There are a lot of things that I do for reducing waste that I don't often see discussed.
I have no chemicals in my home rather than baking soda, vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, rubbing alcohol, and a biodegradable, unscented dishwashing liquid. All those things replace detergents, bleach and ammonia, window cleaners, deodorizers, and other harsh chemicals. Oops, I forgot that I keep WD-40 and vaseline for emergency situations. I haven't had one for about 3 years, though. Better than Goo-Gone.
I never worry about my 'gray water' polluting. I use so little of any of them, they last me for ages, other than the vinegar. I use it to rinse the diswashing soap from my clothes, when necessary.
Where my home is parked, I use a freezer and no fridge, because you can always keep a cooler cold with frozen jugs.
I keep my milk in a glass thermos, so it doesn't spoil as fast. I drink a lot of tea with milk, so it stays on the counter all day, in the freezer at night. Works out perfectly.
I use a WonderWasher for my clothes now, since water is not directly available here, and I have to carry it in. I do a load or two when I'm ambitious. 3 gallons for the wash, and the same for the rinse.
Ecover and BioClean have been wonderful for cleaning clothes, and vinegar kiils bacteria between washings, so no body odor smell if I spray clothes as I take them off for another day's use. I'm allergic to Dr. Bronner's.
I have a clothes spinner for when I have power, but an imitation 'sham-wow' thing from the dollar tree for drying things otherwise. Larger things just have to drip dry.
I've nearly eliminated my tp consumption by using a condiment squeeze bottle as my portable bidet, and use old pajamas and t-shirts for liquids. Vinegar is your friend here, too. One half-sheet of Bounty will suffice for the browns. YMMV. lol
Because of multiple chemical sensitivities, I cannot use essential oils, scented products of any kind, or anything made from liquid petroleum products, which includes lotions, soaps, most 'artificial flavors', perfumes, cosmetics, detergents, deodorizers, cleaners, and I can't rmemeber what else.
So, water does the trick for everything regarding my body. Once you stop removing your body oils with overshowering and soaping, then trying to rehydrate with lotions made from fats thinned with alcohol, which is what most of them are (read the labels) it's amazing how your body feels healthier. Water, in and on your body, is the best thing for it. Not all that stuff the commercials tell you that you 'need.' Baths are better than showers, and I have a huge tub for when I have water. (That becomes my 'washer' then.)
That goes for shampoo, too. It takes a little while for your scalp to adjust, but it likes not having chemicals poured on it. This is why people brushed their hair 100 strokes each night. Your natural oils make your hair naturally shiny, and distributes them to the ends. I'm surprised at how many compliments I get on my complexion and hair, and no one believes me when I say that I use nothing but water. shrug
On average, I generally use less than a gallon of water each day. I drink/cook with a quart or so, I use a small bowl to first wash myself, then rinse out my commode in the morning, then I use the bowl again to wash any dishes and surfaces that may not be clean from the day before. Leaving that bowl with a soap foamer by it is the way to keep hands and dishes clean during the day. Depending on the weather, using a bucket of warm water for a shower is delightful, and if I'm clever, I can use that water for some hand-wash, too. In the summer, I rinse my hair much more often.
All this came about from problem-solving while I was either very ill from the mcs, or blind before I got my corneal transplants, and unable to get out and about. Necessity is a great teacher.
The most electrical power I use regularly is for an electric pressure cooker, at 1000 watts, that probably runs up to an hour a day. I use it to make steel cut oats, rice, and beans for about half that time, and the rest for heating my water for washing and actually heating my kitchen in the cooler months. I was astonished at the difference it makes. Cooking my meals on the rack, in a bowl, makes it so that I hardly ever wash the pressure cooker pot, and it cleans itself up when run at 'steam' for a minute when I get the whole thing dirty with soup, beans, or curry. This reduces my need for water at all, let alone hot water for doing dishes.
A few other appliances take up the rest of my power, but I don't use them often.
The freezer and my laptop are the only other things that run up my power bill daily. All my lights are led. Nearly everything else I use is usb powered or charged. Very low voltage. My power bill is less than $7/month in the non-heating season, at 12¢/KWh. So, I feel pretty good about that. My entire home can be measured by one Kill-o-Watt meter. That's how I know.
I prefer to wear more clothes than raise the heat in the colder months, but keep my wardrobe to a minimum. Why buy new clothes, when wasteful people who are Kon-Mari-ing all over the place are donating perfectly good clothing for the tax write-offs? lol
Vinegar removes most detergent odors and residue from these non-dry-cleanable items, and kills mold, mildew, and germs.
I buy new underwear, shoes, and socks, as needed only, not just for 'fun'. (Well, tbh, I do love cheap fun socks from the DT, but I don't go wild.)
Otherwise, I just buy used clothes of a quality that I couldn't afford otherwise. I travel with 3 pairs of pants,(two of them can be turned into shorts) a dress that can be worn over them or alone, one pair of leggings, a set of thermals, 3 pairs of panties, 4 pairs of socks of varying weights, and a total of 6 tops, with different sleeves and weights, with some nice scarves. I carry a small soap foamer in my pack, so washing is not an issue.
Depending where I am going, I have a fleece vest, a zip hoodie, and a parka. If I need more, I 'rent' it from a thrift store while it's necessary, and return it when I'm done. My house has special occassion clothes, but only a few. I love what I wear, and if I don't, I give someone else the opportunity to enjoy it. Pass it on.
I seldom buy anything new. My leather backpack is 25 years old, and I just bought a newer, waterproof, lightweight one as a day pack for my more active pursuits. It folds up into the older one, so travel is easier. I doubt it will outlast the leather one, though.
I had to downsize long ago, and my hoarder instincts can take over if I go places that have really cool, inexpensive, quality, unique items that I really like. But, if something comes in, something else has to go.
My sewing machine has saved me lots and lots of money over the years. I'm so excited to be able to see again, it's going to get a workout mending a few things around here, too. Finding inexpensive fabric is easy, and sewing it into something you need is so rewarding. Thrift store curtains, duvet covers, drapes, etc. give amazing yardage for very little money. I've found some silk brocade that cost me about 50¢ a yard.
This works as gift and barter economy, too.
If that's not enough, well, I'm tired. See you later.
Oz
