Eco Lifestyle SimGuru/Maxis-Sourced Info

Build/Buy and CAS and Premades/Personalities

New updates in Build/Buy encourage going green, too. For the first time, you can offset your bills with wind turbines, solar panels, and dew collectors. Reduce your eco footprint and invest in a living rooftop for a splash of bright color. Inside, choose between gorgeous new furniture (sustainably made, of course) or upcycle someone else’s junk into beautiful items! - pack description

With the Recycler, you can break that old couch down into reusable components for your next invention. To get the rest of the materials, keep an eye out for Bits & Pieces while you’re scrounging around in the dumpster. Once you’ve collected enough, you can create your own items in the amazing new Fabricator! - gameplay blog

From wind turbines to solar panels, generate your own electricity at home. Whether you place them on your roof or in your yard, they offset your bills and take you off the grid—literally, they expand off-the-grid functionality. Sims might choose to gather their own water with a dew collector too. Who needs infrastructure now? Of course, you could always go for a traditional power generator if green energy isn’t your thing. - gameplay blog

The Vertical Garden allows more plants in a smaller space. The Fabricator is a tool used to manufacture; it has a fail animation for users. There is also a Fizzy Juice machine (Gameplay Trailer)

Insect farming:
https://twitter.com/SimGuruSalo/status/1258068823732654080
(No, it's not chickens!)
https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1258252735620636672
(But obviously @SimGuruGeorge means grub, not worm ;)
Insect farming produces a food ingredient (Gameplay Trailer)

Dumpster Diving

Extremists might scrounge through the dumpster, too, to get their next buggy treat or components for a new creation... Need to outfit a start how on a budget? Do it basically for free by dumpster diving! Fish out a few pre-used items like a worn-out mattress you fix or a lightly singed oven you can shine up. - pack description

Need a TV, a table, or even a mattress? Check the dumpster! - gameplay blog

from the livestream:

• source of material for crafting
  
• many interactions include meal grabbing, sort out compostables, dive for deals (furniture, decor, electronics, money), new woohoo
  
• can bond with Dumpster flies
  
• Objects from Dumpster diving include those from earlier Sims versions
  

https://twitter.com/SimGuruFont/status/1263583006410764288
https://twitter.com/SimGuruFont/status/1264947195481972737
https://twitter.com/SimGuruFont/status/1265025973256257536

Upcycling

Even new furniture and clothes are sustainably made from reclaimed materials for a fabulous look! Repurpose fabric, technology, and many other objects to decorate your home and fill out your wardrobe.

Other Buy Mode
https://twitter.com/SimGuruFrost/status/1258146543120629762
https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1263888452371705856

Build Mode
Ladders:
https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1258101258553946113
https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1258106335519846400
https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1263579705300545536

From the livestream:
BUILD/BUY

• Choices in decorating and impacting affect gameplay. Some building materials have positive or negative impact, which shows in the Build UI (if it's Green or Industrial).
  
• How neighbours build also affects Eco-Footprint.
  
• Can now search for just Off-the-Grid items in Build/Buy
  
• Not only EP items affect the Eco-Footprint
  
• 6-tile sliding window
  
• shipping-container door makes a metal sound when it opens
  
• ladders *patch* - one patched in, a second ladder only in the EP. Option to slide down a ladder to get down faster. Can build multiple storey ladders. Toddlers and Pets can't use them or be carried on them. Children can use them.
  
• solar panels map to roof angles (except curved). Alternatively, solar shingles produce power. Build mode shows the power production rating.
  
• new fireplace
  
• Flooring can have more or less fire resistance. *patch* This can be turned on and off in Game Options.
  
• NO COMMENT on the window placement, but could see that it was shifting freely
  

GAMEPLAY OBJECTS

• Fabricator - creates fabricated objects are not available in Buy mode without cheats, and require materials
  
• Recycler object - gives bits and pieces out of other objects in the game, eg your MySims doll collection. Can recycle from inventory by clicking on the machine. Results can be used in the Fabricator.
  
• Candle Maker (SimGuruPopcorn) - requires wax, which can be bought from the candle making station - hobby contributes to fabrication skill. Children can make dipped candles but not molded or carved candles. High skill can infuse with scents for different moods. Colours come from dyes: 7 regular colours, 2 special colours - 1 from dumpster diving (houndstooth), the other Grim dye. Candles burn down. Shift-click cheat to set level and keep it there. Candle auto-light system is separate from regular lights. Soy wax can be bought or harvest; beeswax can be got if you have Seasons. All candles work off the grid.
  
• Bike - does not need Discover University; pulled from trash
  
• Juice Fizzer - brewing "juice", kombucha (uses flowers and herbs), and seltzer. Ingredients from inventory, including from other packs. Similar to real distilling, you can set it up and walk away. Amount of ingredients = amount of results. Can name it, send it for evaluation.
  
• Insect Farm - grubs, beetles, bombadier beetles, and crickets. They can be nurtured. New recipes use insects, which must be farmed. Crickets can result in Cricket Flour or Bio-Fuel to power your house. Can feed insects with compostables.
  
• Hydroponic Garden - waters itself
  
• Vertical Garden (SimGuruPopcorn) - Civil Designers can grow fake meat, which can be named. Massaging meat improves its quality. If it is allowed to dry, it becomes jerky. If it catches fire, you get a meat cube. Vegetarian & Squeamish Sims don't like standing next to the fake meat.
  
• Dew Collector - does not require Seasons, but does have extra effects with Seasons. Similarly with Solar Panels and Wind Turbines. They can need cleaning, can break, etc. If you break your Dew Collector, it will water around it, including watering plants. It might sprout plants around it. With Seasons, you can upgrade Wind Turbines to collect electricity.
  
• "You should definitely" press the red button on the Power Generator.
  

https://twitter.com/SimGuruPopcorn/status/1263575752068304896
https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1263590252314152960

CAS
https://twitter.com/SimGuruAzure/status/1258101259422203904
from the livestream:

• Two styles: upcycled/remade/repaired and ...?
  
• New accessories include eyebrow rings, nose rings, septum rings, ear gauges/plugs
  
• New beard
  

Premades
https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1261327948537147393
https://twitter.com/Drakenbanner/status/1261385689620414465
https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1261410076159381504
https://twitter.com/SimGuruJill/status/1263953328930615296

From the livestream:
PREMADE "NEIGHBOURHOOD PERSONALITIES" and other NPCs

• You can play the Neighbourhood Personalities but when you aren't playing them they take these roles. They only appear in Evergreen Harbour, instead of the Welcome Party.
  
• Knox is an "Eco Master". He will introduce Neighbourhood Action Plans.
  
• Bess is an "Entrepreneur". You can loan her money for her initiatives and you might or might not get money back.
  
• Eco-Inspector can be hired to check Eco-Footprint and give report.
  
• Civics Inspector is based on Neighbourhood Action Plans and will check for enforced objects and fine you.
  

https://twitter.com/SimGuruGeorge/status/1263582873770094598
https://twitter.com/SimGuruJill/status/1263672590872178688
https://twitter.com/SimGuruJill/status/1263672261971591169