How To Have a MASSIVE Impact Without Going Fully Zero Waste - Sustainable Living
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- Опубліковано 7 сер 2024
- 4 Strategies to Reduce Your Waste + Thank you to BetterHelp for sponsoring this video! Click here for 10% off your first month: betterhelp.com/exploringalter...
In this video, we’re looking at switching to reusables, making strategic product swaps, composting, and shopping package-free when possible. By making small, consistent changes, we can each have a big impact on reducing the amount of waste going to landfills.
Zero waste is a sustainable lifestyle that aims to completely eliminate sending personal waste to landfills, and the movement has done an amazing job of raising awareness about the worldwide garbage crisis. But on an individual level, zero waste is a really high bar to aim for and it’s definitely a little intimidating.
The good news is, if you look at the numbers, a large number of people making small changes actually has a bigger overall impact than a small number of people making big changes. So with that in mind, let’s forget about trying to be perfect and look at some waste reduction ideas that could be a good fit for you.
Thanks for watching!
Mat & Danielle
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COMMENTS
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We want our channel and our comments section to be an inclusive space where everyone feels welcome to watch and contribute. For this reason, comments that are inappropriate or hateful will be reported and/or deleted.
Please discuss and debate with respect, and report inappropriate or hateful comments directly to UA-cam.
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CREDITS
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Music & Song Credits:
All music in this video was composed, performed, and recorded by Mat of Exploring Alternatives.
Editing Credits:
Mat and Danielle of Exploring Alternatives
Filming Credits:
Mat and Danielle of Exploring Alternatives
#zerowaste #lowwaste #greenliving - Навчання та стиль
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Thank you for watching! Please share this video to spread the word!
For more zero waste tips and stories, check out our playlist here:
ua-cam.com/play/PLslKBpzJILesmNOAmrs46uEWrEtv4b4Ho.html
@Exploring Alternarives • I don't mean to be picky but a list of the recommendations in the description or linked blog would be helpful for this type of video. I'm sure I won't remember everything and am unlikely to rewatch a 9 minute video before I go shopping. Copying & pasting text into a tagged note is much more effective for me. Please think about it.
You screwed up the audio, it's peaking and distorted...
a bit under analised is the trade of against other resources. F.e. if I buy my produce fresh. I can buy it unpackeged. however, if I buy deep frozen stuff. There is less energy spend on logistic, sell waste due to spoilage and so on. Witch in my mind makes more than up for the little bit of plastic used in the packaging the Frozen produce comes in.
I appreciate the realism in this video. Too often environmentalists set unrealistic targets. Let's focus on making things better for everyone, including the people living in poverty who don't have our living standards yet.
I was thinking the exact same thing
Thinking the same here
Yeah plus minimalism helps to be more low waste
@@priscillajimenez27 And saves money 🤝
Exactly and inducing guilt to consumers when it's the manufacter's fault
All of these suggestions are useful and sound. I’ve been intentionally low-waste for many years. However, until corporations and government entities do their part, our small efforts don’t amount to enough. That’s not to say we should abandon them. Absolutely not. We just need to spend some of the energy we’re using to find reusable vessels on personally petitioning corps to change their ways.
I make it a habit to email periodically, brands that I like. Kalona Supernatural dairy products, otherwise great in that they're small Mennonite/Amish dairy farms, relatively close (at least not all the way across the country), organic, non homogenized ...but they package in plastic. So I asked if they could switch to something not-plastic, and they responded that "customers prefer to see the product." I was like ...I'm a customer and I'm telling you I don't give a poop about seeing it, I care about the environmental impact, and your target market is crunchy granolas shopping at health food stores, I'm preeeeeeeeeeetty sure a lot of them would agree with me? So yeah I want everyone to email Kalona and set them straight, lol.
@@PheOfTheFae It's very rare for a manufacturer to listen to a customer who wants them to change their packaging.
I used to write nice, polite little letters just like your emails, but very rarely even got a reply, let alone an excuse.
What I do now is say - 'I notice you're still packaging your product in plastic, whereas this other brand doesn't. Even though I prefer the taste of your product, I prefer to live on a planet that doesn't have your wretched plastic cartons filling up town dumps, littering streets or being burned along with other waste and producing toxic fumes that harm the atmosphere which we both breathe. Therefore you have lost yourself a dedicated customer and I will adapt to the taste of your rival.'
After a couple of emails like that, I noticed that one or two manufacturers actually started to listen. Within a couple of months they turned their plastic cartons with film into printed card boxes instead.
@@debbiehenri345 I like that. I'm going to try that :)
If all the green money went into just recycling the items, sorting them, all without having to go abroad on every land mass keeping the oceans mostly free of debris and actually solving the problem it would be better outcome than wasting all this money trying to get the gov or corporations and people to do stuff.
sometimes, just emailing brands/corporations/organizations about concerns and proposed alternatives works instantly or much later
If I could just get people in my area to stop throwing trash out of their vehicles would be the start I’m looking for.
So frustrating isnt it
It's disgusting, isn't it?
The best? Dirty diapers left on the ground at the park.
@@liorajacob8094 And that's all too common! How are people just ao negligent?
brother that has nothing to do with the video, i do agree its a bad thing to do though.
Unpackaged foods are also available at local farmers' markets. I was surprised that one was missed, as it supports local business, gets you fresh locally grown foods, as well as lowers the carbon footprint of your shopping by avoiding transportation waste.
I think it was skipped since not everyone have access to one. My closest farmers market is open for 6 weeks in summer and it's over one hours drive from me. If you have one locally, it's a great option, but if you don't have one, these four a far more useful and more accessible
@@tirill452 yes, my nearest 'farmers market' is almost 2hrs drive away.
My local farmers market packages everything in plastic 🙄
@@tirill452 Our local markets just sell their products a lot more expensive .... so I guess this isn't for everybody.
One of the small but consistent things I’ve been doing to reduce waste is to have a cutlery set at my desk at work. I have coworkers who bring snacks in reusable containers but then grab a disposable fork or spoon to eat the food. When they do this every day, that’s 20+ plastic forks going to the landfill per month from just one person eating their morning snack at work.
@Stacey • Perhaps you might consider giving them a birthday or other special occasion present of an oilcloth type envelope with silverware, cloth napkin (or two), reusable straw, foodsafe metal container for "doggie bag," waxed cloth to wrap sandwiched or double seal containers, etc. Give what you can afford but the more you give the less any individual will stand out for using them.
They SHOULD teach this at schools all over the world
Tip for those who have a favorite local takeout place, if you go in and order, just bring your own tubs and ask them to fill that up. Most places will be cool.
My two favorite local places both do it for me. My sushi/Thai place was happy to do it, but the Cuban restaurant took some convincing and were very confused…
It helps that I ride a motorcycle and need a sealed spill proof container anyway, and I just say I’m saving them money.. I don’t need anything but the food, no box, no plastic ware.. nothing.
Just make sure the container looks clean and easy to use, preferably attached lid, and keep it to as few containers as possible… less hassle for them means they’re more likely. No crazy air pumps, old crusty deli containers or peanut butter jars..lol buy a nice set of good sized meal containers and use those!
I get food from one of those places about 3 times a week, that’s a lot of styrofoam and plastic.. especially when I get the sampler and sushi which comes all individually boxed! I give them 2 boxes, one big one with dividers and one small bento box for the soosh.
Make it work, and understand their point of view.. they don’t want to introduce germs, or have your containers make you sick and you blame them.. etc. so make sure you’re polite, explain clearly and don’t be rude if they decline, it’s their prerogative.
Good luck!
If they worry about the health departement, they could also use this method: You put your open boxes on a tray. They take them in, fill them up and bring them back to you, you close the lid by yourself. That way they don't come in touch with your containers, so it's safe for everyone. Afterwards they wash the tray.
I wish that every country in the world would start to do same bottle/can returning thing what we do here in Finland. Finland uses a deposit-based return system for beverage packages, which enables the efficient collection of packages for recycling.
We do the same in Sweden. Makes so much more sense!
In the US, this sort of system is implemented at the state level. Here in Massachusetts we have beverage bottle/can deposits but across the border in New Hampshire they do not. The frustrating thing is that it is only on carbonated beverages (not still water, juice, etc) and beer, but not on wine or hard cider. It's very haphazard and can be difficult to actually find a place that will accept all the different brands and even specific flavors within a brand. Many of the redemption areas at grocery stores are machines that are not maintained properly and many people just decide that it's not worth the hassle and toss everything in the recycling or trash.
we have it in canada but the system is sooooooooooooo messed up, some things can be recycled, others cant even with the recycling symbol on it, all the deposit spots are way out of the way and smell awful so not only do you not know what to bring, you need a car to get there, and then have to deal with the horrible smell for like, half an hour while you wait for it all to be processed. There really needs to be more availability and convenience for it, because as it is, people dont bother a lot of the time anyway, and its mostly a system that benefits houseless folks rather than the enviroment, helping them is great but, theres other ways to do it so why screw the local area to take care of it.
falsely promote/doing "recycling"when in truth they burn trash to make electricity for most plastic waste and other type waste material is NOT RECYCLING.
we also do that, we were one of the first
These are all a great place to start! Another great starting point is your thermostat. Just make the temp less extreme while you’re away at work (68F in winter and 78F in summer) in order to reduce electricity usage.
I managed to cut my electricity usage by about 29% by doing this over the past year!
Great tip! Thank you so much for watching and sharing :)
I agree about the winter. In summer, though, I'd probably not let it get that hot because of my pets. I usually do 75. I also do a community solar program and most of my electricity is being solar powered, so that helps too.
Edited to add: just a little support for community solar programs. It's a really great option if you can't have solar panels on your house for whatever reason. I hear people talking badly about it, but I save 10% on my electricity bill and it costs me nothing (and of course helps the planet!). Also, not directed towards op specifically. Just as another simple thing people can do to help the planet
@@Luthien_0 yea that’s a fair point about the pets. Even so, bumping the thermostat from 72 to 75 during the day will have an effect on your usage.
Haven’t heard about community solar in my area but the wife and I are starting to think about getting a townhome. It annoys me that there are these premade groups of HOAs which share a roof and they haven’t banded together to put solar on them!
Maybe I’ll start a community solar revolution in my town :-P
@@Luthien_0 I talked to a man a few years ago who said he had a timer installed on his electric water heater, the timer was set for 1/2 hour before he woke up in the morning so he would have a hot shower, then it would shut the water heater off until he got home from work and needed to cook dinner and wash dishes, and then it would shut off again. He said he was saving a lot of money that way.
I don't mean to be rude, but what pets do you have that aren't comfortable in 78 degrees?
Thanks Danielle and Mat! I was feeling dystopian about people chipping in before, so this video really cheered me up. It is so good to be reminded that there are great folks like you two, changing minds, making a difference. ❤
Hey Misty and Bryce, hope you're all doing well! Happy to hear that the video cheered you up a little :) It's also nice to know that there are some lovely and amazing people like you around. Have a great Sunday :)
I'm curious how much industrial waste falls into the "1000lbs per person" statistic- dividing total waste by total people. We all know money isn't evenly distributed among people. Big companies own the most money and produce the most waste. What I want to know is how the average person can hold the people in power accountable instead of taking on their responsibilities as our own.
A big part comes down to what are you supporting. Companies won't change if people keep buying the same products and don't tell them they disagree. If you don't support a product, don't buy it ,and tell the company why (in clear terms). If you keep buying Twinkies, but then tell the company you don't agree with them, they don't have an incentive to change. Tell your local grocery store you want them to carry more local produce and then buy the produce. Support and encourage people to support local sustainable CSAs. Taking transportation and the middle-man out reduces that waste.
To be fair, they were using those numbers as an example. I don't think they were suggesting people actually lived like that.
Overall really helpful video but unfortunately glass is not recycled by many cities in the US anymore because the cost of virgin glass is so much less than recycled glass which is so backwards. Great content and keep it up!
Thanks so much for watching! That's really too bad about glass not being recycled everywhere, it's such a great material! We've encountered the same thing in different places we've stayed. I guess the best thing to do is check what your city recycles and then shop accordingly :) :)
For a long time Denver didn't recycle its glass, it took it from the recycling center and reused it as landfill liner! Apparently that has changed in the past few years because when I commented on a social media post about that a while ago their PR person replied angrily that that was old news and they recycle it now. I was like, great - but you should have maybe told us? :3
Glass is recycled all over Europe. However, when you buy a glass container just boil it with its lid once you are done with it and then reuse it. I've done it with peanut butter, tahini, jams and marmalades, basically every type of food that comes in glass jars. In India and Nepal, I even found places where they make their own peanut butter sold in glass jars that once used, can be returned to the shop and they'll refund you some money. Most tourists staying in hotels and guest houses don't have the facilities to clean up an empty peanut butter jar, that's why they clean and sterilise them themselves, just bring them back!
😊😉😀💖🌞🤗
Another major problem with recycling glass is that it usually ends up being mixed color glass, which has a negligible resale value. Often it ends up being reused in a secondary application, such as sandblasting compounds.
Tell me about it!
This video was great, and I love how you emphasized using what you already have. One thing I feel like is lacking on UA-cam are videos that focus on the less material aspects of low-footprint living-- what we eat, transportation, overall consumption, involvement in policy and change, etc. Would be cool to see a Part 2.
Gittemary Johannson (sp?) mentions these sort of actions in one her videos. She does all of her stuff on a low budget in Denmark and talks about doing things like using less transportation, etc. Far more do-able for the average person and a better impact.
Gittemary and Shelbizleee have a lot of interesting videos on this topic.
Gittemary has a series called the impact of (glass/plastic/fast fashion/etc) where she covers a lot of topics.
Shelbi talks a lot about community and individual actions we can take that are not only swaps, but reaching out to companies and the government for them to change their policies.
I stumbled into the PERFECT shopping setup for me.
My niece made me a custom black cotton tote bag for my climbing gear, and I used it for shopping once or twice before I noticed something magical! The tote is the exact size of my motorcycle bag! So I go in the store, fill up my tote, and I know whatever fits in my tote will fit nicely into my backpack without crushing. Anything bulky and extra like my nutrition shakes I can wrap in the tote and bungee net it to the seat behind me!
It works perfectly shopping for myself 99.9% of the time, no plastic, no fumbling or guessing.. it sounds small, but not having anxiety about not having enough space AFTER you get to the bike and realize you need to stuff noodles and crackers in your jacket… it’s so nice.
My main sin is water bottles, mostly because the water is really bad where I live.. but I’m working on it! I got sink filters and a few nice metal bottles and a little silicone one for when I onewheel.
These videos are helping me a ton! I have major plastic guilt, and certain things I can’t really cut back on, so I’m trying to make up for it in other places.
(I have cancer and often need shakes or other snacks that ONLY come in crappy plastic wasteful packaging.. I’ve tried alternatives but my brand shakes help the best.. but I’m still looking!)
I love that "buy a new reusable" comes as a last option. Yes, do use the stuff you already have!
One note though, buying a paper bag isn't necessarily better than buying a plastic bag. Reusing either is definitely a good thing.
This really depends on what you're aiming for - if you want to reduce waste, buying a new paper bag might be better as it can decompose, whereas plastic actually just breaks up over time, and takes a long time to do so. But if you want to focus your efforts on carbon impact, you might better getting the plastic, as paper production can be more carbon intensive. You're right though, reuse is probably the key here to reducing the impact of either :)
I did something similar to this by starting by a room. I went through my bathroom first and did switches just like they recommend here and now I'm onto the kitchen. A little bit at a time is perfectly fine.
After noticing that plastic milk containers filled my recycling bin, I swapped to milk deliveries. The milk float is electric and the milk is in glass bottles that are collected when the new milk is delivered 😊
Our community completely shut down a beautiful functioning recycling center due to the c. They still have not brought it back. 😢 Seems the c is being used by people and companies as an excuse to be lazy, cut expenses ( our recycling center was assistant free, self serve ), or just plain negligence.
Another consideration, stop shopping so much. Grow your own food. Learn to process and store and use bulk foods.
Grow your own. Teach your kids how long it takes to grow the food we eat. If you’ve a yard chickens are more fun than stuffed furry toys for youngsters. Many don’t know eggs come out of 🐓 or milk out of cows.Cutting the gas is as important as cutting the trash. Strength to our arms💪🏽from the uk
I think making a goal attainable makes sense. When I hear the term zero waste, I tend to tune out. We should try to reduce waste. We have taken many small steps in our home.
It's often an unrealistic goal for many people that just makes them feel bad. A huge portion of the US population doesn't have access to decent grocery stores, much less one that has bulk options. Ideally, we'd all have access to local, unpackaged, healthy food, but the chips didn't land that way. Giving ideas/options for people to make a difference where they can is far more do-able.
I would love to do zero waste, but I agree, I tend to tune out as that's not something I can easily do.
Great video. Sometimes I wished "zero waste" was never coined. I much prefer low waste living. This was great no matter if you are new ( no, you can't buy your way low/zero waste despite all the other UA-camrs out there tell you so) or if you've been in the lifestyle a while. Well done!
Love this so much. ❤
We can't expect the masses to go to zero waste over night, especially based on each persons circumstances.
I think almost everyone can commit to reducing their waste by 10%. The people who are priviliged enough to do more, should do more.
What a big difference just 10% would make.
If only package-free grocery stores were far more widespread...
At one time, you could find them in the UK (I used to go to one) - then the EU outlawed them for decades, insisting everything be 'packaged,' until a couple of German-based supermarket chains started reintroducing a very few loose items (about 4 varieties of nut) back into their own stores. (How this was legal, I don't know).
So, it's still nothing like it used to be - when you could purchase anything from washing powder to sweets to flour to dog biscuits all as loose products in the one store, and all you had to do was use their own flimsy bags if you wanted, or bring/reuse your own.
I don't know if this package-free option is actually quite commonplace in America - if so, well done you! Wish we could say the same over here.
It's still bad with regard to the overuse of plastic in packaging in the UK, and we've only just had doorstep recycling introduced in my county for the past 2 years (and then I had to argue over the phone to get the bins, because they forgot our street. Had to tell them that since they weren't providing a full council service, then I wouldn't pay a full council tax).
it's not super common here in the US, it really depends on your area. I live near a big city and even now there's not many 0 waste options, however i know there's more on the west coast.
That’s too bad, is absolutely everything packaged, like bananas and garlic too? In my shopping in Canada and the western US, most grocery stores sell produce without packaging but with some items pre-bagged, while nuts, dried fruit, candy, pretzels, some snacks and baking ingredients are sold both packaged and unpackaged.
Thanks, as always, for the great info.!
I have lived a low waste lifestyle since I was in my teens/early 20’s and bought my first reusable grocery bags & Nalgene water bottle - that I still have and use almost 30 years later!!!
And I try as much as possible to do as many zero waste things as I can = I especially like the addition of REFUSE to the 3 R’s of reduce, reuse & recycle. It helps to keep me living small and simple in these ever increasing crazy times we live in, to not let stuff I don’t need or want into my life in the first place!
Hope life is good for you both,
Kari🌞
Thanks Kari :) It's pretty awesome that you've lived a similar lifestyle since your teens/early 20’s! ....and yes, REFUSE is definitely a great addition to the list. We're not perfect by any means but we try our best and I think all the little efforts can really add up. Have a great day :)
Some of this has changed since the pandemic, too - my local grocery that has a nice bulk section started pre-packing all of it into little ziploc baggies, so you can't bring your own jar anymore. For a while, some stores wouldn't let you bring in your bags (but you could put everything back into your cart, wheel it outside, and pack it into your bags outside). For a while some coffee shops weren't letting you bring your own mugs, either (I just recently saw at my nearest Starbucks that they had a sign back up that advertised ten cents off for bringing your own mug so I guess they're allowing it again). I appreciate that they're trying to be safe but I'm also sad to have lost the bulk bins. they're the kind with scoops, not the kind that pour, so they've maintained the pre-packing still today.
Same. The only bulk store near me used to accept jars, etc. but now you have to use their containers, which are all plastic bags. The Whole Foods near me has some bulk items left and they offer paper bags, so I opt for those. May not be "no waste", but a plain paper bag is better than a plastic one.
The coffee cup thing annoyed the heck out of me. They changed it back a while ago here (Germany) but for a year or so I had to carry around an actual thermos with coffee all the time or resort to ordering coffee in single use cups. Which, ultimately, I often did... because I didn't always want the bother of lugging around a full, heavy thermo for hours.
But mostly, it just annoyed me because it was so arbitrary. If you can take and handle people's money, you can just as well touch a reusable cup they bring.
@@raraavis7782 Same. I don't get coffee out very often, so that helps, but when I do, I want some fancy coffee, not what I make at home. It's hit or miss who accepts them. I just started looking for signs when I do go and try to keep a mental note.
@@Erin-rg3dw if you have a worm farm you can feed them the plain paper bags or put them in the compost as part of your carbon ratio.
At that point, it's actually a better idea to buy your let's say nuts in giant bags. Most shoppers do not know this and buy the little zip lock bags. It's more expensive and so much more wasteful. And even then they go buy the expensive store brand bags in baking needs when it's actually way cheaper to buy the same bag from the natural foods section
I started a few years ago by just bringing reusable bags to the grocery store where I scan my own food and checkout is quick. That way, I don't feel the need put veggies or fruits in a plastic bag. The amount of blue plastic bags I have NOT used over the years, really adds up. This small change has led to other changes as well. I don't buy plastic water bottles for the family anymore and we try to use glass containers as much as possible. We are a work in progress but continue to teach our kids that we only have one earth.
Food shopping seemed to be where most of our waste came from. Switching from supermarkets to local food producers has made a massive dent. We get milk and cream from the milk man, the bottles get collected each time they deliver. And we get bread, veg and meat from the local farmer. Theres a zero waste store that will deliver free if we order over £15 of produce. I thought it would cost more, but we waste less, I don't spend lots of time food shopping online, it just comes and I get to be creative.
Thanks Danielle great content.❤ Unfortunately alot of cities don't even recycle or they will only recycle certain things. My husband and I believe before you create a product you need to stop and think what are you going to do with the waste when the item is no longer usable.
You can also compost even if you have limited space and no yard (i.e. in an apartment). Just get a decently sized plastic tub with a tight seal and start tossing your scraps there. Add some potting dirt to start it off, mix the compost once or twice a week and always add shredded or torn newspaper to balance out the moisture. And never toss animal products (meat, dairy) in there. Started the bin at home sometime last year and it's great! Doesn't take much space, doesn't smell, super easy to maintain, saves a lot of scraps from going to the landfill, and the resulting compost can be used for house plants.
Great starter list! Being zero-waste is a high bar to set - thanks for the reminder that we don't have to be perfect!
Hello Carrie
This is such a great episode. Zero Waste is a growing movement. Thanks for being part of it. Stay safe out there!
I never purchase cleaning products, hygiene products any more by using a refill store. For example today I used my containers to purchase vinegar, laundry soap, dish soap, toothpaste, shampoo, deodrant. We need more of these to open around our city, Calgary. Then Bulk Barn have a reusable container program. They have sooooo much that you can purchase to put into your pantry, even Gluten Free products. It is so sad to see people purchase products from bulk barn and then use plastic bags to put the product in and then plastic bags to put the plastic bags in. It is so painful. Great video. More people do need to see this and how to encourage more refill stores to open around a city area. Thanks.
Thank you for this video! I love how you provide incremental steps for making change and the focus on using what you already have.
I love the statistics you use in the beginning! Seeing the impact of small changes across millions of people is really inspiring. And also how you appreciate the hardcore zero wasters as pioneers. Thank you for the tips! Most realistic waste reduction video I’ve seen until now :)
Plastic bottles can also be used to store food, seed, fertilizer and rain water if you're gardening! Also a great vessel if you ferment drinks.
Fyi, on the subject of fermenting, ball jars have ventable lids now so you don't necessarily need plastic bottles for that. I've switched to mainly ball jars for storing things (even leftovers) at this point lol
plastic bottles are gret for storing seeds and such! I'm hesitant to use them for water as that helps to speed breakdown and releases microplastics, as does keeping them in sunlight. I like to use plastic bottles for dry goods in the pantry and in the garage.
I LOVE that you started this video by saying you don’t have to be perfect. Just the other day I was explaining to my husband that just bc we may not be able to do something 100% doesn’t mean that any effort is useless. 50% is still better than 0%! 💚
The thing that frustrates me is that restaurants put plastic cutlery in take out bags, without asking if you want it. We don't get take out food that often, so I usually forget to say leave out the cutlery. And even when I do tell them, the often through it in the bag automatically.
I've bought a reverse asmosis system for my house, my plastic bottle usage has gone down 95% since, I use reusable bags as often as I can while grocery shopping but the plastic ones I do get I save and give to a lady that makes blankets out of them and donates them to homeless, I still have a long way to go but I'm working on it
Making a weekly meal plan, and buying only the groceries you need. It saves money and food wastage. The other bonus is you can ensure that you are adding variety in to your diet.
Great tips to get started. I have made all of these changes over the past few years, not perfectly but just of the time. I recently started buying in bulk from azure standard. They offer items in bulk and avoid plastic where they can. I order 25 lb bags of oats, beans, and rice from them and they come in large paper bags. I buy my milk and eggs from a local farm, the milk comes in a glass jar that I wash and return so they can sanitize and reuse it and they will take egg cartons back and reuse them as long as they're not soiled.
where I live those plastic grocery bags were banned about 2 years ago, I had to buy the reusable grocery bags that turned out to be a much better option, I have about 10 of them in my car. They are bigger and stronger and last for years, they are a much better choice. We also pay a 5 cent deposit on some bottles and cans and get the money back when we return them to the store. we also are required by the town to recycle bottles , cans, card board, and paper. our recycle bin is emptied once every 2 weeks, as a result I don't fill the Garbage once a week anymore, its more like a half a garbage can full a month.
to me its about making better choices
Love this video and simple tips! It's hard to feel like my small recycling and reduction of waste efforts makes any difference, but with more people making a small effort we make things a little better 🙂
It's like a bee in a hive - each bee will only produce 1/12th of a teaspoon. It may not seem like a lot, but if every bee decided that their impact wasn't enough, the hive would starve. If every bee decides that their impact is small but still helps the hive, the hive will thrive.
I really loved your video, specially when you said little changes are also very helpful. I am struggling with sustainable lifestyle myself sometimes I just feel I am not doing enough. This video really changed my perspective and gave me boost. ❤
Thank you soooo much for this video! This is an area that needs more attention given to it.
All good pieces of advice. In addition to those, going plant-based will increase tremendously the impact on the environment.
So good to see you back doing videos again Danielle! We missed you!!
Love, love, LOVE this!! Some of my friends seem to be intimidated by some of the extreme things I do (like bringing my own takeout containers), but it does inspire them to want to do more. This is such a great resource on how to start out!! 🙌
Hello Rachel
A Berkeley water filter and old kombucha glass bottles are exactly what I use for drinking water. Even my pets get their water filtered through the Berkeley!
I do a personal challenge every year since 2018. #nopizza2018 #nosugar2019 #nofriedfood2020 #weekdayvegetarian2021 and this year is #nosingleuseplastic2022
This video is really helpful in my journey! Thankyou!!
Very interesting thanks for sharing !
Thank you so much for making an encouraging video!
Great video, however because of covid all the bulk items are now pre packaged in all the grocery stores in my area. And no tare shops exist here :(
This is a wonderful video with an inclusive and encouraging tone. Thank you!
THIS is why I love your channel so much! You're down to earth, realistic, especially with the "attitude comparison". I've been noticing this for many years now, how so many people just do not believe that their actions make an impact on the whole. Hence, they don't even try, and I don't mean just about zero waste lifestyle. That's such a horrible way to feel and to live... I will share this video with people like that!
We also add our adult diapers (Incontinent supplies) to our green bins. This ends up being full each week. Where as our garbage pail only goes out every 2 months. We use our cloth bags when shopping, (remember to wash these after use.) We make our own laundry soap and keep that in the laundry containers. We use our filtered water jug a lot. Remember to change the filter. We compost a lot for our garden.
I grew up on a rural property, and we just had a bush that we always threw our food scraps behind. 😆 It's interesting how many things I grew up with as the child of immigrants that are now being presented as eco-friendly!
This year I'm going to achieve the things I've always talked about.
-going keto
-quitting sugar and processed junk
-get into shape
-go zero waste
-learn gardening and start my own Veggie patch, so I can get 50% from the garden and not the shops/ as well I'll buy from the local farmers markets.
-and then do a few things on my bucket list, go sky diving, do things I've been scared to do.
-plant some trees!
If covid taught me anything it is that you don't know when you'll die, and sitting around saying you'll do it tomorrow isn't living and isn't happiness! Let's achieve our goals and visions this year 🙌 💪
That sounds like an impressive list. May I suggest picking one thing to change at a time. E.g. this week and forward I am going to take reusable bags to the supermarket to pack my groceries in. Next week I will swap a bag of lettuce for an unwrapped one. I will grow lettuce, tomatoes, radish for a salad. Starting small and adding as you succeed will encourage you whereas trying to do it all at once can be overwhelming.
Pro tip on the gardening and zero waste ones- you can save kitchen scraps and use them to grow plants! Just do a little research on what can grow in your growing zone. I also suggest getting a small amount of fresh basil because fresh basil roots really quickly in water and you can make an infinite basil plant out of it (look up infinite basil on youtube, Atomic Shrimp has a conveyor of basil that's been going for about a year now!). Other good scraps are the ends of green onions or regular onions, tomato seeds, and carrot tops. The onions and carrots don't grow the bulb/root back but the greens are perfectly edible and tasty. The carrots are biennial, and they've already grown a year to get the thick root so expect them to die that winter.
Thanks for spreading the message. Seems I have been on the right track for a while.
Perfect upload without any doubt.....Such a charming video.
Thank you for being there for us!!!!
Thanks so much, happy you enjoyed the video and have a great weekend :)
Compost later in the cycle by saving your scraps in a glass reusable container until you have enough to make a vegetable soup stock. I use my Instantpot with the soup function for 3 hours. I think this is enough time to get most nutrients out of the vegetables and produces a tasty flavoured stock. Simply use ghee or an oil to saute the veg first then add water,salt and herbs, etc. After it is done, simply compost the vegetables that you took out of the stock. Et voila!
Great episode, great tips, thanks guys!!
I came to the video to find some new tips but I do mostly everything here! Feels good 🙂
Great information!
I love this video! We aren't trying to go full zero waste. But we have made a lot of reusable swaps and taken small steps to reduce our waste and be more cognizant! It's really great what a lot of people making small changes can do!
That's awesome! We're not zero waste either but we've been making these small changes for years and feel like it's definitely easier to do long term. Have a great day :)
Thank you so much for not stressing your community with "you should only do this or this and everything else is bad". I really enjoyed your video and I will try to do slowly more and more changes :)
My boyfriend and I started some years ago with first stop buying common production products and try to buy biological food. And over the time I started to look out for our amount of plastic we buy and use. But we're not perfect at all with our waste. In the end we are still working on our routine but we give our best :)
This. That is the most helpful video I have seen, because it's not about the asthetics, but usability
I really love this episode. I would love to see more like this very helpful thank you
Thanks for the feedback Keli, really happy you enjoyed the episode :)
a few things to add/change:
paperbags can also be reused (we have a bunch of them and bring them to the store to refill there)
aluminium cans need a LOT of energy to get recyced…so these are pretty bad as well..idk if PET-bottles (that are recyclable and many places have the extra trash cans) are better, but these are also recyclable.
Thanks for this! It CAN be a daunting task trying to be zero waste... low waste is definitely more manageable for more people. I've made many permanent changes over the last 6 years but still struggle to be even close to zero waste.
Im trying to do my part. Multi use bags,produce bags,glass instead of plastic. Trash bags are a hard one.
Instead of plastic sandwich bags what do you suggest I use in the freezer ? I'm not sure what else would be safe to use
This is good advice. There are a bunch of roadblocks and many questions about if the small steps I am taking are worth doing. I don't use the straws at restaurants but the server always leaves one on the table. I would think that if it is unused it would be given to the next customer but is just probably thrown away. When I get takeout they don't ask if I want disposable silverware they automatically put it in the bag. My state just passed a law banning plastic bags which is good as well as Styrofoam takeout containers but the restaurants just switched to plastic containers. Instead of banning something individual the laws should be written to require sustainable or biodegradable products be used. Our town just changed its recycling program from household pickup to having to bring it to a central location yourself(super inconvenient) their budget was decreased but the landfill stream will be increasing significantly. I do my best at home to use reusable storage containers or paper/ aluminum foil instead of plastic but its tough to try to convince others in my household.
This is really helpful
So helpful and clear. Adding it to our local earth day fair website and sharing on socials, Thank you!
Thank You! 🌀💚🌀
Excellent video showcasing SOLUTIONS and EXAMPLES.
Hadnt even completed watching and I ran, wrote an email to my tea company, deleted 10,000+ emails and still feeling pumped to do more Haha and its 2 am
Stores used to have empty merchandise boxes in front to put purchases in. Now, you have to pay for a bag while the store pays to have the flattened boxes taken away. Terribly wasteful.
I’ve been slowly replacing the wasteful products i use whenever I’ve finished them. When I ran out of shampoo I bought an shampoo bar, when I needed to buy dish soap I looked for a plastic free alternative. To make it easier, save a google doc with links to different products you will need in the future. When I need deodorant next time I will already know which product I want :)
Yes!
Seems I am doing all this already... in Austria you can also buy milk and yoghurt in reusable glass, which you bring back to the supermarket.
Even if there is no municipal composting provided, many cities have private composting options that cost very little. In Phoenix and Chicago, I paid $10 per month to compost.
This is great because zero waste can seem so intimidating that you end up not doing anything out of fear of doing it wrong and like you said, it's a lot better if we all do at least a little bit better
Y'all should do more videos with y'all in them like you used too. Y'all are awesome!!!
great video!
In Finland and the most countries in the EU, we are recycling plastics which are then made a new plastic including plastic bagss. The landfilling of organic products are prohibited. In Finland, we are also reusing pllso reuse plastic bottles and recycling glass, metal, paper and cardboard. Im also composting our food waste. It is not zero waste but very good system to recycling and reuse materials. Landfills are for toxic waste and for inorganic wastes, which are not usable as a material.
Great video.
I use the produce bags from the loblaws group as garbage bags. It forces me to try to shrink my garbage output to just a produce bag full daily.
I love your realistic approach to this - especially the points about different budgets and different product availability.
There's always going to be someone complaining about ideas like this, but a few of these ideas are so obvious and well-known that imo they just need to make it law.
And while we're talking about it - stop giving out the crappy paper straws - just use a lid that can be sipped like a coffee cup.
Don't forget about your local Farmer's Market. Usually little to no plastic there. Plus you'll help buy directly from the farmers.
A great place to get glass jars, reusable water bottles, reusable containers, reusable silverware, and bags to use for groceries is the thrift store. That way you’re giving new life to these items instead of buying them brand new. I’ve even purchased water filter pitchers at the thrift store. Besides giving unwanted items new life, you will save a ton of money
Be conscious about food packaging, bring your own reusable bags and recycle as much as you can.
I live in the city and did not want to keep on throwing away food craps into the bin. I got a vermicompost 2 years ago. Worms like to eat vegetable scraps, plants and cardboard and make wonderful compost. I am very happy with my pets.
An issue I’ve faced at Kosher take out places and coffee shops is that they don’t allow me to use my reusable cups or containers because there are strict rules in Kosher places. They don’t want your container to contaminate anything.
Great!
What a great idea for a video!
Something I’m super happy with is the plastic bag tax in my country. When it was first introduced it was 5p per plastic bag. You’d be amazed how 5p can change the mentality of so many people. The small incentive of “oh I have to pay now” made people want to being reusable bags. I believe the uk has nearly halved its plast bag consumption between 2016-2019. When I went to America they gave me two plastic bags (one to reinforce the other because they were so weak) and I was half stunned because I’d gotten so used to the uk system/mentality
Talk to massive companies that do NONE of this. Individuals can only do so much and it isn't even close to enough.
I get this, but most companies only exist because of everyday people supporting them, right? We can boycott or at least reduce our support of the companies, insist the government create stricter regulations, and encourage fellow citizens to join us in all these approaches. I just worry that people will stop trying if they think they have little or no impact. It all counts :)
@@michellew.5805 We live in a consumerist society but that doesn't excuse the big companies who are wasteful more than any of us. They throw away food and products daily and are brand new hence we have dumpster divers! At least they are trying to avoid most of these things to going into landfills. We don't, as a collective make an effort, to better this country let alone the planet with the amount of everyday waste that is out there. We can only do so much individually because some people just don't care!
I compost most of my cardboard and paper products and I collect all food scraps for bone broth then compost the leftover. I reuse the plastic strawberry containers for grow pots for veggies, the use selcone straws and a stainless steel glass, I reuse all glass jars,I've been reusing old peanut butter jars and old juice jars the seals on them last for 15 years and counting. It's getting harder and harder too find spaghetti sauce in glass jars and double the price if you do find them I use those jars for canning pickles ,pickled mixed veggies,sauces ,jellies,jams,and syrups. I buy 2 jars of ice cream toppings each month because they are the same as a pint jar and I save my marshmallow cream jars for meal prepping soups and stews and my homemade butter. And I bought 2 cases 2oz. of pimentos that was on sale for $.50 I will use them for seed saving and homemade slaves and dried herbs.
Bamboo brush, comb and ear buds are also eco friendly