I'm sorry, but I have to add my 2 cents as a Geology professor here. There is no such thing a glass in ground as unsustainable. Glass or Silicon dioxide is the most chemically resilient and abundant mineral on earth and it is what remain after millions of years of physical and chemical erosion of rocks. When you say glass doesn't degrade, you are only considering the chemical aspect. That does not mean glass in itself is indestructible. It is as we all know, physically degradable. It does not chemically interact with our surroundings, so wouldn't be creating any more problems than what sand does. In fact, it's beneficial to have sand in soil, which increases porosity and percolation of water underground. Glass in a landfill has basically zero drawback. It will just stay there without disturbing anything, exactly how glass has been throughout the entire geological history of earth. Here is an additional point, the only thing that can chemically disintegrate glass is hydrofluoric acid, which is the most powerful acid and powdered sand has to sit soaking in it for atleast 24 hours to dissolve. Bottomline, something being chemically resilient does not mean it is a problem
I get your point but surely there is the 'problem' of glass in landfill adding to the volume of landfill right? as in yes it might not interact with the surroundings and thus it wont negatively effect its surroundings over its 1 million degradation process but surely it would be better to have a smaller volume of landfil waste. So whilst it doesnt pollute its surroundings its better to recycle as much glass as possible (since it also has a good recycling potential) in order to reduce the overall volume of landfill, since having to use large land areas on landfill reduces the possibility for animal habitats. In that case the length of time it takes for something to degrade does impact the environment in terms of how long we have to wait before we can use the same landfill area again.
@@Littletass Not necessarily. Yes the volume of the landfill increases, but that doesn't mean a sand dominant land will adversely affect environment. As I said, sand increases porosity and permeability and that is exactly the most ideal soil nature for accommodation of organic matter as well as flourishing of fungi, since water can percolate easily and maintain moisture. This condition is very ideal for vegetation to flourish. The river banks in our nature has a similar soil profile which is a very conducive environment for vegetation
I heard that in Germany all their glass bottles are the same shape so they just keep putting different labels on them and don’t have to melt them over and over and that sounds like a rly dope way to make glass more sustainable
We also recycle almost all plastic bottles. You pay 25 cents extra for the bottle and get it back when you return the bottles to the machines at the store
Well, we do have some shapes that are used a lot but they are far from the same. However, lots of glass bottles can be returned to the shop and then they are cleaned and used again. But Germany also has a very good collection system for glass jars. Last time I checked somewhere around 90% of glass waste in Germany is recycled. So, for German products a lot of jars are recycled glass, which is of course a lot better than ‚virgin‘ glass.
I reuse all glass for years and years and years. I take food everywhere in things like old spaghetti sauce jars and pickle jars. I have made knitted and quilted sleeves for them so they don't break or retain temperature. I have jars that are older than me, because I inherited them, from brands that are long gone.
Such good tips from you too! I kind of worry about breaking them but never thought about doing that. That said, I don't have big enough old socks. Small feet here.
I am impressed at how much information is still not known to most people, me included. Whereas it has such an impact on our life. This video is amazing, thanks a lot.
These videos are so informative! I am also really curious about sillicone (like you also have food containers from silicone), which is said to be sustainable as well. So if you are looking for more materials to inform us about, silicone might be a material suitable for it. Tack!
I, too, am very interested in silicone. Since it is used for food storage, cooking, and it also can be inserted internally (such as a menstrual cup or a pessary) I would like to know how it is made and is it sustainable? Thanks for this, have a great day.
a cool hack i worked out is that sainsburys (a brand of supermarket) sell some of the spices in little glass jars. If you buy one, when it runs out you can fill it up again from a bulk store, and theres already a label on the jar so you can tell your spices apart without having to add your own label!
Thank you! I try to live more low waste since about 1,5 year and also are a vegetarian for about a month now :) Most youtubers are mostly repeating the same info.. ( the video's still stay nice and good :) ) But YOU post nice, unique video's and you are always teaching me new things most people don't even talk or think about. Your video's are helping a lot of people to live their lives in a better way :D ❤️
Thank you for this great video! One tip: in most houses it definitely is better to switch off your radiators. Radiators have a small amount of steel to heat up, so they can react quite quickly to your needs and therefore switching off is more sustainable. In houses with floor heating it isn't, because the concrete floor takes up a lot of energy before heating up the rest of your home. When you're on holiday, it is better to switch off the floor heating. I work at an advising company for sustainable home improvement and we calculated everything. It's really interesting! It all depends on the mass of your home, the insulation state etc. But in most cases the way I described it is the way to go🤗 Greetings from the Netherlands
In my neighborhood we have a glass bin, coordinated by color. So you have to sort the kind of glass in 3 bins. Near the supermarkets you also have glass bins, color coordinated. I think that this should be a general rule. For plastic in the Netherlands it's called 'statiegeld' which means that you pay a little more money for a plastic bottle and you have to return the bottle to the store to get that 'extra' money back. There has been discussions on making this the rule for all plastic bottles (right now it's only on bigger bottles). In my opinion with plastic (even though this video is about glass) is that they should stop making so many different kinds of plastic. There are I believe 7 types of plastic. The recycling sorting would be so much easier if every 'consumer use' plastic (packaging mostly) is the same kind of plastic. As well as stop putting different kinds of materials together. A milk karton has a small layer of plastic inside to keep it from leaking, but that small piece of plastic probably isn't recycled. As well as paper plastic mix for packaging is harder to recycle as a consumer, unless you're willing to take the packaging apart. If you want plastic packaging as a company then only use plastic. I was talking about milk kartons, what I believe is the best solution to reusing products, is that most of them come in glass and you get this 'statiegeld' idea. You pay a little more for the glass packaging, you get the money back when you return it tp the store and the store can then send the glass to be cleaned and just reused, not even remelted. Don't know why I said so much, just wanted to share my opinion I guess
@@AasthaHingar right I get that, I mean on a personal level we can recycle glass constantly. Theres a lot that companys do that is ridiculous when it comes to being wasteful.
I love glass. I buy as much as I can in the thrift stores. I have Pyrex coffee cups from the 60's that I've had over 20 plus years and they were made very well back then I can drop them, they don't get chips, the patterns are still beautiful today as they were when they were made. I buy vintage Pyrex casserole dishes, vintage Pyrex storage glass containers for things like salads. I am a Canner and most of my jars have been bought in the thrift stores or given to me by retired Canners. When I buy something in glass I save the jars and reuse believe it or not you can make preserves in pickle jars using the lid that came with it and it will seal again. When I do get plastic clamshells with fruits in it I also save those and at Christmas I use them for giving candies or cookies in as gifts. Repurpose wherever you can. Anna In Ohio.
I would love to see a video researching the whole “ run your furnace constantly because it uses more energy to turn it off and on again”. I live in Canada and have to heat with oil. In the winter, I heat the house to 17 degrees and turn off the furnace until I start getting actually cold even with a big sweater. That’s usually around 10-12 degrees. I also close off all but a few rooms so that I’m not heating unused space.
A lot of thrift stores provide secondhand glass such as mason jars, flip top bottles, cups, bowls, mugs. And i think it is a better way to access glass materials.
Occasionally I throw glass in the recycling bin, like a wine bottle, otherwise I keep jars forever, reusing them over and over, and the disposable ones from food, I often put them back as packaging in my zero-waste-oriented community shop, some of which is actually being taken back by the producers and reused (same as for beer bottles and water bottles (yes, I still manage to find glass water bottles, plus which are used in a close loop!)).
good video - one thing that could be added would be the ability to reuse glass rather than recycle at industry level. As you probably know, here in denmark most beer bottles come in the same bottles so that they can be washed, rinsed and reused rather than melted down and recycled. That has significantly less externalities than recycling and is a unique feature of glass reuse compared to aluminium and plastic =)
Before throwing out a plastic food storage container you can use wax cloths to add a temporary seal for quick use in the fridge and find other uses in the home including storage of objects if it’s only a small crack. And if it’s deep enough and has a crack it’s perfect for draining water for pot plants rather then just throwing it try to reuse it first. But you don’t really want to do this for recyclable unless it’s not available or inefficient. You only have to use your imagination to find a use for it before throwing as we want to minimise waste.
i really love this series! very informative and easily digestible! please make one about silicone since it’s been the go-to plastic alternative (ie ziplock bags, cooking utensils, baking tools, reusable cups). i know it also makes use of silica but i also know they add more things to it similar to plastic production.
My ex used to love a specific brand of mayonnaise that comes in a rounded jar. I called it “sexy jar mayo” and saved every one. He ate a jar every month or so. I now have many of these pretty matching jars in pantry filled with grains and beans and such. I have long transferred all my dry food to glass which keeps moisture and rodents out. You can write directly on glass with a permanent marker and wash it off later with baking soda paste. No need for labels.
Thank you for saying if you accidentally aquire plastic you will use it until it can no longer be used! I think there's a big misconception to get plastic off of your hands as soon as you have it and that's not sustainable or even practical. All my love and support, Caitlin NC, USA
I have glass Mason jars that are probably nearly 100 years old and they are still good to use for food canning. I have hundreds of jars and I use them for everything....freezing, canning, dry foods, household items storage, decorating etc. I seldom break or chip them and have not had to buy any for many, many years.
Hi, I just want to make a comment that I am so impressed with how happy you seem to be, I watched one of your videos from four years ago and you just seem so much more happy and free and confident and that to me says a lot about how your lifestyle probably plays into that, along with taking about what you’re passionate about.
Where I live (Assens Kommune oo Fyn) we have this double-spaced recycling bin... In which hard plastic and glass goes in the same compartment and soft plastic, cardboard and paper goes in the other compartment. Together. Honestly I really don't think it makes a difference, so I try to limit the consumption or take it to the recycling court in the next town, so it can go into specific sorting. When everything is just put together (the lid is not delegated so it's emptied into the same truck) it's greenwashing and nothing else. Just living here (I used to live in Aalborg which has a more sensible system) I can't blame anyone who feels clueless or hopeless in the sorting proces, It is a battle when even your county just blows you off.
Really liked this! Learned a lot of new things. Luckely I live in the Netherlands and there is great glass recycling! And there is also a lot of glass in the thrift stores ✌️
I rarely trow away any glass containers (in the recycling bins). Instead we use them to store stuff in the kitchen (soup, grains, sugar..) and bathroom (cotton buds, toothbrushes). I have relatives who like to make their own jams, pickles, tomato juice etc. from scratch, so they welcome most glass jars we have left unused - small ones, big ones, bottles from olive oil...
I live in a apartment complex and I wish we could separate recycling. I'll look in the blue bins and find a lot of stuff that isn't recyclable. There are times they leave the bin open when it's raining, so then it ruins the recycling. Having glass separate from paper or cans would be nice. You feel me girl....
Im not fully waste or not really think its my ambition but I think its so great that you are here in my life to inspire and do research that u I can quick learn from you. Thank you very much
there is a huge drawback on recycling glass jars and glass in general. If it shatters it contaminates the whole batch. So imaging you put 2 glass jars into your recycle bin with some plastic bottles, cardboard boxes and so on. During transportation there is a high probability of these jars colliding creating lots of small glass shards. This is a safety concern and it contaminates the batch, so everything goes to landfill (including carefully collected plastic and cardboard)
Found this while researching for my video about sustainability of glass! This was very useful. I just uploaded the finished video to my channel and I have included the link to this video in the sources. Thank you😄
I buy juice from time to time and of course BEER and I take those glas bottles back to the shop and they can be washed and refilled. More then 40 times. Not a single use. Thin plastic bottles get shredded or dumbed after one use and thicker plastic bottles might be refilled (those bottles in crates). If you're not vegan you can buy milk and yoghurt in glas and do the same. Would be awesome if vegans could do that too. Would be great if this would be possible for more things, sauces, jamjars etc. Not only in low packaging shops. Producers have to take more responsibility for the waste
In Germany we have a refund system for a lot of glass containers (though only 8 cent). Bottles for water, juice and beer will be reused. They often have the same shape so other companies can reuse them. Also milk, cream and yoghurt are available in refundable glass containers. I hope to see this system expanded at least in a wider sense of local product.
Thank you! This is highly informative and needed to be spread. It is not simply changing the materials we use, we must first reduce our consumption and reuse what we have to the maximum. Only then, think about the materials.
Glass is so useful. I try to never toss the glass jars I get when purchasing new items. For example I use them as drinking glasses, storage containers, vases, pencil holders, containers for gifts. Instead of a gift bag I can use a gift jar(depending on the gift of course). Sometimes I will make one of my homemade beauty products and give it in a sterilized jar(just dip them briefly in a bath of boiling water with a set of tings so they don’t touch the sides, making sure they are already warm by soaking them in a bowl of hot tap water for a few minutes if the jars are too cold( no fun letting them shatter in the pan from shock). Lots of uses for glass. And when cleaned properly they are great to use for refillable products from the bulk and refill stores. Canning jars are my fav because when the metal lids get rusty it is easy to get replacement canning lids. Some of my homemade products contain salt, baking soda and vinegars which can impact metal. But usually that takes a year or two. Lol
After watching your videos all day long, well I subscribed 😂 For 2020 I promised myself to go waste free as much as I can (it's impossible to go completely plastic free, especially where I live) and your video are sooooo useful girl 💕
Ideally you would be reusing glass containers over and over, rather than creating a demand for more. But for people like me, without access to bulk foods in any variety, I buy a lot of glass, I thought I heard it was much easier to recycle.
@@segivde3793 OK so I avoid aluminum at all cost because my Grandfather had althimers (I can't spell sorry) and it has associated aluminum issues. They don't know how but aluminum crosses the blood brain barrier. So I avoid aluminum because I don't want my memory stolen from me.
Thanks for making this information so easily accessible. I have steered away from packaged foods for this reason bc one time use packaging just seems so wasteful. U can reuse jars but they also create a lot of clutter when u try to keep everything to reuse. Skincare is one area that 8 haven’t had as much success steering away from packaging
We all know about plastic now but never given much thought to glass...i always reuse any glass where posible in my home , i also love opening cupboards and seeing food stored in glass too..Brilliant and informative video, well done x from England
In regards to when she mentions about how little glass is recycled in the U.S., I can attest to the fact that it is not completely by the fault of people not willing to recycle it, but as I've noticed in my county, some major companies did away with accepting the glass because the companies that recycle the glass have been shutting down. When you take away the accessibility to do something like that, people become frustrated and give up trying. I got incredibly enraged when the waste company gave the excuse that the glass was being mixed into all the recycling, becoming broken as is normal for something so fragile, and then "ruining their machines". When they were called out on the fact that most places spent a ton of tax dollars on waste trucks that had the ability to separate them (and didn't use them to do so), the companies did not comment. Now there are glass "collections" just as they try to do with e-waste (again, a whole other topic that makes my blood boil on how in-effective that process is), and my mom and I have decided to combine our collections to justify making the trip to those collections when they have them.
We get peanut butter in glass jars, we have WIC for our kiddos and we’ve been using those as storage containers. Recently we realized that we have accumulated a lot of glass containers and my husband had the greatest idea, he suggested that the peanut butter ones be our new glasses! We’ve been using (and still are) mason jars, but had smaller glasses, but with our little ones with little slippery hands, we’ve had some accidents. I’d like some advice on mason jars or glass and freezing because everything that goes in a jar and in the freezer, does not turn out well. And there’s nothing wrong with the freezer settings.
If I can buy things in glass I do. But I also save the glass and have started to gain a good sized collection of store bought class from coconut oil, olive oil, acv, peanut butter, etc. and I just reuse them. I have also found that my store bought that I clean and reuse tend to be more durable than my mason jar and their leads don't rust or leak as much as mason jars do.
That was a brilliant post. I reuse glass all the time and have done for over 20 years. I use more now as people save glass for me as I make preservatives. However I didn't know a lot of the information you have shared, especially how glass is used to contain landfill, what a twist, and that some glass ie Pyrex cannot be recycled. Thank you. I haven't seen your videos for a long time. I love your new look though loved your old style too. I shall look at some of your other videos now and will be sharing this one with everyone. Well done, keep them coming. Very well investigated. X
I’m not sustainable as I would wish to be, but I try lately to only buy glass locally, usually only by products in glass and reuse the jars and bottles, and I favor stainless steel and ceramic when buying kitchen supplies.
Thank you love for the insightful and thought- provoking video! I love this new mini series and hope you make a video about biodegradable plastic... 😇 How i reuse my glass jars; one way by collecting cigarette buds on my way to my local farmers market on Saturday as a lil intentional clean up morning routine 😌💗 Thank you for the impact you are creating with your content! I cant wait to see your next video! ✨
I live in the US and in my area the town only recycles plastics 1 and 2 and tin cans. Glass is not picked up as recyclable but there are some drop off locations where I bring my excess glass (clear, green and brown). I buy more items in glass than I possibly need. I’m trying to cut back on all packaging. This is a challenge due to availability, but I am striving to do even better. I live with others that are not completely onboard with the limited items that can be purchased package free.
Great video as always! Unfortunately in Italy the whole recycling thing is a mess: depending on the city, you have to put glass and aluminium together, whereas in other places glass and plastic go together. Both solutions make no sense (not to mention green, brown or transparent glass). Moreover, it's so hard to find second hand shops in here! Once I tried to give some stuff to such a shop but their policy is to accept only certain items like high quality and expensive vintage furniture and clothes. So there's no place to sell nor buy second hand glass or other stuff for daily use. In Italy we're so bad... And people do not care, since there are (mixed) recycling bins all around and that's enough for them. Keep doing these videos please! Thanks a lot
I have been waiting for someone to make this video because of the significant environmental impacts of glass production, as you described. Thanks so much!
Just found youre chanel, and just watched one or two of you’re videos. I have been into zero waste and feel impressed by all you’re really important information in just one little video! You go girl! Please keep it up 👍 lots of love Sofia
Loved your video!😄🤗💕i have a quick question though, what do I do if glass breaks? I normally don’t ever have a problem with this because I’m extremely cautious but what should I do with broken pieces of glass?😯🤔
Wrap broken clean glass in newspaper, but keep with glass recycling. At least that's what my mother taught me. The paper will dissolve mostly before or during the process of recycling glass. Not sure about the paper molding if food scraps are part of the glass shards too.
You should check with the organization that is in charge of the waste management of your municipality, because every single waste management system is different. I’ve lived in municipalities that collected broken glass in recycling, and others that couldn’t recycle it so it had to go in the landfill. It’s really important to follow the exact guidelines from the people that run the waste management system that collect your trash and recycling so you do not contaminate the recycling (many places will throw out a portion of recycling if there is ANYTHING in there that shouldn’t be there). Check to see if your municipality has a website where you can look up this info.
Thank you for this Video Gittemary! I've been watching your Videos for quite some time now and enjoyed them a lot but this one is by far my favorite. It was so informative but kind and I feel supported in trying to make eco friendly decisions. Keep it up girl :)
Glass is really a more simple and primitive technology. Plastic raw material extraction is much more complex and spread out. And the finished product "residue" floats in water, making it worse for the environment and water supply, compared to glass. A real concern is in micro plastics in the water deriving from polyester type clothing, especially socks. The plastic lobbyists have done a disservice to ecosystems and humanity, just as the smoking lobbyists. Perhaps the best "packaging" materials are still paper, metal, glass and clay.
My backsplash in the kitchen is made from recycled glass. Unfortunately where I live we are allowed to recycle very little types of things. Almost everything has to be put in the trash.
Only sad thing is that with the flu and coronavirus going around people are having to go to hospitals and they still haven't been able to find a enviromentally sound medically ok material for plastic. I was wondering about the plant based cellolose that is being used in England atm. Could that be used in the medical field as an alternative to plastic? And when I go to bulk stores I have been taking food grade small aluminum candy tins that I have been finding at 2nd hand stores. It cuts down on the weight versus glass jars and less change of breakage. I also reuse my Plastic PB jars as well and transfer them into glass ones when I get home. Thanks for the video.
I’ve heard some lower quality glass items can contain and release lead, therefore being toxic. Is it true? Do you know something about that? I’m concerned about some glass (including borosilicate glass) items I have... Anyway, since glass is not that sustainable in general... what about wood? Wooden plates, bowls, etc.? I’ve seen some people making really beautiful things from dead trees or scrap wood (of quality tree species), which sounds very environmentally friendly, especially compared to glass, plastic and some (most?) other materials. So my next question is: are those wood items healthy? Maybe you have a video about that already...
As far as I know, leaded glass is what's called 'crystal glass'. The lead is added to the glass to make it stronger and more reflective, which allows it to be made thinner. But, as you know, crystal glass is expensive (lead costs more than silica), so it's usually the fancy heirloom wine glasses and decanters that are made from this material, and they do leech lead so be careful. Thick cheap everyday glass is VERY unlikely to contain lead.
Wow I had no idea that even glass was so bad for the environment! I live in Louisiana, USA and we do not have recycling available to the majority of people and to those that do have pick up or drop off locations they don't actually take glass anymore! Nothing is done around here unless there is money to be made from it unfortunately:( But on the bright side in New Orleans there's a group of graduates that plan on starting a glass recycling pickup where they will grind the glass down into sand sized particles and they will bag it up so the sandbags can be used to help prevent erosion of our coastline and for flood prevention for locals! Looks like I'll be saving all of the glass I can't upcycle until they start that program.
I know this video is old, but in the US at least, glass is also used as a filler in road building as it is less costly than the synthetic materials used in building roads. I know it is not a particularly sustainable practice, but it is better than having 100%man-made, toxic road material and it supposedly helps with the stability of the road itself. I have not read any particular scientific writings on this, but I know construction workers/companies who use this practice
Yeah of course, but if you shop in bulk or need to store leftovers, it might not be accompanied by packaging ☺️ I think it is important to note that I don’t buy any prepackaged food and then transfer it into glass jars, everything in glass was bought without packaging, and transported home in glass jars or totes🌿
What are the sources? Im doing a presentation and need to put the sources in the presentation. Along with your video I should put the sources you had looked at. Love the video ❤
I'm sorry, but I have to add my 2 cents as a Geology professor here. There is no such thing a glass in ground as unsustainable. Glass or Silicon dioxide is the most chemically resilient and abundant mineral on earth and it is what remain after millions of years of physical and chemical erosion of rocks. When you say glass doesn't degrade, you are only considering the chemical aspect. That does not mean glass in itself is indestructible. It is as we all know, physically degradable. It does not chemically interact with our surroundings, so wouldn't be creating any more problems than what sand does. In fact, it's beneficial to have sand in soil, which increases porosity and percolation of water underground. Glass in a landfill has basically zero drawback. It will just stay there without disturbing anything, exactly how glass has been throughout the entire geological history of earth. Here is an additional point, the only thing that can chemically disintegrate glass is hydrofluoric acid, which is the most powerful acid and powdered sand has to sit soaking in it for atleast 24 hours to dissolve. Bottomline, something being chemically resilient does not mean it is a problem
So is it better to buy things in glass and recycle compare to cans?
@@sesil0060 yup
thanks for clearing that up!
I get your point but surely there is the 'problem' of glass in landfill adding to the volume of landfill right? as in yes it might not interact with the surroundings and thus it wont negatively effect its surroundings over its 1 million degradation process but surely it would be better to have a smaller volume of landfil waste. So whilst it doesnt pollute its surroundings its better to recycle as much glass as possible (since it also has a good recycling potential) in order to reduce the overall volume of landfill, since having to use large land areas on landfill reduces the possibility for animal habitats. In that case the length of time it takes for something to degrade does impact the environment in terms of how long we have to wait before we can use the same landfill area again.
@@Littletass Not necessarily. Yes the volume of the landfill increases, but that doesn't mean a sand dominant land will adversely affect environment. As I said, sand increases porosity and permeability and that is exactly the most ideal soil nature for accommodation of organic matter as well as flourishing of fungi, since water can percolate easily and maintain moisture. This condition is very ideal for vegetation to flourish. The river banks in our nature has a similar soil profile which is a very conducive environment for vegetation
I heard that in Germany all their glass bottles are the same shape so they just keep putting different labels on them and don’t have to melt them over and over and that sounds like a rly dope way to make glass more sustainable
We also recycle almost all plastic bottles. You pay 25 cents extra for the bottle and get it back when you return the bottles to the machines at the store
Yes, that's often the case with beer bottles, and also true for some bottles with carbonated water and juice bottles 💪
Yes the most waterbrands have the same bottle. But brands like Coca Cola or winebottles have their own
Well, we do have some shapes that are used a lot but they are far from the same. However, lots of glass bottles can be returned to the shop and then they are cleaned and used again. But Germany also has a very good collection system for glass jars. Last time I checked somewhere around 90% of glass waste in Germany is recycled. So, for German products a lot of jars are recycled glass, which is of course a lot better than ‚virgin‘ glass.
Germany is Genius! 🇩🇪
I reuse all glass for years and years and years. I take food everywhere in things like old spaghetti sauce jars and pickle jars. I have made knitted and quilted sleeves for them so they don't break or retain temperature. I have jars that are older than me, because I inherited them, from brands that are long gone.
Michele Brazelton I use old socks for sleeves. Learned the hard way that they need to be wrapped
Such good tips from you too! I kind of worry about breaking them but never thought about doing that. That said, I don't have big enough old socks. Small feet here.
@@mariosplushdash3071 wow, that is a good idea, I cannot knit and I need to wrap my jars!
I am impressed at how much information is still not known to most people, me included. Whereas it has such an impact on our life. This video is amazing, thanks a lot.
These videos are so informative! I am also really curious about sillicone (like you also have food containers from silicone), which is said to be sustainable as well.
So if you are looking for more materials to inform us about, silicone might be a material suitable for it. Tack!
I, too, am very interested in silicone. Since it is used for food storage, cooking, and it also can be inserted internally (such as a menstrual cup or a pessary) I would like to know how it is made and is it sustainable? Thanks for this, have a great day.
silica (sand) not silicone ....
I think you’re a good example of someone who lead by example rather than preaching. 👏🏽👏🏼
Watching this as I drink my morning coffee from my re-used tomato sauce jar. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle go in order!
a cool hack i worked out is that sainsburys (a brand of supermarket) sell some of the spices in little glass jars. If you buy one, when it runs out you can fill it up again from a bulk store, and theres already a label on the jar so you can tell your spices apart without having to add your own label!
Thank you! I try to live more low waste since about 1,5 year and also are a vegetarian for about a month now :) Most youtubers are mostly repeating the same info.. ( the video's still stay nice and good :) ) But YOU post nice, unique video's and you are always teaching me new things most people don't even talk or think about. Your video's are helping a lot of people to live their lives in a better way :D ❤️
You should Definitly look up @shelbizzle ! Her Videos are so soo good and have a Lot of Advanced Infos 😊
@@selinyagami2297 Thank you :) Shelbi is great :) I follow her for about a year now :D
Thank you for this great video! One tip: in most houses it definitely is better to switch off your radiators. Radiators have a small amount of steel to heat up, so they can react quite quickly to your needs and therefore switching off is more sustainable. In houses with floor heating it isn't, because the concrete floor takes up a lot of energy before heating up the rest of your home. When you're on holiday, it is better to switch off the floor heating.
I work at an advising company for sustainable home improvement and we calculated everything. It's really interesting! It all depends on the mass of your home, the insulation state etc. But in most cases the way I described it is the way to go🤗
Greetings from the Netherlands
In my neighborhood we have a glass bin, coordinated by color. So you have to sort the kind of glass in 3 bins. Near the supermarkets you also have glass bins, color coordinated. I think that this should be a general rule. For plastic in the Netherlands it's called 'statiegeld' which means that you pay a little more money for a plastic bottle and you have to return the bottle to the store to get that 'extra' money back. There has been discussions on making this the rule for all plastic bottles (right now it's only on bigger bottles).
In my opinion with plastic (even though this video is about glass) is that they should stop making so many different kinds of plastic. There are I believe 7 types of plastic. The recycling sorting would be so much easier if every 'consumer use' plastic (packaging mostly) is the same kind of plastic. As well as stop putting different kinds of materials together. A milk karton has a small layer of plastic inside to keep it from leaking, but that small piece of plastic probably isn't recycled. As well as paper plastic mix for packaging is harder to recycle as a consumer, unless you're willing to take the packaging apart. If you want plastic packaging as a company then only use plastic.
I was talking about milk kartons, what I believe is the best solution to reusing products, is that most of them come in glass and you get this 'statiegeld' idea. You pay a little more for the glass packaging, you get the money back when you return it tp the store and the store can then send the glass to be cleaned and just reused, not even remelted.
Don't know why I said so much, just wanted to share my opinion I guess
These are great thoughts. I think deposit schemes are a good move, too.
The good thing is, glass can be recycled constantly.
But not a lot of companies recycle their glass because recycling glass is expensive :(
@@AasthaHingar right I get that, I mean on a personal level we can recycle glass constantly.
Theres a lot that companys do that is ridiculous when it comes to being wasteful.
That would be reusing though, which is actually better than recycling
@@irisl4498 it can be reused over and over yeah definitely. It can also be recycled and made into something new again and again.
Instead of melting, crush it and repurpose. Unless it's too fine, its basically geologically sand
The most necessary video of this decade
I love glass. I buy as much as I can in the thrift stores. I have Pyrex coffee cups from the 60's that I've had over 20 plus years and they were made very well back then I can drop them, they don't get chips, the patterns are still beautiful today as they were when they were made. I buy vintage Pyrex casserole dishes, vintage Pyrex storage glass containers for things like salads. I am a Canner and most of my jars have been bought in the thrift stores or given to me by retired Canners. When I buy something in glass I save the jars and reuse believe it or not you can make preserves in pickle jars using the lid that came with it and it will seal again. When I do get plastic clamshells with fruits in it I also save those and at Christmas I use them for giving candies or cookies in as gifts. Repurpose wherever you can. Anna In Ohio.
I would love to see a video researching the whole “ run your furnace constantly because it uses more energy to turn it off and on again”. I live in Canada and have to heat with oil. In the winter, I heat the house to 17 degrees and turn off the furnace until I start getting actually cold even with a big sweater. That’s usually around 10-12 degrees. I also close off all but a few rooms so that I’m not heating unused space.
A lot of thrift stores provide secondhand glass such as mason jars, flip top bottles, cups, bowls, mugs. And i think it is a better way to access glass materials.
Occasionally I throw glass in the recycling bin, like a wine bottle, otherwise I keep jars forever, reusing them over and over, and the disposable ones from food, I often put them back as packaging in my zero-waste-oriented community shop, some of which is actually being taken back by the producers and reused (same as for beer bottles and water bottles (yes, I still manage to find glass water bottles, plus which are used in a close loop!)).
good video - one thing that could be added would be the ability to reuse glass rather than recycle at industry level. As you probably know, here in denmark most beer bottles come in the same bottles so that they can be washed, rinsed and reused rather than melted down and recycled. That has significantly less externalities than recycling and is a unique feature of glass reuse compared to aluminium and plastic =)
Before throwing out a plastic food storage container you can use wax cloths to add a temporary seal for quick use in the fridge and find other uses in the home including storage of objects if it’s only a small crack. And if it’s deep enough and has a crack it’s perfect for draining water for pot plants rather then just throwing it try to reuse it first. But you don’t really want to do this for recyclable unless it’s not available or inefficient. You only have to use your imagination to find a use for it before throwing as we want to minimise waste.
i really love this series! very informative and easily digestible! please make one about silicone since it’s been the go-to plastic alternative (ie ziplock bags, cooking utensils, baking tools, reusable cups). i know it also makes use of silica but i also know they add more things to it similar to plastic production.
My ex used to love a specific brand of mayonnaise that comes in a rounded jar. I called it “sexy jar mayo” and saved every one. He ate a jar every month or so. I now have many of these pretty matching jars in pantry filled with grains and beans and such. I have long transferred all my dry food to glass which keeps moisture and rodents out. You can write directly on glass with a permanent marker and wash it off later with baking soda paste. No need for labels.
Thank you for saying if you accidentally aquire plastic you will use it until it can no longer be used! I think there's a big misconception to get plastic off of your hands as soon as you have it and that's not sustainable or even practical. All my love and support, Caitlin NC, USA
I have glass Mason jars that are probably nearly 100 years old and they are still good to use for food canning. I have hundreds of jars and I use them for everything....freezing, canning, dry foods, household items storage, decorating etc.
I seldom break or chip them and have not had to buy any for many, many years.
Hi, I just want to make a comment that I am so impressed with how happy you seem to be, I watched one of your videos from four years ago and you just seem so much more happy and free and confident and that to me says a lot about how your lifestyle probably plays into that, along with taking about what you’re passionate about.
Powerful powerful powerful. This video is the best knowledge bank out there. This woman knows her stuff
Where I live (Assens Kommune oo Fyn) we have this double-spaced recycling bin... In which hard plastic and glass goes in the same compartment and soft plastic, cardboard and paper goes in the other compartment. Together. Honestly I really don't think it makes a difference, so I try to limit the consumption or take it to the recycling court in the next town, so it can go into specific sorting. When everything is just put together (the lid is not delegated so it's emptied into the same truck) it's greenwashing and nothing else. Just living here (I used to live in Aalborg which has a more sensible system) I can't blame anyone who feels clueless or hopeless in the sorting proces, It is a battle when even your county just blows you off.
Do a video about stainless steel next. I can’t find a video about that.
Really liked this! Learned a lot of new things. Luckely I live in the Netherlands and there is great glass recycling! And there is also a lot of glass in the thrift stores ✌️
I rarely trow away any glass containers (in the recycling bins). Instead we use them to store stuff in the kitchen (soup, grains, sugar..) and bathroom (cotton buds, toothbrushes). I have relatives who like to make their own jams, pickles, tomato juice etc. from scratch, so they welcome most glass jars we have left unused - small ones, big ones, bottles from olive oil...
Glass is more clean and "natural" amirite? I think we could build on glass and it doesnt leach into soil like plastic. I ❤ glass.
I knew about glass needed to be sorted out by colours to be recycled. But no one knows that! Thanks for saying that!!
We have glass recycling containers with different sections per colour group. I didn't realise that's not common?
I live in a apartment complex and I wish we could separate recycling. I'll look in the blue bins and find a lot of stuff that isn't recyclable. There are times they leave the bin open when it's raining, so then it ruins the recycling. Having glass separate from paper or cans would be nice. You feel me girl....
Im not fully waste or not really think its my ambition but I think its so great that you are here in my life to inspire and do research that u I can quick learn from you. Thank you very much
I told my mum about ur aluminum video and she was mind blown!
there is a huge drawback on recycling glass jars and glass in general. If it shatters it contaminates the whole batch. So imaging you put 2 glass jars into your recycle bin with some plastic bottles, cardboard boxes and so on. During transportation there is a high probability of these jars colliding creating lots of small glass shards. This is a safety concern and it contaminates the batch, so everything goes to landfill (including carefully collected plastic and cardboard)
Next could be "steel" please, we Indian's usually use steel container in kitchen.
P.s.Love ur content 😍
Found this while researching for my video about sustainability of glass! This was very useful.
I just uploaded the finished video to my channel and I have included the link to this video in the sources. Thank you😄
My Californian soul shriveled a little when I saw those avocados wrapped unnecessarily in plastic.
I buy juice from time to time and of course BEER and I take those glas bottles back to the shop and they can be washed and refilled. More then 40 times. Not a single use. Thin plastic bottles get shredded or dumbed after one use and thicker plastic bottles might be refilled (those bottles in crates). If you're not vegan you can buy milk and yoghurt in glas and do the same. Would be awesome if vegans could do that too. Would be great if this would be possible for more things, sauces, jamjars etc. Not only in low packaging shops. Producers have to take more responsibility for the waste
In Germany we have a refund system for a lot of glass containers (though only 8 cent). Bottles for water, juice and beer will be reused. They often have the same shape so other companies can reuse them. Also milk, cream and yoghurt are available in refundable glass containers. I hope to see this system expanded at least in a wider sense of local product.
Thank you! This is highly informative and needed to be spread. It is not simply changing the materials we use, we must first reduce our consumption and reuse what we have to the maximum. Only then, think about the materials.
Thank you so much for your hard work, these videos are amazing, super informative and important! So grateful ❤
We save our glass jars and use them for drinking glasses and food storage. Great for packing lunches for work! Loved this video!!!
What a wonderful, very informative video. Well researched and full of interesting facts and figures.
Glass is so useful. I try to never toss the glass jars I get when purchasing new items. For example I use them as drinking glasses, storage containers, vases, pencil holders, containers for gifts. Instead of a gift bag I can use a gift jar(depending on the gift of course). Sometimes I will make one of my homemade beauty products and give it in a sterilized jar(just dip them briefly in a bath of boiling water with a set of tings so they don’t touch the sides, making sure they are already warm by soaking them in a bowl of hot tap water for a few minutes if the jars are too cold( no fun letting them shatter in the pan from shock). Lots of uses for glass. And when cleaned properly they are great to use for refillable products from the bulk and refill stores. Canning jars are my fav because when the metal lids get rusty it is easy to get replacement canning lids. Some of my homemade products contain salt, baking soda and vinegars which can impact metal. But usually that takes a year or two. Lol
After watching your videos all day long, well I subscribed 😂 For 2020 I promised myself to go waste free as much as I can (it's impossible to go completely plastic free, especially where I live) and your video are sooooo useful girl 💕
If we have the option of buying a can or a glass bottle which one is really better? For the environment, sustainability, etc.
I was told the cans can be unhealthy to people and should be avoided
segivde some cans are lined with BPA which is harmful, however, cans that do not contain BPA (or similiar substances) pose no health threat 🌿
Ideally you would be reusing glass containers over and over, rather than creating a demand for more. But for people like me, without access to bulk foods in any variety, I buy a lot of glass, I thought I heard it was much easier to recycle.
@@segivde3793 OK so I avoid aluminum at all cost because my Grandfather had althimers (I can't spell sorry) and it has associated aluminum issues. They don't know how but aluminum crosses the blood brain barrier. So I avoid aluminum because I don't want my memory stolen from me.
@@damattice23 Yes, I'm with you on this one! I usually go for the glass option because I'm saving glass containers for preserving my own food :)
Thanks for making this information so easily accessible. I have steered away from packaged foods for this reason bc one time use packaging just seems so wasteful. U can reuse jars but they also create a lot of clutter when u try to keep everything to reuse. Skincare is one area that 8 haven’t had as much success steering away from packaging
I think it's entirely possible that this is your best video yet. Thank you!
We all know about plastic now but never given much thought to glass...i always reuse any glass where posible in my home , i also love opening cupboards and seeing food stored in glass too..Brilliant and informative video, well done x from England
I use glass for many staff, for my oats, for my soap to work and other
In regards to when she mentions about how little glass is recycled in the U.S., I can attest to the fact that it is not completely by the fault of people not willing to recycle it, but as I've noticed in my county, some major companies did away with accepting the glass because the companies that recycle the glass have been shutting down. When you take away the accessibility to do something like that, people become frustrated and give up trying.
I got incredibly enraged when the waste company gave the excuse that the glass was being mixed into all the recycling, becoming broken as is normal for something so fragile, and then "ruining their machines". When they were called out on the fact that most places spent a ton of tax dollars on waste trucks that had the ability to separate them (and didn't use them to do so), the companies did not comment.
Now there are glass "collections" just as they try to do with e-waste (again, a whole other topic that makes my blood boil on how in-effective that process is), and my mom and I have decided to combine our collections to justify making the trip to those collections when they have them.
We get peanut butter in glass jars, we have WIC for our kiddos and we’ve been using those as storage containers. Recently we realized that we have accumulated a lot of glass containers and my husband had the greatest idea, he suggested that the peanut butter ones be our new glasses! We’ve been using (and still are) mason jars, but had smaller glasses, but with our little ones with little slippery hands, we’ve had some accidents.
I’d like some advice on mason jars or glass and freezing because everything that goes in a jar and in the freezer, does not turn out well. And there’s nothing wrong with the freezer settings.
If I can buy things in glass I do. But I also save the glass and have started to gain a good sized collection of store bought class from coconut oil, olive oil, acv, peanut butter, etc. and I just reuse them. I have also found that my store bought that I clean and reuse tend to be more durable than my mason jar and their leads don't rust or leak as much as mason jars do.
That was a brilliant post. I reuse glass all the time and have done for over 20 years. I use more now as people save glass for me as I make preservatives. However I didn't know a lot of the information you have shared, especially how glass is used to contain landfill, what a twist, and that some glass ie Pyrex cannot be recycled. Thank you. I haven't seen your videos for a long time. I love your new look though loved your old style too. I shall look at some of your other videos now and will be sharing this one with everyone. Well done, keep them coming. Very well investigated. X
I’m not sustainable as I would wish to be, but I try lately to only buy glass locally, usually only by products in glass and reuse the jars and bottles, and I favor stainless steel and ceramic when buying kitchen supplies.
Thank you love for the insightful and thought- provoking video!
I love this new mini series and hope you make a video about biodegradable plastic... 😇
How i reuse my glass jars; one way by collecting cigarette buds on my way to my local farmers market on Saturday as a lil intentional clean up morning routine 😌💗
Thank you for the impact you are creating with your content!
I cant wait to see your next video! ✨
I live in the US and in my area the town only recycles plastics 1 and 2 and tin cans. Glass is not picked up as recyclable but there are some drop off locations where I bring my excess glass (clear, green and brown). I buy more items in glass than I possibly need. I’m trying to cut back on all packaging. This is a challenge due to availability, but I am striving to do even better. I live with others that are not completely onboard with the limited items that can be purchased package free.
Awesome video! So true about recycling in US here in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania our recycling no longer take glass... its not profitable... so annoying.
Great video as always! Unfortunately in Italy the whole recycling thing is a mess: depending on the city, you have to put glass and aluminium together, whereas in other places glass and plastic go together.
Both solutions make no sense (not to mention green, brown or transparent glass).
Moreover, it's so hard to find second hand shops in here! Once I tried to give some stuff to such a shop but their policy is to accept only certain items like high quality and expensive vintage furniture and clothes.
So there's no place to sell nor buy second hand glass or other stuff for daily use.
In Italy we're so bad... And people do not care, since there are (mixed) recycling bins all around and that's enough for them.
Keep doing these videos please!
Thanks a lot
I have been waiting for someone to make this video because of the significant environmental impacts of glass production, as you described. Thanks so much!
Great conversation. It's overwhelming sometimes to think about even the sustainable options we have, creating a big impact.
Just found youre chanel, and just watched one or two of you’re videos. I have been into zero waste and feel impressed by all you’re really important information in just one little video! You go girl! Please keep it up 👍 lots of love Sofia
Your smile brightens my day ❤🌞
Loved your video!😄🤗💕i have a quick question though, what do I do if glass breaks? I normally don’t ever have a problem with this because I’m extremely cautious but what should I do with broken pieces of glass?😯🤔
Wrap broken clean glass in newspaper, but keep with glass recycling. At least that's what my mother taught me. The paper will dissolve mostly before or during the process of recycling glass. Not sure about the paper molding if food scraps are part of the glass shards too.
You should check with the organization that is in charge of the waste management of your municipality, because every single waste management system is different. I’ve lived in municipalities that collected broken glass in recycling, and others that couldn’t recycle it so it had to go in the landfill. It’s really important to follow the exact guidelines from the people that run the waste management system that collect your trash and recycling so you do not contaminate the recycling (many places will throw out a portion of recycling if there is ANYTHING in there that shouldn’t be there). Check to see if your municipality has a website where you can look up this info.
Nice video, thanks for making it. :)
I would be interested to see one also about the impact of ceramics.
Wow this is so helpful! Love this! i reuse containers to grow more ivy :)
Absolutely brilliant explanation. Thanks a lot for all the information and cheers from Spain!
In my city we have a recycling program but it’s so limited it’s sad
We can’t recycle glass at all
You’re so smart. Well researched. Thank you!
What do you think about silicone?
I found this really informative thank you
hey girl. you deserve more love :D
Thank you for this Video Gittemary! I've been watching your Videos for quite some time now and enjoyed them a lot but this one is by far my favorite. It was so informative but kind and I feel supported in trying to make eco friendly decisions. Keep it up girl :)
Glass is really a more simple and primitive technology. Plastic raw material extraction is much more complex and spread out. And the finished product "residue" floats in water, making it worse for the environment and water supply, compared to glass. A real concern is in micro plastics in the water deriving from polyester type clothing, especially socks. The plastic lobbyists have done a disservice to ecosystems and humanity, just as the smoking lobbyists. Perhaps the best "packaging" materials are still paper, metal, glass and clay.
Very well researched and presented! I've really learned a lot from this series!
Really interesting, thanks for covering this topic!! :)
Thank you so much for these videos! There's always something more to be aware of when it comes to sustainability.
My backsplash in the kitchen is made from recycled glass. Unfortunately where I live we are allowed to recycle very little types of things. Almost everything has to be put in the trash.
Thank you for such an informative and in depth video!
Only sad thing is that with the flu and coronavirus going around people are having to go to hospitals and they still haven't been able to find a enviromentally sound medically ok material for plastic. I was wondering about the plant based cellolose that is being used in England atm. Could that be used in the medical field as an alternative to plastic? And when I go to bulk stores I have been taking food grade small aluminum candy tins that I have been finding at 2nd hand stores. It cuts down on the weight versus glass jars and less change of breakage. I also reuse my Plastic PB jars as well and transfer them into glass ones when I get home. Thanks for the video.
Thank you for your informative videos. Really appreciate it. 😊💚💚
Thank you for your amazing research! Very informative video !
Lol I was one of those who weren’t subscribed 😅 but I am now 🤗💕💕💕
When a glass container breaks I use it on homemade mosaics! How about to do that? ;)
So informative! I instantly subscribed!
I’ve heard some lower quality glass items can contain and release lead, therefore being toxic. Is it true? Do you know something about that? I’m concerned about some glass (including borosilicate glass) items I have...
Anyway, since glass is not that sustainable in general... what about wood? Wooden plates, bowls, etc.? I’ve seen some people making really beautiful things from dead trees or scrap wood (of quality tree species), which sounds very environmentally friendly, especially compared to glass, plastic and some (most?) other materials. So my next question is: are those wood items healthy? Maybe you have a video about that already...
As far as I know, leaded glass is what's called 'crystal glass'. The lead is added to the glass to make it stronger and more reflective, which allows it to be made thinner. But, as you know, crystal glass is expensive (lead costs more than silica), so it's usually the fancy heirloom wine glasses and decanters that are made from this material, and they do leech lead so be careful. Thick cheap everyday glass is VERY unlikely to contain lead.
@@ghhhhhhhhhh Thanks!
I'm super excited to hear what u have to say about it!
Not at all related, but you look a bit like Emilia Clark... Your eyes in particular. Very pretty (o:
How do you handle having all of this knowledge and not letting it get to you?
I sometimes find myself being frustrated about it all.
Great video! !!
I'm from Spain and I must say you speak a perfect English 😆😆😆
Love this series! Great job! 😊❤️❤️❤️
Do bamboo container, are they sustainable?
Wow I had no idea that even glass was so bad for the environment! I live in Louisiana, USA and we do not have recycling available to the majority of people and to those that do have pick up or drop off locations they don't actually take glass anymore! Nothing is done around here unless there is money to be made from it unfortunately:(
But on the bright side in New Orleans there's a group of graduates that plan on starting a glass recycling pickup where they will grind the glass down into sand sized particles and they will bag it up so the sandbags can be used to help prevent erosion of our coastline and for flood prevention for locals! Looks like I'll be saving all of the glass I can't upcycle until they start that program.
Thank you for this series
I know this video is old, but in the US at least, glass is also used as a filler in road building as it is less costly than the synthetic materials used in building roads. I know it is not a particularly sustainable practice, but it is better than having 100%man-made, toxic road material and it supposedly helps with the stability of the road itself. I have not read any particular scientific writings on this, but I know construction workers/companies who use this practice
Thank you for this ❣️
Omg! You remind me so much of Emilia Clark. So beautiful 😍
When it comes to using jars for storage, isnt it more sustainable to store dry foods in the paper packaging it came in? (Serious question.)
Yeah of course, but if you shop in bulk or need to store leftovers, it might not be accompanied by packaging ☺️ I think it is important to note that I don’t buy any prepackaged food and then transfer it into glass jars, everything in glass was bought without packaging, and transported home in glass jars or totes🌿
Ah yes it makes sense then, i didnt even think of that option. Thanks!
What are the sources? Im doing a presentation and need to put the sources in the presentation. Along with your video I should put the sources you had looked at. Love the video ❤
Ella Trifunac they are in the description ✌🏼
@@Gittemary oh sorry I did look but Im a bit silly with yt.