocolate (115 g), chunks
Directions
1) In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, salt, and coconut oil until combined.
2) Whisk in non-dairy milk and vanilla, until all sugar has dissolved and the batter is smooth.
3) Sift in the flour and baking soda, then fold the mixture with a spatula, being careful not to overmix.
4) Fold in the chocolate chunks evenly.
5) Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes.
6) Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
7) Scoop the dough with an ice cream scoop onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Be sure to leave at least 2 inches of space between cookies and the edges of the pan so cookies can spread evenly.
8) Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until cookies just begin to brown.
9) Cool completely.
10) Enjoy!
sabocat 5 years ago
I agree, it's all a bit too fantastic. Also, this person has the biggest freezer in the world (electricity!), has a lot of money to buy the organic/sustainable options and has all the time in the world to make everything themselves :D But I guess we can just pick up the suggestion that fit us...
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Ben 5 years ago
This is a bit of overdoing it. I try to do what I can to reduce waste, but buying 20, packaged ingredient to bake cookies once then throw them out because they went ew, probably makes more waste than buying a pack of cookies twice yearly. And we haven't talked about all the water and soap cleaning the 23421543 items we used.
Curry on... 5 years ago
Sorry, on those infrequent occasions that I bake breads, cakes or cookies, I want ALL the butter and sugar and eggs added to them.
#58
Mimi777 5 years ago
I had a few of these mini sized ones sitting by the bathroom sink, my husband took a bite of one well actually a couple bites and realized they tasted bitter and spit it out. He then asked me why I had nasty tasting candy in the bathroom....
Kiss Army 5 years ago
Brother-in-law ate half a bag of "foul-tasting beef jerky" before realizing it was dog treats!
Load More Replies... Sabienn 5 years ago
Again, I don't understand why you're downvoted. If you, an adult (I assume), already gets tempted to eat it, imagine what would happen if there is a kid running around... It will definitely take a bite
Load More Replies... #59
Ingredients needed:
2 Large Oranges
1 cup Water (250 ml)
1 cup Sugar (250 ml)
3 ounces Dark Chocolate, 70% Cocoa content (90 grams)
(most dark chocolate with over 50% cocoa is vegan)
Recipe (by @appetizeraddiction):
1) Wash the oranges thoroughly under running hot water.
2) Cut the top and bottom off. Make 4 or 5 vertical incisions running all the way from top to bottom of the peel and into the flesh.
3) With your hands, remove the peel carefully. Cut each piece into thin strips and transfer them into a pot. Pour over about 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes, then drain. Pour fresh water (2 cups) in the same pot and add the peels in. Repeat the same process. This will remove some of the peel’s bitterness.
4) In small sauce pan, dissolve 1 cup sugar in 1 cup water, add the peels and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the peels are translucent.
5) When done, spread them out on a wire rack so the syrup can drip off and the peels can cool completely.
6) Melt the chocolate over a pot of simmering water. Dip the peel in chocolate and using a fork, transfer it onto a baking parchment, aluminum foil, or preferably straight onto the pan or a reusable baking sheet. Let them set completely in the fridge (for about an hour) before serving/enjoying them.
yxkb 5 years ago
This is only for oranges that are from biofarming! Otherwise the peels are covered with preservatives and plant protection substances that are not suitable for human consumption!
FloC 5 years ago
First orange peels don't composte very well. Second, that is a lot of candied orange peels to eat if you do it with every orange you eat. Not so good for your sugar intake.
NMN 5 years ago
Do orange preserves and sell them? Or give to friends (not diabetic ones, please)
Load More Replies... NMN 5 years ago
"Sugar, water, chocolate" wow how many right? If thats too much, just ditch the chocolate then: sugar and water as "extra" ingredients
Load More Replies... Ben 5 years ago
So, to avoid composting (which would've already been a good deed btw), we use a lot of painfully harvested cocoa beans. Right. WRONG.
NMN 5 years ago
do without chocolate then. No problem. I rather without anyways
Load More Replies... #60
Vorknkx 5 years ago
The problem with this one (and any other that relies upon use of vinegar) is that the smell of vinegar makes me sick. So I can't use any of these "life hacks"...
NMN 5 years ago
This one requires a table spoon of vinegar only actually, so no smell (except when you are getting the spoon of vinegar)
Load More Replies... kjorn 5 years ago
i almost never buy berries for myself because i usually eat them the same day. so almost a waste of money
Lily Mae Kitty 5 years ago
how is buying something you eat a waste of money? your comments don't make sense.
Load More Replies... Lily Mae Kitty 5 years ago
well, it's usually full of dirt and little tiny bugs so down the drain with some baking soda
Load More Replies... #61
Olivia Agave 5 years ago
What fixatives would be used? The fixatives I can recall off the top of my head for vegetable dyes are hideously toxic (vinegar and soap fixatives don't work on them), and not fixing them just makes the colours fade so quickly with wear.
#62
Andrew Gibb 5 years ago
I've heard that nail clippings make excellent micro-ramen, toilet paper tubes make great robot legs for cats and hair trimmings makes for good nesting material for birds
#63
Just JoLynn 5 years ago
Baking soda and water makes toothpaste, you can add extra stuff to make it taste better.
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#64
Vorknkx 5 years ago
Ummm, isn't that what a normal diet looks like - both meat and plant-based? The author seems to be under the weird impression that meat-eating people are somehow afraid of plants and avoid them.
hobbitly 5 years ago
I think they are referring to just the meat part. So they only keep the meats they really like and replace the others.
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kjorn 5 years ago
Don't give up food! life is about balance diet! we are animal, we eat meat! i love meat but i goddamn love great hoummous with veggie too
Aileen Grist 5 years ago
We don't need meat. We - and most of the largest animals - are not natural meat eaters. We don't have claws or teeth for hunting and our tongues are very different from a carnivore's as we have no 'meat' detector whereas they do. Try telling an elephant, giraffe, rhino, moose etc., that you can't be big and strong without meat.
Load More Replies... #65
Jim Ellington 5 years ago
I'll stick with the toothbrush that feels better up my a*s, thank you.
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What do you think ?
Transat 5 years ago
It seems right the opposite to me. "Old me" bought more and threw away while "New me" reuses objects, tries to not spoil food etc...
Load More Replies...
Rhea 5 years ago
A lot of good tips, but I would've liked them more if they acknowledged the fact that quite a few of them are pricier and/or acquire a big(ger) investment than the less environment-friendly options. Some simple solutions aren't even mentioned; Yes, if you own a big house and have enough cash and space, you can install a bidet. Or, you just can keep a botlle of water next to your toilet, to clean yourself with. €0 if you use an old bottle, vs €250-1000 to install a bidet. Yes, you can buy reusable sandwich bags for €10 a bag. Or, you can reuse the 'single use' bags. If you don't go crazy with it, 1 IKEA Ziplock bag will last a few months holding your lunch sandwiches. Start with the small things: Don't buy ammounts which you can't use, reuse/recycle what you can. You don't have to buy new things to start thinking about the environment.
Heather Williams 5 years ago
Interesting tips. But a lot of them are a lot of extra work. For me I do not compost since I do not have a garden. I also try to buy only what I need and not buy perishable items that will likely just go off from sitting around (living on my own changes how I shop a lot). I freeze my bread to make it last longer without going mouldy.
GirlFriday 5 years ago
Some of these tips are useful, some are very impractical and some are so cost prohibitive that I could not see how the average household could ever afford to them. Some of these tips are just plain gross.
Nadine Bamberger 5 years ago (edited)
For most of these tips you have to have an unlimited budget, access to special stores, storage space and a lot of time to spare. They just make me feel bad. Pick and choose I guess.
Martha Meyer 5 years ago
Not true really. You can order most things online anywhere.
Load More Replies... Moo Moo Futch 5 years ago
Old me, used toilet paper. New me, shares with my mum a sponge on a stick. Just like the Romans!
Saara-Elina Kaukiainen 5 years ago
Why is composting seen as the bad option in so many of these?
Transat 5 years ago
It seems right the opposite to me. "Old me" bought more and threw away while "New me" reuses objects, tries to not spoil food etc...
Load More Replies... Rhea 5 years ago
A lot of good tips, but I would've liked them more if they acknowledged the fact that quite a few of them are pricier and/or acquire a big(ger) investment than the less environment-friendly options. Some simple solutions aren't even mentioned; Yes, if you own a big house and have enough cash and space, you can install a bidet. Or, you just can keep a botlle of water next to your toilet, to clean yourself with. €0 if you use an old bottle, vs €250-1000 to install a bidet. Yes, you can buy reusable sandwich bags for €10 a bag. Or, you can reuse the 'single use' bags. If you don't go crazy with it, 1 IKEA Ziplock bag will last a few months holding your lunch sandwiches. Start with the small things: Don't buy ammounts which you can't use, reuse/recycle what you can. You don't have to buy new things to start thinking about the environment.
Heather Williams 5 years ago
Interesting tips. But a lot of them are a lot of extra work. For me I do not compost since I do not have a garden. I also try to buy only what I need and not buy perishable items that will likely just go off from sitting around (living on my own changes how I shop a lot). I freeze my bread to make it last longer without going mouldy.
GirlFriday 5 years ago
Some of these tips are useful, some are very impractical and some are so cost prohibitive that I could not see how the average household could ever afford to them. Some of these tips are just plain gross.
Nadine Bamberger 5 years ago (edited)
For most of these tips you have to have an unlimited budget, access to special stores, storage space and a lot of time to spare. They just make me feel bad. Pick and choose I guess.
Martha Meyer 5 years ago
Not true really. You can order most things online anywhere.
Load More Replies... Moo Moo Futch 5 years ago
Old me, used toilet paper. New me, shares with my mum a sponge on a stick. Just like the Romans!
Saara-Elina Kaukiainen 5 years ago
Why is composting seen as the bad option in so many of these?
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