Glass jars with twist off lids can be reused for leftovers and/or fermentation products.
Shop at the local farmer's market.
Do you have a yard big enough to garden? Garden!
Solar panels on the roof.
Catch rainwater to use in the garden. If you have money to spend, that rainwater and house gray water can also be used to flush toilets etc.
Really insulate your home.
Do your shopping by bike whenever possible.
Buy used.
This is a great start so i will add to it.
Seriously start a garden and grow easy stuff so you don't get frustrated; kale, beans, lettuce etc
Get a killawatt meter to start monitoring what is using power to lower your bills and usage
If you live in a cold climate seal all leaky doors and windows, air exchange is a lot worst than poor insulation
Consider heating with a wood stove
In the summer cool your house at night by opening all the windows and using a powerful whole house fan then close it up in the morning to keep it cool
Insulate, insulate, insulate.
Make a compost pile.
I only have two humans and a dog in my household but we typically only generate one kitchen bag of trash a week by diverting a lot of our cardboard and food scraps into a small compost pile.
Join or start a community plastics recycling effort in the style of Precious Plastics.
If you like 3D-printing, make and use a Trashprinter V3 in combination with a plastics shredder.
Honestly I find the easiest way to start is just to stay engaged in places where you'll see ideas, like this community, or on YouTube, and then try those ideas as you see ones that appeal to you. As you engage more, and try more options, you'll find what works for you, start coming up with your own ideas, and slowly produce less and less waste.
How is it going in your new home since 7 months ?
Here are some ideas for everyday life, if you still need it :
- in the bathroom :
use a bidet and cloth wipes
use solid soap/shampoo (can be the same), solid toothpaste (or learn to do it with baking soda and hydrogen peroxide)
electric toothbrush (more efficient according to my dentist and you throw away only the head, that can be re-used for cleaning works
reusable accessories like cloth wipes for face, ear scraper, tongue scraper
- in the kitchen
cook from raw materials as much as possible, learn how to use legumes in as much receipts as you can (main dishes but also appetizers and desserts)
create your own cookbook with receipt you like
learn how to do fermentation products and yogurts
buy in bulk stores and farmers markets to avoid packagings
compost
re use bottles and tin cans as flower plants
build a solar oven, a Norwegian Cooking Pot and a Desert Fridge (construction plans can be found on low-tech lab)
and enjoy your life
