This lifestyle is so interesting to me. After my dad died Ive been looking into minimalism and zero waste. Every single piece of advice is welcome and helping me grow ❤️ thank you
I am so sorry about your loss, my father recently passed and I had the same reaction...I've been transitioning into a minimalist and zero waste lifestyle.
I am going zero waste. A few days ago, I went to Whole Foods for my first bulk bin shop. I brought a couple jars and several cloth bags. Not only were they completely rude and unwilling to help me tare my jars, they actually refused to let me purchase anything unless I put them in their paper or plastic baggies. Every single employee at the Customer Service desk here in Portland, Maine refused, said it wasn’t allowed and looked at me like I was completely insane. They said it was impossible to enter a tare weight at the cashier. I left. Any thoughts? I’m going to my small local co-op now but certain specialty items they may not have. I’m upset Whole Foods, who claims to be all about health and sustainability would be so difficult on zero waste customers. I’m considering writing the company about my experience.
Great tips. However zero waste doesn't mean you don't create any case at all, it's an aim to get closer to zero, to minimize your footprint and be a conscious customer. Saying "you're not zero waste if you shop bulk" can make people disheartened and can give people the wrong idea of what it is to live zero waste values. It's NOT about perfection!
+kris cox Couldn't have worded it any better myself! Thanks, Kris. That's the big message I try to spread in my videos. There is no perfect thing. I'm not perfectly zero and it's okay!
Woww an other awesome video!! That answered many of my questions! Here are some ideas of future videos : where to buy an apartment to be car independant, how to get started with reusable toilet paper, menstrual cup or reusable menstrual protection, zero waste skin care products, how to replace tissues, benefits you've seen in your life now that you live towards zero waste, how to compost in an appartment, how to deal with gifts, christmas, birthday and holidays that generates a lot of waste and useless purchases... Hope this can help you a little but you already are doing amazing!!
Nice vid. We got into minimalism after reading Marie Kondo's first book which we bought from Costco! The cathedral of consumption lol. But my family and I are finding the change very liberating we started the year in debt and now have no debt and money in the bank for the first time in ten years!!!. Also our creativity has had to kick into overdrive due to the fact we can no longer just spend our way out of boredom. Its very calming for our young sons as well. Hoping to raise them with different values but its hard as this movment is still very small and children are buried under a mountain of advertising and manipulation. Thanks for the content keep it up
Great Tips, package free bulk food stores are the way to go! It has been a long transition from plastic bags to reusable ones but we have been doing really well and produce much less waste than we used to :) This has been a great movement and I really hope more people will do this so that we can preserve the world we live in.
love love love the way the food looks in all the mason jars. We have a new whole foods store opening 5 minutes down the street. I hope they have the food package free like that
Another suggestion for those learning to eyeball bulk amounts, if you are already carrying your mason jar with you, fill that up then transfer into the lighter bag. You will only need the one jar as you move it into produce bags after you got the amount measured out. This was my friend's clever way of making sure she didn't get 3c of something when she only had 2c space.
I live in Gainesville and Tallahassee, and all the local stores offering bulk bins have been prohibitively expensive. I know going zero waste saves in other areas, but it seemed nonsensical to me to pay more for package free food, so I looked into buying a lot of my stable dry goods--beans, rice, flour, popping corn, lentils, pasta, dates, tea, coffee, etc.--in large, 1-10 lb containers off Amazon. I found a lot of great, paper packaged products, price compared to find the cheapest ones, and almost all of them, other than the pasta and flour, came CHEAPER THAN WALMART (I felt the caps were needed). For things I want in smaller quantities or only occasionally I do still take my mason jars to my favorite Gville bulk store, Wards, but for the most part, I feel like shopping in 1 time big-bulk purchases is better. After all, bulk bin products in grocery stores also came to the store in packaging; this way you can ensure it's paper packaging all the while cutting out the middle man.
I´m from Mexico and I moved to the States like 7 months ago. I was shocked how disposable everything is here! Everything comes in plastic wrap/bag/jar Pffffff. I´ve been re-using the jars from some of products that we bought, we take our big bags to packed the groceries, but I was trying to find out another way to replace the plastic bags for some of the vegetables and fruits and you just gave me the perfect idea, because I have fabric that I couldn´t find any way to use it, is very light and kind of transparent so I will make those bags :D I´m so happy, you just made my day! I´m not zero waste totally, but I try to reduce my waste as much as I can and is getting more serious from time to time :D
I know America is so wasteful but I have noticed that more countries are adopting these disposable habits. Good luck on your journey! Every action has a big impact 💚
Thank you! I felt like such a dork having to look up how to shop bulk foods, but I really had no idea! I was confused about how to weight it if I'm bringing my own mason jars, but this cleared it up :)
I use the Ball dissolveable canning labels for my PLU#s and Tares. That way if I wanted to use the jar for something else I just rinse it under hot water and down the drain it goes.
Great idea but check prices. Bulk rarely means savings. I understand saving the Earth with less packaging but you usually spend more money on these "convenience" items. Store-brand oatmeal, beans and rice are usually way cheaper with less packaging to them. The saved grocery money could be used to donate to a eco-friendly charity. You can also recycle the packaging. Win-win-win.
It's all a balance game for sure. My roommate and I buy a huge bag of rice from the Asian market because we go through it so often so in that case it's cheaper and better for the environment to buy in packaging, but we save money buying only what we need from bulk most of the time because we don't waste food. Obviously, I encourage you to do what is financially and easiest for you and your family.
I always check before buying in bulk because you're right, it isn't always cheaper, but i've found 90% of the time it is :) especially for basic staples like rice, beans, lentils, and oats (We mainly shop Sprouts/Winco though so it definitely depends on the store.)
the purpose of doing this is that you aren't contributing to plastic consumption. The little bags and tear away tags they give you are all plastics that sit in landfills or the ocean and take 1000 years to decompose. Every single piece of plastic ever made still exists on earth and it's nice to see that zero waste is becoming to popular alternative to our high co2 way of life
I have a problem with the sharpiepen and the meshbags. What to do with the pen when it's empty? How many empty pens do we go away each year? And the meshbags look like it was made from acrylic yarn. If so, why?
I am sorry that in my country we dont have anything like that, meaning everything is packed :( . Also, the venders i here would not be happy if I did this 😓. However I admire you for doing so ☺️ and if I move someday I will surely try to live like this 🤓
My Whole Foods and Sprouts here in Cali doesn't allow us to use jars because of sanitary reasons :( I was so excited to start using jars since we pretty much only buy in bulk and I'm so tired of the waste that comes with it. I might just have to try using my reusable bags....I just hope the items don't fall through.
Oh girl, my roommate bought me a plastic mason jar funnel from Ball Jar, and it changed everything! I mean... I still make a mess but less of a mess lol
I like this video and I feel like it's kinda doable where I'm at - an Australian city - but when I go and see my family they have a tiny little supermarket without those kinds of food dispensers available. What would you recommend in the event that that happens?
Always try your personal best, if you need an item and that's your only option don't beat yourself up. When I have those situations I buy more produce than pantry items and buy large bags of things rather than individually packaged goods.
Great video! I just learned about the zero waste movement and would like to try and cut down my waste as well. I was wonder if you know of any nonbreakable alternatives to the mason jars? I am kind of clumsy and have a tendency to drop things so I'm a little reluctant to be carrying around glass. If you could give any advice it would be greatly appreciated! Keep up the great work!! :)
reusable bags: old t-shirts! cut out the sleeves sew the bottoms for a sturdy base and boom! lots of grocery bags and you just decluttered your wardrobe
so lucky... i adore the local "chain" i have, its got a good selection of gluten free and some random hard to find type things (bison) but the one thing its missing is the bulk bins.
My Whole foods doesn't allow me to take my container...they have a single use plastic there that they made us use it... ridiculous... what I do...is..I go to the place where there is coffee...get a coffee bag (paper bag) and put my thing in the paper bag..... the only way of not to use the single use plastic cone they have.. :(
Here in Australia we actually have a chain of stores that are purely zero waste that stock everything from honey and oils to toiletries and cleaning products. One is being built in my town soon and I can't wait!
It's Called The Source Bulk Foods. They sell containers and such there for you to use but it's mostly set up so you bring your own containers thesourcebulkfoods.com.au/
I do buy most stuff bulk at our local natural foods store, but I'm sorry to say I've always chickened out about bringing my own bags - so thank you for showing that it can be done and shouldn't be a problem for the store. I'll be brave and bring my own bulk bags (as well as my own shopping bags like always) next time!
I wonder if most grocery stores will do the tare weight. The scale I have at home you have to tare before you add stuff to your container. I feel like cashiers wouldn't know what I was asking.
If you were to use mason jars, how would the tear weight (I think that's what you called it?) work? Would you just let the cashier know what it is and then they would subtract it from the total weight?
Yes, go to the cashier and ask if they could give you the tare weight of the jar, aka the weight of the jar without anything in it. That way at the end it can be subtracted.
How do you tell the cashier to subtract the tare weight? I had my first bulk shopping experience! when I asked to subtract the tare weight.. the cashier insisted she is bad at calculating in her head and proceeded to take items out of the bags to weigh them separately... i thought there would be a subtract button... any experience with this?
new to your channel - while I liked the concept, everything you showed seemed bran spankin' new - were any of your bags & things around your apt thrifted or recycled. I love when people want to live more conscientiously but it always seems to go hand in hand with buying lots of new stuff, that matches. All those matching mason jars, mesh bags,etc.
I totally respect your viewpoint. To clarify, most of my stuff is actually secondhand. I live at a University so people are constantly moving after only 2 years so it's easy to find a lot of fairly new Ikea furniture. All my clothes and shoes are thifted. However, I am not perfect in any way. I recently bought my new pantry shelf ( I tried really hard to find one that fit the space but no luck!). As for the mason jars, the 64 oz ones I did buy however, the rest were taken from a party. They were used as candle holders and I cleaned them out (took forever to remove the black). I use recycled mismatched jars to freeze food. The mesh bags I did buy new when I first got started but since then I've had my mom sew me some. Aesthetics are important to me, i'm a designer but my values will typically come first (even if it doesn't look that way).
I asked and they went and showed me. A lot still comes in plastic which is why I prefer to buy large bags of rice from ethnic markets. In the end, I use less packaging.
The sprouts I go to...in their bulk section all the stuff they refill the bins with is in cabinets underneath...I’ve seen those cabinets get opened and everything is in big thick plastic bags unfortunately.
It's also important to try and buy bulk from local stores (if offered) and to buy what is in season for your area, it so important to support local farmers!
just found you channel, love the videos so far. I have a question for you, I live is a VERY small town, we only have a Walmart to shop at, can you make some videos on how to help go less waste if that's you're only option?
Sure! For now, my biggest recommendation is not focusing on being perfect or zero. Buy things in recyclable packaging and in larger quantities (aka not individual packs). Buy more fresh food. Know that every little thing makes a huge impact 💚
I would also like to know how i could do compost living in apartment. And also i have a question.. When going to grocery store with mason jars isnt it annoying when they are clashing in bag? I havent bought things with mason jars yet but i buy fruits with my own drawstring bag. Still long way to go but seeing more and more zero waste and minimalist v/blogs is motivating me a lot, thanks :)
Could you post a video where you shop for liquids? Like liquid soaps or conditioner? So far, lush cosmetics provides me with a bar shampoo but their conditioner
+Alicia L. Thank you, Alicia! That is such a nice compliment. Talk often. If you force yourself to do speeches and talks you'll learn how to present yourself. It takes a lot of practice. I still need a lot of practice but definitely helps!
Totally respect your goal at preventing waste but would love to see how a family does this. I have a family of 5 and to buy in bulk and put things in jars at the store would be extremely heavy.
Bea Johnson from the Zero Waste Home does this with her family of four. You don't need to adopt every aspect of zero waste, adapt certain things to your own family's needs
Have you ever had a cashier tell you that you have to use the tags to mark the ID numbers of the bulk items? Because they need to easily match the item with the ID numbers more conveniently or whatever the reason be.
thank you for sharing. my goal is to be less waste by 2017. question... I love wearing nail polish and loved the color you were wearing in this video. can you tell us more. nail polish would be one of my challenges. is there such a thing as zero or less waste nail polish? i also like the shelving you use for your bulk food items. thank you again for sharing. im adducted to watching videos on minimalism and zero waste. (giggle) ❤
I typically do not wear nail polish. My roommate painted my nails. It's about a balance, if you love nail polish, it's okay to paint them just reduce your waste in other ways. There might be ethical or non-toxic ones that are better for the environment.
omg😄😄 I my name's Manoela with an o lol. I never hear it that much like never lol finally another Manuela 😍 love how you had everything in mason jars Im trying to slowly change food into glass jars 😊.
What a great place! We don't have anything like whole foods. Everything is packed! We have some few bigger cities called "unpacked" but unfortunately i don't live in a big city.. I hope that this will change soon and we also have an unpacked store!! :)
Great video! I wish there were more supermarkets like that in Denmark (where I live), but the legislation on hygiene is really hard, so hardly any supermarked sells grocery without tons of wrapping. I don't think, that you can bring your own jars and meshbags for beans, chickpeas, coffee ect. due to the "hygienic-issue". The most ironic thing is that candy is sold as bulk, but only in the supermarkets bulk-bags. We can't change the world, but we can make a big change if all of us are doing a bit.
I've had stores in the USA say that, but I've emailed their management and explained why I want to use my own and have shown them other stores that do the same and they have let me use my own bags. So I recommend asking and seeing if you can convince them.
I honestly have no idea how i would do this in Brazil. Im thinking in alternatives ... the plastic bags to go in the supermarket ok. but to bring your on jar (big no no). Maybe small markets would accept this... Im up to the challenge. Great video. New subscriber :)
Some bulk stores have liquids available but there are a lot of specialty oil and vinegar shops that have bulk oils. Some will make you refill their bottles.
Oh and can you please tell us how exactly you planned and prepared everything before transitioning ? In your other vid you said it took you 5 months. So what exactly was it that you did? Really curious and believe it will be helpful for others out there who are just starting to transition to have a beter understanding and insight.
I like your video! If you take pictures of the item numbers, you can just read them off to the cashier while swiping to the next picture in your gallery😊
I like how you put coffee in a mason jar instead of buying a bag. Another tip for coffee. If you have the keurig buy the filter for it instead of buying the actual coffee pods.
I am planning to start a zero waste lifestyle but I am still trying to figure it out since I am living in a country were people are not bothered with the waste they are producing everyday.
I want to go zero waste,but idk if my mom likes it,it all depends on her bc I don’t choose how we shop But I think I’ll try! :) I’m just a kid...but I know we are gonna die if we don’t change.....
I actually typically do not paint my nails. I had painted them for a wedding in this video. Unfortunately, almost all nail polishes on the market are toxic, not vegan, and not very eco-friendly so sadly it's something I've learned to let go. Honestly, I've saved so much time that I used to spend painting them every few days and waiting for them to dry. I now read more.
I plan on making a video on my wardrobe. I like clothes- it's a form of expression and a confidence booster. I have a small capsule wardrobe that is mostly second-hand. I borrow or rent anything special event things. I do buy things like underwear from ethical fashion shops. I think they are working in the right direction, but anything in excess is harmful to the environment
I just love your channel! And great news... I recently went vegan :) I've been reading some vegan cookbooks, which I checked out from the library zero-waste style ;), and I would love to know what are some of your favorite vegan dishes!
This lifestyle is so interesting to me. After my dad died Ive been looking into minimalism and zero waste. Every single piece of advice is welcome and helping me grow ❤️ thank you
+HiLesley-Ann Vlogs I'm sorry to hear about your dad. I'm glad I can help you on your journey
Thank you lovely!
I am so sorry about your loss, my father recently passed and I had the same reaction...I've been transitioning into a minimalist and zero waste lifestyle.
I've also had this reaction since my dad was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Nice to know I'm not the only one.
I too had the same reaction since my dad passed. It's so odd to see that others have reacted in the same way
I am going zero waste. A few days ago, I went to Whole Foods for my first bulk bin shop. I brought a couple jars and several cloth bags. Not only were they completely rude and unwilling to help me tare my jars, they actually refused to let me purchase anything unless I put them in their paper or plastic baggies. Every single employee at the Customer Service desk here in Portland, Maine refused, said it wasn’t allowed and looked at me like I was completely insane. They said it was impossible to enter a tare weight at the cashier. I left.
Any thoughts? I’m going to my small local co-op now but certain specialty items they may not have. I’m upset Whole Foods, who claims to be all about health and sustainability would be so difficult on zero waste customers. I’m considering writing the company about my experience.
Great tips. However zero waste doesn't mean you don't create any case at all, it's an aim to get closer to zero, to minimize your footprint and be a conscious customer. Saying "you're not zero waste if you shop bulk" can make people disheartened and can give people the wrong idea of what it is to live zero waste values. It's NOT about perfection!
+kris cox Couldn't have worded it any better myself! Thanks, Kris. That's the big message I try to spread in my videos. There is no perfect thing. I'm not perfectly zero and it's okay!
Indeed
is it only me or she kinda have this young mandy moore vibe ?
You are the 3rd person to comment this. I never thought of that, but hey it's a total compliment. Thank you!
+The Girl Gone Green OMG U REPLYY I FANGIRLD HARD, ur so pretty ! and I really wanted to try minimalist lifestyle. ur literally the true goals!! :**
i was thinking the same just like now
yes that’s who she reminded me of, both beautiful ladies 😊
Yeah she does. Lol
Woww an other awesome video!! That answered many of my questions! Here are some ideas of future videos : where to buy an apartment to be car independant, how to get started with reusable toilet paper, menstrual cup or reusable menstrual protection, zero waste skin care products, how to replace tissues, benefits you've seen in your life now that you live towards zero waste, how to compost in an appartment, how to deal with gifts, christmas, birthday and holidays that generates a lot of waste and useless purchases... Hope this can help you a little but you already are doing amazing!!
Thank you so much for the ideas! There are some great ones!
Nice vid. We got into minimalism after reading Marie Kondo's first book which we bought from Costco! The cathedral of consumption lol. But my family and I are finding the change very liberating we started the year in debt and now have no debt and money in the bank for the first time in ten years!!!. Also our creativity has had to kick into overdrive due to the fact we can no longer just spend our way out of boredom. Its very calming for our young sons as well. Hoping to raise them with different values but its hard as this movment is still very small and children are buried under a mountain of advertising and manipulation. Thanks for the content keep it up
Go you! Thats an awesome change you guys made :)
+Papa Lazaru Wow!! That's amazing to hear. That's an inspiring story you should share with others.
inspiring
Sad to hear you had your family in debt but glad to hear that is no more. Spending your way out of boredom is certainly not sustainable at all. Lol
Great Tips, package free bulk food stores are the way to go! It has been a long transition from plastic bags to reusable ones but we have been doing really well and produce much less waste than we used to :) This has been a great movement and I really hope more people will do this so that we can preserve the world we live in.
That's awesome to hear! It is a great little transition that can make a big impact
love love love the way the food looks in all the mason jars. We have a new whole foods store opening 5 minutes down the street. I hope they have the food package free like that
Easily one of the best videos you’ve made, make more like this! Very informative and right to the point! Great video and great editing
Another suggestion for those learning to eyeball bulk amounts, if you are already carrying your mason jar with you, fill that up then transfer into the lighter bag. You will only need the one jar as you move it into produce bags after you got the amount measured out. This was my friend's clever way of making sure she didn't get 3c of something when she only had 2c space.
Thanks for the suggestion! My roommate is weirdly good at guessing. It always amazes us.
I seriously love the way you talk 😍 It's so clear and strong and we'll spoken.
Thank you so much!
I live in Gainesville and Tallahassee, and all the local stores offering bulk bins have been prohibitively expensive. I know going zero waste saves in other areas, but it seemed nonsensical to me to pay more for package free food, so I looked into buying a lot of my stable dry goods--beans, rice, flour, popping corn, lentils, pasta, dates, tea, coffee, etc.--in large, 1-10 lb containers off Amazon. I found a lot of great, paper packaged products, price compared to find the cheapest ones, and almost all of them, other than the pasta and flour, came CHEAPER THAN WALMART (I felt the caps were needed). For things I want in smaller quantities or only occasionally I do still take my mason jars to my favorite Gville bulk store, Wards, but for the most part, I feel like shopping in 1 time big-bulk purchases is better. After all, bulk bin products in grocery stores also came to the store in packaging; this way you can ensure it's paper packaging all the while cutting out the middle man.
Yes! and understanding the trash behind bulk products is super important. I buy rice in huge sacks because we go through it so often.
Wow, personal replies
Reminds me of a young Ingrid Nilsen!
such a compliment *blushing*
Melissa Roloff Ingrid IS young!!
Jenny D ok...younger!
Yay, love seeing people spreading sustainability. Go girl !!!!💓💓
+Jessica Waterfall thanks for watching, Jessica 💚💚
I´m from Mexico and I moved to the States like 7 months ago. I was shocked how disposable everything is here! Everything comes in plastic wrap/bag/jar Pffffff. I´ve been re-using the jars from some of products that we bought, we take our big bags to packed the groceries, but I was trying to find out another way to replace the plastic bags for some of the vegetables and fruits and you just gave me the perfect idea, because I have fabric that I couldn´t find any way to use it, is very light and kind of transparent so I will make those bags :D I´m so happy, you just made my day! I´m not zero waste totally, but I try to reduce my waste as much as I can and is getting more serious from time to time :D
I know America is so wasteful but I have noticed that more countries are adopting these disposable habits. Good luck on your journey! Every action has a big impact 💚
Thank you! I felt like such a dork having to look up how to shop bulk foods, but I really had no idea! I was confused about how to weight it if I'm bringing my own mason jars, but this cleared it up :)
I use the Ball dissolveable canning labels for my PLU#s and Tares. That way if I wanted to use the jar for something else I just rinse it under hot water and down the drain it goes.
Great idea but check prices. Bulk rarely means savings.
I understand saving the Earth with less packaging but you usually spend more money on these "convenience" items. Store-brand oatmeal, beans and rice are usually way cheaper with less packaging to them. The saved grocery money could be used to donate to a eco-friendly charity. You can also recycle the packaging. Win-win-win.
It's all a balance game for sure. My roommate and I buy a huge bag of rice from the Asian market because we go through it so often so in that case it's cheaper and better for the environment to buy in packaging, but we save money buying only what we need from bulk most of the time because we don't waste food. Obviously, I encourage you to do what is financially and easiest for you and your family.
I always check before buying in bulk because you're right, it isn't always cheaper, but i've found 90% of the time it is :) especially for basic staples like rice, beans, lentils, and oats (We mainly shop Sprouts/Winco though so it definitely depends on the store.)
the purpose of doing this is that you aren't contributing to plastic consumption. The little bags and tear away tags they give you are all plastics that sit in landfills or the ocean and take 1000 years to decompose. Every single piece of plastic ever made still exists on earth and it's nice to see that zero waste is becoming to popular alternative to our high co2 way of life
Brilliant! I've been wanting to do my bulk bin shopping without using the plastic bags. Mesh bags are perfect! Thank you!
You're welcome!
I have a problem with the sharpiepen and the meshbags. What to do with the pen when it's empty? How many empty pens do we go away each year?
And the meshbags look like it was made from acrylic yarn. If so, why?
I never thought of using mesh bags for groceries! Genius way of reducing waste!
Yep! A great simple change that makes a big impact.
I want to zero waste grocery shop but there is no shop in my town that has bulk foods or unpackaged foods. I'm so frustrated any advice?
I know if only they were the norm! I recommend buying/eating more fresh produce and buying things in larger quantities.
The Girl Gone Green Thanks for the advice! I'll take that on board
I am sorry that in my country we dont have anything like that, meaning everything is packed :( . Also, the venders i here would not be happy if I did this 😓. However I admire you for doing so ☺️ and if I move someday I will surely try to live like this 🤓
Tea Vulasová oh :c that's so frustrating. where do u live?
I am from the Czech Republic :)
In spain i have the same issue. I would have to drive 20 minutes (40 in total) to get to a store that does that
I do not think we have any bulk stores here in the Philippines either
I wonder where she's from
I'd really love to try this! I just can't find out where to get those mesh bags!
This was so helpful! I always hate using all those plastic bags and containers at Whole Foods and was wondering how to bypass that. Thanks!
+Jenna Revamped glad to help! Thank you for watching 💚
My Whole Foods and Sprouts here in Cali doesn't allow us to use jars because of sanitary reasons :( I was so excited to start using jars since we pretty much only buy in bulk and I'm so tired of the waste that comes with it. I might just have to try using my reusable bags....I just hope the items don't fall through.
Can you please show how you pour from your bags into mason jars at home - I find that it's not spill proof even with a funnel. Would love any tips!
Oh girl, my roommate bought me a plastic mason jar funnel from Ball Jar, and it changed everything! I mean... I still make a mess but less of a mess lol
Now I feel pretty confident to do that. I found lots of value in the tip about recording the PLU # on your phone. Thanks so much.
+Marlena Bensev I'm glad this helped you! Good luck on your journey 💚
I write with sharpie directly on the glass...it washes off easy with water and a scrubber or rubbing alcohol.
I'm completely in love with this store !!!!!! I hope we can have some of these in Mexico.
I like this video and I feel like it's kinda doable where I'm at - an Australian city - but when I go and see my family they have a tiny little supermarket without those kinds of food dispensers available. What would you recommend in the event that that happens?
Always try your personal best, if you need an item and that's your only option don't beat yourself up. When I have those situations I buy more produce than pantry items and buy large bags of things rather than individually packaged goods.
Great video! I just learned about the zero waste movement and would like to try and cut down my waste as well. I was wonder if you know of any nonbreakable alternatives to the mason jars? I am kind of clumsy and have a tendency to drop things so I'm a little reluctant to be carrying around glass. If you could give any advice it would be greatly appreciated! Keep up the great work!! :)
reusable bags: old t-shirts!
cut out the sleeves sew the bottoms for a sturdy base and boom! lots of grocery bags and you just decluttered your wardrobe
And you recycled! :)
i live near Orlando and was wondering if there are any local store to shop zero waste
so lucky... i adore the local "chain" i have, its got a good selection of gluten free and some random hard to find type things (bison) but the one thing its missing is the bulk bins.
Before zero waste, I didn't even know I had local bulk bin stores. I asked around and found some local natural food stores that do.
My Whole foods doesn't allow me to take my container...they have a single use plastic there that they made us use it... ridiculous... what I do...is..I go to the place where there is coffee...get a coffee bag (paper bag) and put my thing in the paper bag..... the only way of not to use the single use plastic cone they have.. :(
that's such a shame!! Some whole foods promote using your bags. That's such a. disconnect.
Here in Australia we actually have a chain of stores that are purely zero waste that stock everything from honey and oils to toiletries and cleaning products. One is being built in my town soon and I can't wait!
+jewels931 yes!! I'm heard of some. Super jealous. I'll have to go visit them one day
jewels931 what chain of stores? I'm in Oz... I'm oblivious to it 😫
It's Called The Source Bulk Foods. They sell containers and such there for you to use but it's mostly set up so you bring your own containers
thesourcebulkfoods.com.au/
I do buy most stuff bulk at our local natural foods store, but I'm sorry to say I've always chickened out about bringing my own bags - so thank you for showing that it can be done and shouldn't be a problem for the store. I'll be brave and bring my own bulk bags (as well as my own shopping bags like always) next time!
You can do it! I'm glad to have helped 💚💚💚
I wonder if most grocery stores will do the tare weight. The scale I have at home you have to tare before you add stuff to your container. I feel like cashiers wouldn't know what I was asking.
Most have the capacity to. Some are too lazy to tare. I recommend asking customer service or emailing them first!
The Girl Gone Green cool I shall have to give it a try at my grocery store next time :)
If you were to use mason jars, how would the tear weight (I think that's what you called it?) work? Would you just let the cashier know what it is and then they would subtract it from the total weight?
Yes, go to the cashier and ask if they could give you the tare weight of the jar, aka the weight of the jar without anything in it. That way at the end it can be subtracted.
ooh okay! thank you:)
Hey, really would love some suggestions on what to buy for the mesh bags you mentioned? I'd also love to buy some similar bags for produce. Any ideas?
You can find organic produce bags on Amazon and Lifewithoutplastic
thank you!
How do you tell the cashier to subtract the tare weight? I had my first bulk shopping experience! when I asked to subtract the tare weight.. the cashier insisted she is bad at calculating in her head and proceeded to take items out of the bags to weigh them separately... i thought there would be a subtract button... any experience with this?
Yes, some places have a button others don't offer to use a calculator on your phone. The girl who normally checks me out writes in down on paper.
new to your channel - while I liked the concept, everything you showed seemed bran spankin' new - were any of your bags & things around your apt thrifted or recycled. I love when people want to live more conscientiously but it always seems to go hand in hand with buying lots of new stuff, that matches. All those matching mason jars, mesh bags,etc.
I totally respect your viewpoint. To clarify, most of my stuff is actually secondhand. I live at a University so people are constantly moving after only 2 years so it's easy to find a lot of fairly new Ikea furniture. All my clothes and shoes are thifted. However, I am not perfect in any way. I recently bought my new pantry shelf ( I tried really hard to find one that fit the space but no luck!). As for the mason jars, the 64 oz ones I did buy however, the rest were taken from a party. They were used as candle holders and I cleaned them out (took forever to remove the black). I use recycled mismatched jars to freeze food. The mesh bags I did buy new when I first got started but since then I've had my mom sew me some. Aesthetics are important to me, i'm a designer but my values will typically come first (even if it doesn't look that way).
I really wonder what type of packaging the food is in before it hits the bulk bins, i tried googling it but to no avail. Thanks for sharing.
I asked and they went and showed me. A lot still comes in plastic which is why I prefer to buy large bags of rice from ethnic markets. In the end, I use less packaging.
O that was cool of them. Thank you
The sprouts I go to...in their bulk section all the stuff they refill the bins with is in cabinets underneath...I’ve seen those cabinets get opened and everything is in big thick plastic bags unfortunately.
It's also important to try and buy bulk from local stores (if offered) and to buy what is in season for your area, it so important to support local farmers!
Where did you get your metal shelves
just found you channel, love the videos so far. I have a question for you, I live is a VERY small town, we only have a Walmart to shop at, can you make some videos on how to help go less waste if that's you're only option?
Sure! For now, my biggest recommendation is not focusing on being perfect or zero. Buy things in recyclable packaging and in larger quantities (aka not individual packs). Buy more fresh food. Know that every little thing makes a huge impact 💚
what about for shampoo and conditioners ?
I used solid shampoo bars from lush
nick orange Some natural food stores have liquid shampoos, conditioners, and liquid laundry detergent that you can fill your own jars with too. ☺
There are many great shampoo bars on etsy also. I love buying my soap bars from there, also.
I would also like to know how i could do compost living in apartment. And also i have a question.. When going to grocery store with mason jars isnt it annoying when they are clashing in bag? I havent bought things with mason jars yet but i buy fruits with my own drawstring bag. Still long way to go but seeing more and more zero waste and minimalist v/blogs is motivating me a lot, thanks :)
I'll hopefully have a composting video in January! A great solution to that problem is wine bags, they have dividers in them so the jars won't clash.
Where did you buy your mesh bags?
I was at Whole Foods last week. They are replacing plastic bags to bio-bag.
This is nice. I just don't know if we have that kind of store here in my place.
You might! If not I am doing a Zero Waste at regular grocery stores coming in June-August
Could you post a video where you shop for liquids? Like liquid soaps or conditioner? So far, lush cosmetics provides me with a bar shampoo but their conditioner
I also use a lot of lush products but I could show oils and stuff. I unfortunately don't have a shop near me with liquid soap.
The Girl Gone Green I am slowly going green. It's a bit of a slow transition for me as I have to find stores for bulk spices and such.
TheWhitePhoenix2 I buy a lot of spices in glass jars because it's a bit of a fat jar sometimes. It has the plastic seal but the rest can be recycled
I know this isn't on topic but I love how "well spoken" you are! I'd love to know if you have any tips to share on that!
+Alicia L. Thank you, Alicia! That is such a nice compliment. Talk often. If you force yourself to do speeches and talks you'll learn how to present yourself. It takes a lot of practice. I still need a lot of practice but definitely helps!
THANK YOU for your response. I will definitely keep it in mind! you're an inspiration!
I've never seen your videos before, but you have a great on-camera voice!!
Thank you! Years of speech and debate
Totally respect your goal at preventing waste but would love to see how a family does this. I have a family of 5 and to buy in bulk and put things in jars at the store would be extremely heavy.
Bea Johnson from the Zero Waste Home does this with her family of four. You don't need to adopt every aspect of zero waste, adapt certain things to your own family's needs
Have you ever had a cashier tell you that you have to use the tags to mark the ID numbers of the bulk items? Because they need to easily match the item with the ID numbers more conveniently or whatever the reason be.
What type of bag did you use?
Flip and tumble
thank you for sharing. my goal is to be less waste by 2017.
question... I love wearing nail polish and loved the color you were wearing in this video. can you tell us more. nail polish would be one of my challenges.
is there such a thing as zero or less waste nail polish?
i also like the shelving you use for your bulk food items.
thank you again for sharing. im adducted to watching videos on minimalism and zero waste. (giggle)
❤
I typically do not wear nail polish. My roommate painted my nails. It's about a balance, if you love nail polish, it's okay to paint them just reduce your waste in other ways. There might be ethical or non-toxic ones that are better for the environment.
omg😄😄 I my name's Manoela with an o lol. I never hear it that much like never lol finally another Manuela 😍 love how you had everything in mason jars Im trying to slowly change food into glass jars 😊.
Yes, it's really similar!! 😊
What a phenomenal idea!!! Where did you get the cloth bags from? PS: New subbie. Loved your channel.
Thanks for subscribing! I got mine off Amazon
What a great place! We don't have anything like whole foods. Everything is packed! We have some few bigger cities called "unpacked" but unfortunately i don't live in a big city.. I hope that this will change soon and we also have an unpacked store!! :)
If only there were more stores like this😩 I recommend eating more fresh food and buying things in larger quantities.
Great video! I wish there were more supermarkets like that in Denmark (where I live), but the legislation on hygiene is really hard, so hardly any supermarked sells grocery without tons of wrapping. I don't think, that you can bring your own jars and meshbags for beans, chickpeas, coffee ect. due to the "hygienic-issue". The most ironic thing is that candy is sold as bulk, but only in the supermarkets bulk-bags.
We can't change the world, but we can make a big change if all of us are doing a bit.
I've had stores in the USA say that, but I've emailed their management and explained why I want to use my own and have shown them other stores that do the same and they have let me use my own bags. So I recommend asking and seeing if you can convince them.
About three weeks now i have begun to recycle coffee jars to fill-up to store different things instead of buying the Mason jars
That's awesome!! 👏
I honestly have no idea how i would do this in Brazil. Im thinking in alternatives ... the plastic bags to go in the supermarket ok. but to bring your on jar (big no no). Maybe small markets would accept this... Im up to the challenge. Great video. New subscriber :)
Look at small stores, and just shop for things in glass and cardboard over plastic.
:)
How do you get rid of empty sharpie pens without waste?
Can you buy olive oil, vinegar and other liquids in bulk?
Some bulk stores have liquids available but there are a lot of specialty oil and vinegar shops that have bulk oils. Some will make you refill their bottles.
Thankyou for the response!
I really want to implement this in my life but I have no idea , please someone answer, where can I get this cotton bags?
Brilliant initiative, what I do, is simply buy big bags of 2 kilos etc and then store in reused jam jars. Ps, you have a new subscriber here :-)
Thanks for subscribing, Maria!
Great video. Can you post the link for your mesh bags?
They are flip and tumble on Amazon
*produce bags
I love the bulk bins!!! Besides they're more fun too! I have a minimalist themed channel since we're spreading the word, less is more! 😊
This is very good .. appreciate .. where can I get cloth bags?
I got mine off Amazon
Hey! Where did you get your produce bags from?
These are from a company called flip and tumble.
Oh and can you please tell us how exactly you planned and prepared everything before transitioning ? In your other vid you said it took you 5 months.
So what exactly was it that you did? Really curious and believe it will be helpful for others out there who are just starting to transition to have a beter understanding and insight.
I'm thinking of doing a beginner's guide with steps, would that help?
Yep. Big time.
My first video! Gosh, you're amazing, Idk why I haven't subscribed to you before!
Aww thank you! You're too sweet
I like your video! If you take pictures of the item numbers, you can just read them off to the cashier while swiping to the next picture in your gallery😊
Great tip! Thank you💚
why not snap a picture instead of type out the plu#, seems faster to me. thanks for the bag idea!
That works too! I don't really want a bunch of pics on my phone.
this is what I do (take a pic on my phone). I just delete the pix later 😁
I like how you put coffee in a mason jar instead of buying a bag. Another tip for coffee. If you have the keurig buy the filter for it instead of buying the actual coffee pods.
I am planning to start a zero waste lifestyle but I am still trying to figure it out since I am living in a country were people are not bothered with the waste they are producing everyday.
I want to go zero waste,but idk if my mom likes it,it all depends on her bc I don’t choose how we shop
But I think I’ll try! :) I’m just a kid...but I know we are gonna die if we don’t change.....
Where can I get those mesh bags
What about meat/protein. How do you do zero waste for that?
Is shopping in bulk (zero waste definition of bulk) of more or less expensive ?
It can be more expensive for some things. Totally depends on the place.
how do you do your nails zero waste, and how do you remove nail polish zero waste?
I actually typically do not paint my nails. I had painted them for a wedding in this video. Unfortunately, almost all nail polishes on the market are toxic, not vegan, and not very eco-friendly so sadly it's something I've learned to let go. Honestly, I've saved so much time that I used to spend painting them every few days and waiting for them to dry. I now read more.
When you go to a zero waste UA-cam video and the commercial before is about ordering bulk plastic bags :/
at whole foods I take pictures of the plu#. Saves so much time! :)
great tip!
The Girl Gone Green :)
please do a cooking video using the whole food grains. Thank you
Love all your videos!!! So inspiring!
Thank you!
You remind me of a young Mandy Moore ☺️
A few people have pointed that out. Thank you
Nice video. The link to the mesh bags is wrong. It took me to a book.
Oh thanks for letting me know! Oops
awesome i like it , i like that shop ..bulk shop superb awesome but sadly not in my country.
There are so many stores opening up each day! Maybe you'll get one in your country soon
Amazing video! All your video's are really nice, can't wait to see more :)
Thank you! I can't wait to make more!
What size mason jars do you use
I have all different sizes. For food storage, I typically use the 64 oz and 16oz
They need more of these stores are especially in smaller towns
how do you feel about ethical fashion? whats your take on it? may be a video? loved your videos
I plan on making a video on my wardrobe. I like clothes- it's a form of expression and a confidence booster. I have a small capsule wardrobe that is mostly second-hand. I borrow or rent anything special event things. I do buy things like underwear from ethical fashion shops. I think they are working in the right direction, but anything in excess is harmful to the environment
I agree. I recently watched the documentary The True Cost. It was an eye opening moment. I am trying to make some changes in my life as well.
This is great! I actually had no idea you could do that!
Yes! It's a great way to reduce your trash
I wondered what that was called: a tare weight?? I was like but you'll get charged for the jar?
I just love your channel! And great news... I recently went vegan :) I've been reading some vegan cookbooks, which I checked out from the library zero-waste style ;), and I would love to know what are some of your favorite vegan dishes!
That's awesome to hear, Sara!! I will definitely be making some vegan videos soon. I hope you are liking it so far.
I'm loving it! I feel liberated and at peace :)
I live in Canada and I have a whole food which I’m
Super happy about!
And when the pen is finished is not waste?
She may just be using up an old one, or it could be a fountain pen, which is refillable
Yes, it is waste. I have a lot of pens and sharpies to use up