An Italian couple spends just £8 a month on their water bill thanks to reusing their shower waste to cook, drink and water their plants.
Anna Masiello, 28, and her husband Diogo Masiello, 29, from Triesete, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, northern Italy, want to lead a zero-waste lifestyle by swapping old clothes with friends, using shampoo and bars of soap, and opting for a plant-based diet.
Anna, an eco-influencer, also wears period pants and menstrual cups instead of using disposable period products.
The couple live in Triesete, Friuli-Venezia Giulia in north-eastern Italy and live an ecological lifestyle
The frugal couple saves money by eating vegetarian meals and buying cheap dried beans
Instead of buying shampoo in plastic bottles, they use eco-friendly bars to wash their hair
In a mission to save water, the couple stopped using toilet paper in May 2022 — opting instead for a portable bidet attached to a plastic bottle that they can use in their own home or take with them when camping.
They also keep their shower water in a jar, which they clean and then reuse to drink, cook and water plants.
As a result, the smart couple only spends £8.43 a month on water.
They also claim they eliminate the use of loo roll, which uses water to make them, and save nearly 14,000 liters of water a year by reusing their wastewater.
Anna said: “It wasn’t difficult giving up loo roll – you’d be surprised how easy it is to give up.
“So many people were confused by the concept of the portable bidet.
“When I shared it on social media, someone even commented that they would rather die than use one.
“There’s a bottle that you fill with water – you attach a little showerhead and you pour out water to wash yourself with.
“After you’re done, just wipe your privates with a towel.
“It is absolutely clean and hygienic.
“We’re doing our bit for the planet by not using loo roll and our water bill is £8 a month because we reuse the shower drain.”
The couple use a portable bidet to clean themselves after using the toilet. It is absolutely hygienic and saves on toilet paper, which uses a lot of water in its production
To reuse their shower water, they place a four-quart jug in the shower until it’s hot enough to get in
The sustainability advocate explained that the average person uses 100 rolls of toilet paper per year, which use 14,000 liters of water to produce.
To reuse the shower water, they put a four-liter jar in the shower until it’s hot enough to get in — saving the excess water, which they reuse for drinking, cooking, and watering plants.
So that the water can be consumed safely, they put a charcoal water filter in the glass to clean the contents.
“It’s so easy and we save 600 liters of water,” explains Anna.
“As I began my zero waste journey, I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders as I tried to make everything perfect.
“It quickly became clear to me that you can’t do everything perfectly and that it’s a very personal journey that you have to go on.
“We just do what we can and what works for us.
“I recommend people start with what matters to them, whether it’s food fashion or food waste, and then move on.”
Anna started her own journey by looking at how much waste she was producing and trying to reduce it.
The couple only produces a black garbage can every six months, salvaging the synthetic fibers from the washing machine that they hope to use to stuff a pillow one day.
“I haven’t bought clothes from fast fashion stores in five years,” Anna said.
“I love thrift and trade events. I try to appreciate everything I have.”
The couple say it’s easy to make simple changes to save both money and the environment
Anna shares tips online on how to live a more sustainable life, including going vegetarian and using a bamboo toothbrush
She suggests starting small with changes so as not to become overwhelming
Anna has her own sustainable fashion brand R-Coat, which makes clothes out of old umbrellas.
Her top tips for living more sustainably are:
Start small and don’t try to do everything at once. Choose something like Food, Fashion, Waste, or Transport and go from there.
Don’t try to be perfect or beat yourself up if you’re primarily vegan but occasionally eat a little vegetarian when you’re out
Swap your plastic toothbrush for a bamboo toothbrush, use toothpaste tabs and shampoo bars.
Make your Monday meatless. Eliminating meat from your diet on a Monday is a fun way to refresh your menu and reduce your carbon footprint.
Buy a Guppyfriend – a laundry bag that catches all the synthetic fibers from your laundry and prevents them from ending up in the sea.