I love your lists! As far as the repairs go, I'd add don't be afraid to email the company and tell them what happened. I made a dumb mistake and left a metal spoon in my blender after using it to scrape down the sides. When I turned the blender back on, the spoon inside cracked the glass canister and ruined the blades. I emailed Vitamix and was honest about what happened, and even though I didn't have a receipt because it was a hand-me-down from someone else, they sent a replacement part for free and walked me through how to test the motor. We didn't need a whole new blender, only the part that was actually broken. My husband has also gotten small replacement parts for tools by just emailing the company.
My husband is a mechanic, so therefore is handy at fixing things (grandbabies say Opa Boy's job is ... A fixer). I have often ordered replacement parts for the washer or fridge for hubby to repair/replace.
I finally got a library card after watching 3 of your videos back to back lol. I have to say… 0 regrets. It’s made me so excited to read leisurely again and the best part is it’s free!
About hand drying: if you take one piece or section of paper towel and fold it in half before you dry your hands, it will dry more efficiently. That sounds weird, and sometimes you'll think the paper towel is too small or thin, but it always works!
As far as book donations, I’ve done just about everything the thrift store, little library, and most recently realized my actual library takes in used books to sell in their little shop to provide additional profits for the library which is amazing! Our library offers so many resources past just books so I’ve been primarily dropping off there now.
I love the library, too. However, near me the Friends of the Library that runs the book sale started restricting book donations to no older than 10 years. The other library in the next town doesn’t care & excepts all books in reusable condition.
The staple tip reminded me: At my office, the recycling is...not good. We don't have any control over the custodial vendor, and they legit put the recycling and the trash in the same big trash cans. But here's the workaround: we also hire a paper shredding service. The shredding service recycles the shredded paper which is easy for them to do because its all one material. So every piece of paper I throw away goes in the shred bin, whether it's confidential or not. At least that way it has a better chance of actually being recycled.
So many people have laughed at me for washing my recyclable items before putting them in the recycling collection bin. Guess which house does not have the stinky recycling bin. Guess which hecklers of mine were shocked when I showed them the recycling guide from our local council, especially the small paragraph requesting we wash or clean items for recycling.
With pieces of paper, envelope size and smaller, I put through the family shredder and add to the compost bin. I also shred documents with personal information (which could be stolen and used for identity fraud) through the shredder for the compost bin too. The ink may not be highly rated for composting but in my own garden it's ok.
Preventing roadkills is a very very good reason for not throwing food out of the car window. Not that I do it usually, but now I have one more reason not to.
Idk if this has been said before but make your own bread! You can bake it the same time as other things and tastes so much better than what you buy at the store
Toilet paper is expensive and so wasteful, so I just recently decided to mainly use bidet and old face cloths to dry. Of course our guests still get TP 😀 Switched to using powder dishwasher detergent; I use half of recommended amount, the package is cardboard and it costs a fraction of the pods. Might be obvious, but just using less of everything; toiletries, TP, detergents, cleaning supplies, water, electricity, fewer clothes, less driving. It is endless how we can save money and r esources! I've made it into a game: how little can I use or do I need the product at all?! My hubby quit using shampoo years ago and turns out it is better for our skin, and hair not to use shampoo - natural oils do the trick. I have significantly reduced, but still use shampoo 😊
I take a face flannel out, to dry hands on. I have a little old fashioned push hoover, in between using the electric one. I use the back of letters sent to me, that are blank, for writing to family. Free envelopes often come in junk mail, they can be reused, as can birthday card envelopes, just cross the name out. Washable kitchen roll. Agree can make more than one cup of tea, from leaves or a bag. We get free charity bags, for giving clothes to charity, when not needed they make good covers for clothes on a rail.
chopsticks and/or pencils that erasers don't work to stabilize plants that need help (I use twist-ties or rubber bands, but hemp string would be more eco). Popsicle sticks could potentially work for that but might better for labeling because they have more potential to damage roots because of their width.
Great vid as always! With the broom thing my grandma basically mostly uses a manual vacuum cleaner, it uses a brush & roller to collect it all into one tub & it has been passed down the generations like an heirloom she’s so proud of it haha but they still sell them in stores I’ve noticed! & a neighbour with the best grass uses a manual lawn mower which they also still make!
Also the way I live zero waste for free is to swap skills with friends and help each other with stuff we’re both bad at like repairing clothes in exchange for taking her dog for a big walk that she can’t manage herself physically etc or I’ll take her recycling for her if she separates it, those eco things wouldn’t happen without these little swaps and silent agreements haha
there really isn't much we can do unfortunately. Trees are becoming more and more susceptible due to climate change and the beetles are spreading for the same reason. Contact your local public lands agency for more info!
Super duper random, but something I do that’s free is I don’t put my trash/recycling bins out every week for pick up. We only have maybe one bag per week of trash and not a ton of recycling, so I wait until it is more full to put out on the curb for pick up. I figure if the big truck has one less stop then it’s a teensy bit of gas saved? lol that’s my thinking anyway.
I think I may have shared this one but not wearing shoes in the house! It saves energy for not needing to vacuum (I guess your own energy if you sweep!)
I love that you mentioned not carving on trees!! I don't see it often at all now (more so in the past) but when I do it kind of hurts to see it. It's a living organism and carving into its skin just seems so wrong. Your sweeping instead of leaf blowing point made me realise that leaf blowers aren't much of a thing here - at least in my part of the UK. Are there rules in the US that you have to remove leaves? Is that why leaf blowers are common?
I care for trees so deeply I had to mention it! YES! Leaf removal is usually in neighborhood rules for aesthetics but some people just do it for themselves...
Please do another research about recycling paper. It might be, that it is done differently in the US, but in Germany staples are no problem. The windows in the envelopes are also often out of cellulose. You can test it with a little bit of water. Does it change? Then let it in. There are only a few things, that causes problems: glue, tetrapacks and wet strength papers, like disposable kitchen towels or coffee cups, wallpaper. Please, get your information directly from a papermill, where recycling is done. And if US people are a little bit like German people they are happy to explain it to you. In Germany paper technologists are very proud of their work. So am I. I made an apprenticeship in a papermill and recycling and deinking was/is a main thing there. Please don`t share the myth, that pizza boxes are not recyclable. It seem to be, that someone brought it up and everybody is just retelling it, instead of doing own research.
I never said in this video that pizza boxes are not recyclable BUT until just a year ago, in the US they were NOT. It's only just now being accepted. I DO do my research. You are also assuming things about a country you do not live in.
My office is SO COLD, i constantly have hot tea to warm me up and I usually use one teabag/tea portion per day in an effort to save money and make my tea last longer. By the end of my day, is my tea just hot water? Yes. Do I drink about 5 cups per day at the office? Also yes 😅😅😅
Here in California, free little libraries are gross. Whomever starts them soon after abandons them. Dusty, musty and even worse when it rains! Sadly most of the ones I've seen are near actual public free libraries with fo many resources available for free!
Unfortunate information: paper waste smaller than an envelope just goes to landfill. Even if you separate the envelope and the plastic window, both are just going to end up in landfill. The best thing you can do is put the paper part in your own compost heap.
I love your lists! As far as the repairs go, I'd add don't be afraid to email the company and tell them what happened. I made a dumb mistake and left a metal spoon in my blender after using it to scrape down the sides. When I turned the blender back on, the spoon inside cracked the glass canister and ruined the blades. I emailed Vitamix and was honest about what happened, and even though I didn't have a receipt because it was a hand-me-down from someone else, they sent a replacement part for free and walked me through how to test the motor. We didn't need a whole new blender, only the part that was actually broken. My husband has also gotten small replacement parts for tools by just emailing the company.
My husband is a mechanic, so therefore is handy at fixing things (grandbabies say Opa Boy's job is ... A fixer). I have often ordered replacement parts for the washer or fridge for hubby to repair/replace.
love to hear that, great tip!
that's great to hear!
@@StephanieGiese that is awesome that Vitamix did that. Great tip!
For drying hands, we can simply use a kitchen towel (the reusable ones) :)
yayyy amazing!
Side benefit of sweeping/raking manually - it helps with fitness! I work from home alot and it's nice to stretch my legs at lunch with some housework!
so true!! I agree, it's nice :)
I finally got a library card after watching 3 of your videos back to back lol. I have to say… 0 regrets. It’s made me so excited to read leisurely again and the best part is it’s free!
woohoo!! guess I can finally call myself an influencer hahaha yay!
I've been air drying my long hair my whole life! Yay for saving energy!
yayyyy nice!
About hand drying: if you take one piece or section of paper towel and fold it in half before you dry your hands, it will dry more efficiently. That sounds weird, and sometimes you'll think the paper towel is too small or thin, but it always works!
good tip!
As far as book donations, I’ve done just about everything the thrift store, little library, and most recently realized my actual library takes in used books to sell in their little shop to provide additional profits for the library which is amazing! Our library offers so many resources past just books so I’ve been primarily dropping off there now.
I love the library, too. However, near me the Friends of the Library that runs the book sale started restricting book donations to no older than 10 years. The other library in the next town doesn’t care & excepts all books in reusable condition.
good to know!
yay amazing!
The staple tip reminded me:
At my office, the recycling is...not good. We don't have any control over the custodial vendor, and they legit put the recycling and the trash in the same big trash cans.
But here's the workaround: we also hire a paper shredding service. The shredding service recycles the shredded paper which is easy for them to do because its all one material. So every piece of paper I throw away goes in the shred bin, whether it's confidential or not. At least that way it has a better chance of actually being recycled.
ugh frustrating! but yay for work arounds!
So many people have laughed at me for washing my recyclable items before putting them in the recycling collection bin. Guess which house does not have the stinky recycling bin. Guess which hecklers of mine were shocked when I showed them the recycling guide from our local council, especially the small paragraph requesting we wash or clean items for recycling.
right! even though it's also the rules, it just smells better and keeps pests away! bonus!!
With pieces of paper, envelope size and smaller, I put through the family shredder and add to the compost bin. I also shred documents with personal information (which could be stolen and used for identity fraud) through the shredder for the compost bin too. The ink may not be highly rated for composting but in my own garden it's ok.
that's a great way to repurpose those items!
Preventing roadkills is a very very good reason for not throwing food out of the car window. Not that I do it usually, but now I have one more reason not to.
yes! and many more reasons to avoid it!
Idk if this has been said before but make your own bread! You can bake it the same time as other things and tastes so much better than what you buy at the store
yes!! i included it in this series before and love doing it :) thank you!
Love, love, love this series! ❤
hey thanks!!
Toilet paper is expensive and so wasteful, so I just recently decided to mainly use bidet and old face cloths to dry. Of course our guests still get TP 😀
Switched to using powder dishwasher detergent; I use half of recommended amount, the package is cardboard and it costs a fraction of the pods.
Might be obvious, but just using less of everything; toiletries, TP, detergents, cleaning supplies, water, electricity, fewer clothes, less driving. It is endless how we can save money and r esources! I've made it into a game: how little can I use or do I need the product at all?! My hubby quit using shampoo years ago and turns out it is better for our skin, and hair not to use shampoo - natural oils do the trick. I have significantly reduced, but still use shampoo 😊
amazing swaps! true, just simply using less...which is still usually the proper amount. We loveeee to use more than necessary!
Ooh, looking forward to your new series 🤗😘❤ BTW, nice burp lol 😂
hahahahahahah thanks
I take a face flannel out, to dry hands on. I have a little old fashioned push hoover, in between using the electric one. I use the back of letters sent to me, that are blank, for writing to family. Free envelopes often come in junk mail, they can be reused, as can birthday card envelopes, just cross the name out. Washable kitchen roll. Agree can make more than one cup of tea, from leaves or a bag. We get free charity bags, for giving clothes to charity, when not needed they make good covers for clothes on a rail.
love these!!
There is a big difference between expired dates and best by dates
yes true!!
chopsticks and/or pencils that erasers don't work to stabilize plants that need help (I use twist-ties or rubber bands, but hemp string would be more eco). Popsicle sticks could potentially work for that but might better for labeling because they have more potential to damage roots because of their width.
love this tip!!
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist I'm unsure of how I stumbled upon your channel, but I'm very thankful. Your videos are solid content. ^_^
@@lawra89 that means so much thank you!!
Great vid as always! With the broom thing my grandma basically mostly uses a manual vacuum cleaner, it uses a brush & roller to collect it all into one tub & it has been passed down the generations like an heirloom she’s so proud of it haha but they still sell them in stores I’ve noticed! & a neighbour with the best grass uses a manual lawn mower which they also still make!
As you work for the national parks I would love to learn about tree diseases and if we can do anything to help them? Like report them or something?
Also the way I live zero waste for free is to swap skills with friends and help each other with stuff we’re both bad at like repairing clothes in exchange for taking her dog for a big walk that she can’t manage herself physically etc or I’ll take her recycling for her if she separates it, those eco things wouldn’t happen without these little swaps and silent agreements haha
love to hear it!
there really isn't much we can do unfortunately. Trees are becoming more and more susceptible due to climate change and the beetles are spreading for the same reason. Contact your local public lands agency for more info!
woohoo!
Super duper random, but something I do that’s free is I don’t put my trash/recycling bins out every week for pick up. We only have maybe one bag per week of trash and not a ton of recycling, so I wait until it is more full to put out on the curb for pick up. I figure if the big truck has one less stop then it’s a teensy bit of gas saved? lol that’s my thinking anyway.
wait that's genius!! yes it's small but it MATTERS!
Just found you and I'm excited to watch your videos! Hello from Spokane!
yayyyy thanks! I lived in Spokane last summer and miss it a lot :)
It's my favourite series too! :-)
truly the best!
I think I may have shared this one but not wearing shoes in the house! It saves energy for not needing to vacuum (I guess your own energy if you sweep!)
woah true! Keeps germs out too!
I love that you mentioned not carving on trees!! I don't see it often at all now (more so in the past) but when I do it kind of hurts to see it. It's a living organism and carving into its skin just seems so wrong. Your sweeping instead of leaf blowing point made me realise that leaf blowers aren't much of a thing here - at least in my part of the UK. Are there rules in the US that you have to remove leaves? Is that why leaf blowers are common?
I care for trees so deeply I had to mention it! YES! Leaf removal is usually in neighborhood rules for aesthetics but some people just do it for themselves...
Please do another research about recycling paper. It might be, that it is done differently in the US, but in Germany staples are no problem. The windows in the envelopes are also often out of cellulose. You can test it with a little bit of water. Does it change? Then let it in.
There are only a few things, that causes problems: glue, tetrapacks and wet strength papers, like disposable kitchen towels or coffee cups, wallpaper.
Please, get your information directly from a papermill, where recycling is done. And if US people are a little bit like German people they are happy to explain it to you. In Germany paper technologists are very proud of their work. So am I. I made an apprenticeship in a papermill and recycling and deinking was/is a main thing there.
Please don`t share the myth, that pizza boxes are not recyclable. It seem to be, that someone brought it up and everybody is just retelling it, instead of doing own research.
yes every country is different like you said!
I never said in this video that pizza boxes are not recyclable BUT until just a year ago, in the US they were NOT. It's only just now being accepted. I DO do my research. You are also assuming things about a country you do not live in.
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist Yes, every country is different. I just would love to hear, you had asked someone, who recycles.
My office is SO COLD, i constantly have hot tea to warm me up and I usually use one teabag/tea portion per day in an effort to save money and make my tea last longer. By the end of my day, is my tea just hot water? Yes. Do I drink about 5 cups per day at the office? Also yes 😅😅😅
hahaha amazing
If you have to fly, only pack a carryon. Checking bags costs money and the extra weight requires extra jet fuel.
We always do that. A week in New Zealand with Adult Son and we each only took a carry-on.
yes!!
love it!
❤❤❤
THANK YOU!
Here in California, free little libraries are gross. Whomever starts them soon after abandons them. Dusty, musty and even worse when it rains! Sadly most of the ones I've seen are near actual public free libraries with fo many resources available for free!
how sad! I'm sure it's just in your area and not the whole state
🚩
!!
Ugh hand dryers gross me out.
EW SAME!
Unfortunate information: paper waste smaller than an envelope just goes to landfill. Even if you separate the envelope and the plastic window, both are just going to end up in landfill. The best thing you can do is put the paper part in your own compost heap.
Thanks for this info; I had no idea. 💙💜💚
it's the same size though?