I screamed at my computer “oh HELL NO” when I saw the houseplant article first being talked about. Like oh you big companies want to spill oil in the ocean and go across indigenous lands putting in pipelines but I can’t have a houseplant? HELL NO
Also lots of houseplant lovers do so in a sustainable way - propagating plants, sharing cuttings with friends to grow your own, rescuing plants that others are selling or giving away. Houseplant owners are NOT the problem with climate change!
@@Chelseabee55 ah yes, houseplants. The climates biggest adversary. Bought a king size candy bar, the uh.. kinder egg bar thing. And it's a package, and inside that package was a cardboard tray with 2 of the regular size packages, and in each of those the two bars inside were individually wrapped. Now, these things are delicious, but not that delicious to open that much packaging. But please, someone tell me how house plants and other things are a much bigger issue. People want everyone driving electric vehicles by 2035 with no plan to figure out how to make chargers available across the country, and they can't figure out how not to put a package inside of a package inside of a package now?
That houseplant article was about vilifying millenials, as usual. The "expert" they quoted literally said the solution for the peat issue is to just throw away the nursery soil and replace it with peat free soil. That's like saying the solution to buying apples in a plastic bag is to just throw away the plastic when you get home and put them in your fruit bowl 🤦🏻♀️. Another prime example of blaming the consumer for a problem caused by the supplier.
@@MyLifeInTheDesert That's fine if you feel that way, but it's rare that I see an article written where the term "millenial" isn't used in a derogatory way. That particular article opens by, condescendingly, suggesting that "millenials" blindly purchase plants with no greater concern than posting a photograph on Instagram. Perhaps the greater issue with that article is actually the vilification of the consumer (as usual). As Shelbi discusses in most of her videos surrounding these topics - the issue should be with the suppliers of the products which make use of such unsustainable materials rather than the consumer who is provided little or no alternative.
@@MyLifeInTheDesert millennials kill everything according to mainstream media. everything is to be blamed because of the changes in our financial habits apparently, so yeah, its not ridiculous at all. there have been a billion articles about things millennials have "killed" including: the housing market, marriage, casual dining, going to the movies, cable tv, fine jewelry, golf industry.. people will find a way to blame us for declining economy and now for the climate crisis that the older generations have helped perpetuate.
Before pandemic, grocery stores made it the customers responsibility to not use plastic bags for fruit and veggies, went on for years, when pandemic hit and they started to offer online grocery shopping, it was suddenly on the store itself to not use plastic, 2 weeks and they had paperbags...2 WEEKS, thats all it took to not have plastic bags, and yet they kept the blame on the customer?
In my country the ban on plastic bags had just started a couple of months before, and then the pandemic happened and boom, using plastic bags it's OK again :(
It may not have been a “pandemic” response for them to have paper bags. My state had been working on a ban and back in 2019 or so they implemented that they were banning all plastic bags and straws by June 1st 2020.
@@raapyna8544 yeah the switch to paper is better than plastic but still not ideal. All we can do is remember our own reusables and try to convince others to refuse paper and switch to reusables. I do know a lot of people aren’t taking paper bags as my state has implemented a mandatory 10¢ fee per bag. I work retail and you would not believe the amount of people that get so angry that they have to pay a small fee for a paper bag. Most people want a bag, but then learn they’ll have to pay for it, and change their minds.
I 100% agree with the house plant rant. One way to further reduce the environmental footprint of your house plants is to propagate them. I love doing this and giving them as gifts to friends and family.
That's so true... You can also get a lot of them or exchange them and you don't support shady buissness (like I got a lot of flowers gifted were infected)
I do this with a plant that I was gifted as a leaf and it grew huge and I have given more plants to my mom and sisters Also I have a giant alovera that I could get 20 other plants from
Yes!! Spider plants are the best for this!! They literally make new mini spider plants, and hang there, begging to be planted! I have several pot bound spider plants, and I think of them as "mothers", constantly making new spider babies, the more I snip off, the more she makes. Kinda creepy, but cool. ;)
@@megan2176 same! Have dozens of spider plants everywhere. And pothos my mom has one that is older than me that we've propagated so that everyone in the family has a piece.
Here in Iceland, we actually harvest the methane gas from landfill and use it mostly in public transport and governmental vehicles. It is also sold to different companies for their cars.
The book that Shelbi always promotes, "The Story of Stuff," talks about this. While it seems like a good idea, in practice it isn't as good as it seems because waste disposal companies can claim that they are using "renewable energy" and get government subsidies as a result, therefore encouraging people to throw out more trash
@@xpraisethekingx I still think it's better than if the solution wasn't there, but it shouldn't be used as an excuse to be more wasteful. Maybe that's something people need to be taught too
Big companies not doing the bare minimum and just setting “goals” is infuriating. I run my own business and we use scrap fabrics, sustainable materials, source anything new from local small businesses who are also doing what they can to make a difference, and reuse items, upcycle, etc. I just launched our candle collection and I thrifted all the jars from local thrift stores, am tying scrap fabrics over the tops that don’t have lids, and am using all locally sourced wax and cotton wicks. We are encouraging customers to return their jars so we can reuse them again and give them $1 off their next candle. We don’t use any plastic in any part of our process or packaging/shipping and use the smallest possible envelopes or boxes made from recycled materials. If my tiny business can do ALL THIS, there’s no excuse for any bigger companies.
Thank you for doing all this ❤️ and the answer to why big companies don't do this things are basically capitalism, doing what's best for the environment comes with a bigger cost most of the time and that affects the profits and even if it's a small percentage, the people in power wants more money so any dent to their profits as minimal as could be, they won't accept it
Kind of piggy-backing off of the house plant article: yea, there is some kind of weird push back against people trying to live a more sustainable, or debt-free, eco-friendly, minimalist, off-grid, healthier, or basically any kind of life that will prevent them from following the status quo or staying stuck in the system's cycle that has bred as much toxicity and stress as it has the freedom of choice to choose our own lifestyle. For example, I'm interested in growing herbs, vegetables and possibly, in canning. Since I'm interested in those things, I've been researching how to do them for years, since I didn't have the means to do it years ago since I was a literal child. I'm now noticing that those things are becoming a BIT more popular. Funny enough, the more popular they become, the more I'm noticing a lot more articles being written about how dangerous it is to grow your own food, make your own herbal infusions for hair and skin, can your own vegetables, and so on and how people should leave it to the "professionals", aka, the companies who profit from you buying their stuff. And I just found it funny that people have been doing these things for millennia w/o any modern technology to help them along. But SOMEHOW, now that we have all of the tools at our disposal to do these things with decreased risk, we shouldn't do these things to sustain ourselves and community....for our own good. Growing my own food: bad. Buying your food that's been showered in what the fk nutbutter chemicals made by the same companies who created chemicals for warfare: good. Riiiight.
The whole houseplant article sounds eerily familiar to the early recycling ads made on plastic and blaming all the individuals for the plastic issue and not on the companies for producing the plastic to begin with
Thank you for the houseplant rant!! 👏👏👏 On a side note, so many people on my local Buy Nothing group love houseplants and routinely share clippings and accessories with neighbors. It's been a great way to feel connected with my community
The first comment is so on point. Also, how many times have we pushed this goal? We've seen "Do this by 2020", "Net zero by 2025", "Carbon Neutral by 2030", "2040" and now 2050? Like get real and actually try.
What about those huge companies and corporations that are charging us, as individual consumers, for our "environmental impact"?? I recently moved, and the truck rental company chose to charge -me- for my measly 15 mile move and its supposedly huge environmental footprint....instead of, idk, lowering their profit margins a touch and investing in more eco-friendly trucks?
I'm actually in favor of this. Companies produce products to meet a need. Making environmentally expensive products actually expensive for consumers is good, because it discourages us from buying things that are destructive. Part of the problem with the economy is that the actual costs of our choices are borne by other people. (E.g. we all pay taxes to support roads, but most of the damage that requires annual repairs is not done by someone who travels mostly on foot.)
I'm not for any direct taxes to punish people but if doing something more environment friendly (or more ethical in other ways) costs more than it would be reasonable to do that and have a naturally higher prices as a result, while actually improving the ways things are done. Still have to consider that poor people exist too
Girl I was so reluctant to click this video cause I did not want somebody telling me that I can't have house plants, so I was greatly comforted by your words. Watering my plants was the only way I could keep track of the days even now, a year into this pandemic. There is so much shame and blame that we place on ourselves as individuals when the real problem is the corporations and the politicians who are reeking true havoc on this planet.
EXACTLY! This article paints our attempt at surviving an unprecedented life changing event to be somehow as important as the other massive contributors to climate change. I think that’s such bull shit. Glad I could help!
I believe you should keep what's important for you (also emotionally) unless there is a better alternative that would be a good enough replacement. And of course try not to overuse in general. Don't think you should be ashamed. But it was a bit odd to drag direct comparison between house decor and food
One thing I cannot part with is crocheting. Unfortunately, the most common type of yarn is acrylic. I stopped buying it, but like many crafters, I have a big stash of (acrylic) yarn. I know, that's terrible. So I've been coming up with projects that wouldn't need washing, although that will take some time. Been shamed a couple of times for too much yarn and crocheting, never mind that I haven't bought anything in years, except food and bathroom stuff. I really don't need much, yarn is the only exception, although I've been trying to be more sensible, buying leftovers and making T-shirt yarn, when possible, instead of buying brand new synthetic fibers.
There's options for washing synthetic fibers that prevent micro plastics from entering the water system as well. I'm pretty Shelby has gone over some before. There's definitely some on EarthHero (or second hand)
A guppy bag can help with reducing micro plastics from washing these materials. Some thrift stores will sell donated yarn which could be a good option! There’s also naturals yarns and thread that can be found on Etsy or prob other websites. Use what you have and enjoy it!! Then see how you can make it more sustainable as you go on. Lowering your waste in any aspect is awesome, and everyone can still have hobbies even if they do produce some waste or if it takes a awhile to transistion to more eco friendly products. Have fun with your crocheting!! (From a another yarn and thread fanatic)
@@Shannon-gz9pg yeah, I've seen that, but it's not really an option when you don't own the washing machine :D But for your own needs, great. Also, reducing the use of synthetic fibres overall is probably better
Plants in your environment are a basic need, if you're not provided that by your municipality (yards, parks) then you need houseplants, and I stress, need. It's very important for mental health and wellbeing of any animal, not less us humans, to not live in a 'conrete jungle'. It's frankly disgusting that someone would suggest vilifying people with houseplants. It's almost like vilifying people who eat fast food - since that's the food they have access to, and they need to eat. If you're concerned about people growing plants in their homes, perhaps start with advocating for native environments and accessibility to greenery.
Shelbi going to bat to defend those of us who have houseplants and do the best that we can (including not buying peat moss) actually brought a tear to my eye. Plants make me incredibly happy, but if she gave a case for it being detrimental I would have given it up. Thanks you Shelbi!
Uh... doubt having houseplants in your home would be worse for the environment than all of the furniture and stuff we have in our homes- also theres the cultural aspects of owning houseplants, such as owning them reconnects us with nature and gives us a greater awareness of our climate issues
That plant rant made me really happy, because my little shelf of plants are my precious babies and i cant believe people are trying to throw a fit about house plants.
I love that in New Zealand we have green bins to put food waste and biodegradable/compostable waste in which the council then turns into compost! Helpful for those of us who don’t have our own compost system!
Oh thank goodness... you think like me when it comes to the “carbon neutral by 2050” statement. When I hear this, all I can think about is “procrastination with out goals”. Like yeah... hello... that’s 29 years from now (just like you said). I hate to be negative, but I’m not interested in procrastination... I’m interested in real change with support systems in place with time targets. Thank-you for hearing my rant... which, is really the same as yours.
If you’re in the Nashville, TN area check out Compost Nashville. It’s great if you’re unsure about backyard composting or you live in an apartment. You get a bin for your food scraps, they pick it up once a week and give you a new clean bin. And twice a year you get a bag of compost to use in your yard, or if you don’t have a yard you can donate your compost to (I believe) a community garden. And it’s really affordable!
I can’t believe the effort that goes into trying to blame consumers for owning things like plants. Literally everything has some kind of footprint and we all just have to balance and make choices about what brings us joy. You’re totally right we need to stop getting mad at each other and be mad at the corporations. Preach sister
Can you pleeease do a video where you explain both how to recognize if a product is sustainable and what are the sustainable certifications that exists and the meaning behind them?🙏❤️❤️
Regarding biodegradables breaking down in landfill - without UV light and oxygen organics will break down a lot slower - but they WILL break down. Unfortunately in an anaerobic environment they will produce methane gas, that being said a lot of developed countries like Canada harvest that methane gas and use it to power recycling plants. It's absolutely more beneficial to compost, but if that isn't an option for you, please know that your organics will break down and some of the products of that decomposition will likely be used.
I came here for this comment, if you send your biodegradable waste to landfill it decomposes in an anoxic environment producing methane with is a very strong greenhouse gas for around 10 years before it breaks down into carbon dioxide, also it can produce hydrogen sulphide and carbon monoxide as breakdown products too which are toxic. Better to have a wormery for cooked kitchen scraps and compost bin for raw fruit and veg waste Edited for a typo and to say that my job involves measuring gases from landfills so it’s my bag 😉
That was absolutely my favourite Shelbi rant. I have around, erm, 40 or so houseplants and I haven't binned a single nursery pot. I have so many waiting for propagations that I will give to my sister and SIL. Unfortunately a few depression cycles have meant I've killed a handful over the couple of years I've been collecting them, but I spend my time searching charity shops for second hand cover pots and glass vases for propagations. I've asked staff at the market stall I buy a lot of my plants from to take the plant out of the nursery pot if I know I have the right size one at home, so they can reuse it themselves and they always laugh a little but think it's good of me to do. I 100% will not feel guilty for my love of houseplants that on a daily basis keep me from spiraling. Although at this point I really should just start buying rooted and unrooted cuttings from people because I am running out of space that the cats can't access 🙈 Wonderful video as usual!
Holy shit! I never knew about peat moss. But yes I'm aware how other certain things for house plant aren't sustainable. I have friends who have gotten into house place because of the pandemic. I have gifted them plant that I propagate and reuse some nursery pots I have laying around. I love encouraging my friends to thrift wicker basket for plants or shelves so I try to do my part when it comes to this. Thank you for sharing this. 💖
If you're interested, coconut coir may be a more sustainable option than peat for what it's generally used for (lining hanging baskets and amending soil mixtures), depending on your source and how it is processed.
@@sonipitts thanks for letting me know. I personally don't buy bags of it but I know some of the soil I use has it so now I'm going to be more mindful on that. I'll try to get soil with coconut coir. 😊💖
It's also becoming a problem in the reptile/carnivore plants community with it becoming illegal to harvest in certain countries now so it can come back. People are switching to coconut fiber.
My first thought was "Oh, she means the pop companies." And if your thought is, well that's okay I don't drink pop. Then you have no idea how many products they own.
My uncle works as a landscaper/ a dried flower and plant shop. He takes home all the plants that they can’t sell anymore and whenever one comes allong that i like, he gives is to me. Greet for the enviroment and Fred plants for me ;)
You're always good at putting things into perspective and this is a big reason why I follow you. You understand intersectionalities, socio-economic aspects of "going green," and how news outlets frame topics. Thank you for helping me go green in the most supportive and non-judgemental way.
I have 60 plus plants in my apartment and I love them they remind me of being in puerto rico. They bring me joy and only have the ones that I know I can keep alive.
When i was 13 i had this realisation that probably everything i owned or could buy at the store within my (very minimal at the time) budget was most likely made with some form of sweatshop labor and to be honest im more surprised to find out ANYTHING is sustainable. The ugly result of that relization was a lot of apathy and cyncism on my part. What I really appreciate about your videos is that you present not only the problem but solutions. Therefore avoiding the apathy and burnout these realisations can sometimes cause
Do you have a video explaining why meat/ dairy can't be composted? I went plant based back on October and I am learning so much about how this change helps the environment but I think knowing and sharing why animal products don't help to make healthy soil to grow our food in would be a powerful video by you (you have a very clear and intelligent way of conveying messages)
From my basic knowledge, animal products attract other animals and bugs, and when the bugs find the animal products, they’ll lay eggs and the larva will just eat it, and you could get overrun by maggots who just will eat the compost instead of it decomposing. Other animals like bears will also get attracted to compost if there are a lot of animal products in it. Bones also take a really long time to decompose and probably just would stay in bone form even when the rest of the compost is ready. These may not be all the reasons but I know are some!
Shelby is a whole other level of eco warrior as oppose to all other influencers in the same direction. I super super appreciate the knowledge she shares and the effort she took into getting the knowledge.
Thank you SO much for including the houseplant article!!! I love plants so much and saw the article, I was pretty upset. I’m glad you included the fact that it adds value to your life since it does the same for me.
Great point about the plants! Also, house plants can also be acquired second hand! Scan your online marketplaces and you'll see lots of cool plants that are larger and more quirky than what you'll find in the plant stores.
You are glowing in this video and it’s because you’re talking about things you’re so passionate about and it makes me so happy and inspired. Thank you so much for doing what you do!
I’m in a fb group called "plants, cuttings and seeds to give or to exchange in *my city*", probably a privilege of living in a densely populated area, but I think it’s always worth checking if an initiative like this one exist in your area! And I also sometimes find plants on marketplace. My home is FILLED with plants and it makes me so happy to know that 90% of it is from cuttings I exchanged with friends, family, colleagues, neighbours or even strangers:)
I've worked in a sustainability department for a company that had 5 year goals. The truth is a lot of the implementation just takes time and more importantly (to them) space in the annual budget. But the companies actually doing the work right will usually publish a sustainability report.
I have recently got into houseplants - it takes me a while to make decisions lol. I have about 15 so far - 3 were yellow labelled and dying (they started me off!), 1 I bought full price in a store because I love it, the rest were all gifts or from Facebook marketplace. Like you I buy little new, although for me it's partly because I never have spare money, but also because I hate the thought of things being thrown away when they're still usable so love Facebook marketplace and also a furniture refurbishment place in my local town. I got quite excited the other day when my council announced they were going to start a food scraps collection alongside our normal rubbish collections :)
I have bought a bunch of second-hand plants! There are so many on Marketplace, just the other day I got a huge palm tree second-hand from Ikea. I am glad I searched there first because I was about to go to Ikea to buy that exact one
You can get free cuttings a lot of places, and even free full on plants and pots from some fb groups and on CL. I don't have a problem with buying plants, but I try not to, same with the fish I have. I make sure that they're grown here instead of draining the fishing areas in other countries to ship them over here. I bought an elephant ear plant for $5 tonite, via porch pickup.
I tried to talk to my uncle about this. His family is thinking about starting a compost pile. When I was explaining what happens to organic material in landfills, soil depletion, how things don't break down, etc. he argued that some landfills need organic material to break down other things. I didn't really know what to say other than I don't think there's a concern of being short on organic material. A very small amount of people even compost. Was just kind of annoyed he responded that way. How would you respond?
I requested a video about houseplants around the start of covid and I’m so glad shelbi finally tackled that subject- makes me love eco minimalism even more
Little tipp: it’s so much fun to exchange cuttings of your plants with your friends or in Facebook groups. And then you can propagate them. I love to see my baby plants grow! It’s so relaxing!😍☘️ and here and there you can buy a house plant if you really want it :) (That’s not meant as critique, just a way to make that hobby a little more sustainable)
Big corporations are more responsible for pollution then we could ever be...and most of them refuse to acknowledge their contributions let alone fix it. All we can do to help is all we can do to help. It will never be perfect and that is OK.
This makes me want to compost! I would love to see a video on composting, especially how to make it work for small spaces, such as no outdoor space or a small apartment porch if you don't have one already! Budget friendly containers/DIY container ideas would be great as well!
The fact that you ranted to show how passionate you are, put the haters/questioners in their place, and addressed the issue with pure facts is why I liked this video 👏👏 I give you props for this video and your authentic reaction!
Just wanted to say discovered your channel quite recently, and I’ve been combing my way through your stuff. I just wanted to take a minute to say that you’re such an eloquently spoken individual and your videos have given me the breath of fresh air I need to get excited about sustainability and climate justice! I watch plenty of channels that talk about the climate crisis because it’s an issue I care deeply about, but often I leave those videos finding myself wallowing in anxiety. I remind myself it’s a very valid response, but it’s a response that all the same tends to give me more anxiety, since then I just think that me wallowing even more in the idea that it’s not helping anyone, ahah. And that’s not to say those videos aren’t effective for others, but your videos, for me personally, have all left me feeling reinvigorated in my power as an individual to create a change, and I really appreciate your vibe that way! I’ve been adopting sustainable habits to my lifestyle for a couple years now, and I feel like I’m rediscovering the joy and fearlessness we must have in our world’s journey towards sustainability and climate justice again thanks to your content, and I really needed that at this point in my life! Love the videos, you’re awesome, can’t wait to hear/see more! 😊
Thank you for talking about this issue! Plants really help to lift my mood and brighten my day. I try to buy cuttings from eBay but sometimes I just want to have a big beautiful plant to love and care for!
You embody the best of minimalism and environmentalism - eco-minimalism. Thank you for focusing on the good we can individually do and clarifying that this is NOT the place for misguided criticism. P.S. Houseplants - will get you through anything and can only do good!
We just got an apartment size composter for our little deck and keep a container in the kitchen for food waste. Our friends and family have gotten into the habit of composting while they are visiting and some have gotten into doing it themselves. It’s important to do your research before starting your own compost, but there are options for those of us apartment dwellers that are effective and compact!!
Shelbi, I just want to let you know that you have been a major role model for me on this journey of eco minimalism! Don’t let the few negative people influence you. For me this started with becoming vegan 3.5 years ago (now I prefer plant based as the term) and then further learning about minimalism and eco minimalism. A huge part of becoming plant based was the environmental and healthy aspects for me. I have been trying to tell myself that this is a journey and it doesn’t happen overnight. This year’s goal is to do everything possible to find things second hand first and that was inspired by your channel. I was buying the most sustainable NEW options but that didn’t make them the most sustainable options. With that, I’m learning that it takes time to find items that I need or need to be replaced, so it’s taking a change in mindset. A lot of us just go and buy what we need and now it takes more time to find the right thing second hand and that’s okay. I just wanted to take the time to comment because you have been a major part of my journey!
Shelbi, you are amazing and I love your passion for sustainably. I working towards eco minimalism and educating my family and friends the best I can as I go. watching your videos helps and encourages me to keep striving to impact this planet in the least way possible. thank you again for all you do!! 😉
Regarding houseplants as well: If you join a local plant swap group or find people online who sell cuttings that would be a sustainable way to get new plants. I'm trying to do that although sometimes I do really want a specific plant and don't want to wait until someone sells a cutting ^^
I like how you explain all these topics in a very factual, informative way and not just shaming people or being like "if your not doing x,y,z or vegan then your the worse!" Shaming people for doing the best they can is not productive but the way you just thoroughly explain the cause and effect of each subject is done very well so thank you.
I love you so much Shel! I'm a rising Environmentalist in Dallas, Tx and have been watching your channel for years now. You inspire me so much and I love how real you are getting in your videos. You and your wife are so beautiful, I wish you both the best!❤
I'm more concerned about the kinds of plants that we are seeking out and whether they are harvested from regions that are at risk. I've been trying to do research into what regions my plants come from and lately tried to buy from stores that are propagating them rather than harvesting them.
Most of my houseplants were either second hand or propagations from friend's plants. They are planted in soil from a local composting business. There are more sustainable options when it comes to houseplants like for almost everything. But still, you shouldn't feel bad for the ONE THING that you buy. Even if it is not at all sustainable. If we all just consumed a lot less, every individual item could get away with a much larger footprint.
I always keep the pots plants come in unless they are broken beyond use. I have some other plant that can go in there, whether that's a pot upgrade or new cuttings. That's one way I try to be more sustainable. I also get a lot of plants from hobbyists who have extra cuttings or are rehoming plants.
I'm trying to figure out the best way to compost, I tried a bin where by adding bark covered in enzymes you could quickly compost all food together. But cleaning the bin each time it got full to ensure the enzymes got to do their job before mould had a massive water and chemical footprint... Now I am composting all my plant based food & packaging in a normal heap, while I figure out what I can do about other things.
We LOVE ranty Shelbi!! I’m sick of certain items being branded as evil/bad because of their specific footprint...EVERYTHING HAS A FOOTPRINT!! Ugh. We need more Shelbis in our world🥰
Can you please do a video on your compost tumbler? How you use it, how you get the compost from it, what browns you use, do you like your bin? Thanks in advance!!!
I'm still working on my consumerism. I definitely indulge in 'retail therapy' when I'm feeling down (and it doesn't really make me feel better). I have been putting a lot more thought into the things I do buy, but still pick up things (usually second hand) that I don't really need. Sadly, I end up filling my home with too much stuff when I more minimalist, clean space is so much more calming.
Get it girl! I couldn't agree more. I also now propagate plants and give them to friends and get free clippings from my Gardner's group. I absolutely love getting and giving them for free and in this sustainable way and also sometimes buying a new one. Plants are basically my only home decor and they make me feel so uplifted.
Do you have a video on composting? Like a composting 101 type deal? I just bought my first composter (secondhand, of course), and want to produce QUALITY soil! Also, can you go more in-depth on peat moss? Much love!
I also propagate my plants but to try to reduce my waste i take the pots that i get my plants in and reuse them then i take them to my local farmers market and give them to them and they really appreciate.
Support 100% of the way on the houseplant rant 💯 Some questions for your next "Things you thought were sustainable" video, because I don't know if they are or not and feel a little lost when searching for answers: -Stainless steel as an alternative for plastic to-go containers, as a material for kitchen sinks, thermoses, etc. Because it's not resulting in micro-plastics, but... Where does the steel come from? What's the manufacturing process like? -Silicone: companies seem to be putting silicone on everything to make it seem eco-friendly, but... What even is silicone besides a periodic table element? Where do companies get it from and how? Will it ever break down and how? Can it be melted down and remade into something else? -Glass: you've covered this vs plastic, but being that it's so heavy to ship and isn't recyclable once broken, should this be an item type I only buy/use second-hand? Should we push for broken glass recycling programs or is that too dangerous? Most things seem pretty straightforward (use/reuse what you already have, compost what you can, buy secondhand, demand more of companies that don't give a damn, etc.) but plastic alternatives stump me, and these big three that have gotten really popular are being used in a LOT of things to make them marketable as eco-friendly. I'm asking the questions but can't seem to get to the answers. If anyone has/can find the answers, it's definitely you!
YOU TELL EM!!!! I love your rants, I learn so much from them and I love how passionate you are about the topics. It builds the fire inside me to continue on this zero waste journey.
In relation to your first point, I will be doing a summer internship in a big bank this summer, think one of the major polluters. A graduate was telling me about her role in the sustainability team, which I am obviously interested in even though I know the bank itself isn't best. Apparently companies, big companies, come to them and tell them "look. We promised to be carbon neutral by 2030. What is the most cost-effective way for us to achieve that?". I find it quite cool to be honest, because as long as it is not at the expense of real sustainability, the cheaper the combination of sustainable solutions provided the larger the number of companies willing to make those claims and actually follow through. My point is, although some companies have not achieved their goals at all in the past, there is an entire industry developing around helping companies reach those goals, and that reassures me to an extent that the clients there will meet the goal as long as the bank does a good job estimating emissions. Obviously this has many, many downfalls, from underestimating impact etc but it is a step in the right direction that banks these days have entire teams dedicated to those claims companies make. Not saying I would fall for the advertising though, especially goals that aren't short term.
Not every houseplant is unsustainable though! Most of mine are technically secondhand, because I have friends who like houseplants and we will "trade" propagations of the plants we own. So its not like every single plant is brand new, in fact, I personally have very few plants I bought myself. I didn't know about the soil thing though, so I'll have to check that out!
My university had set the goal of "Zero Waste by 2020", it was written on all the compost/recycling/trash bins around campus; when I graduated in 2019, I was still looking around at a lot of trash cans... wondering if they updated those signs....
This is so validd!!!! I am doing my best to make changes in my life towards sustainability like buying secondhand clothes only, getting reusable products instead of buying their plastic counterparts but right now there are just some things I can't afford to invest in and I am done feeling guilty about that. I'll make those changes when it's right for me and continue to do my best in other areas.
I screamed at my computer “oh HELL NO” when I saw the houseplant article first being talked about. Like oh you big companies want to spill oil in the ocean and go across indigenous lands putting in pipelines but I can’t have a houseplant? HELL NO
Yup! Capitalism in its prime
THIS!!! I cannot believe the AUDACITY of these companies
@@ailynnmckae1130 well I mean, consumers directly influence the actions of these companies- so its up to us to influence change
Also lots of houseplant lovers do so in a sustainable way - propagating plants, sharing cuttings with friends to grow your own, rescuing plants that others are selling or giving away. Houseplant owners are NOT the problem with climate change!
@@Chelseabee55 ah yes, houseplants. The climates biggest adversary. Bought a king size candy bar, the uh.. kinder egg bar thing. And it's a package, and inside that package was a cardboard tray with 2 of the regular size packages, and in each of those the two bars inside were individually wrapped. Now, these things are delicious, but not that delicious to open that much packaging. But please, someone tell me how house plants and other things are a much bigger issue. People want everyone driving electric vehicles by 2035 with no plan to figure out how to make chargers available across the country, and they can't figure out how not to put a package inside of a package inside of a package now?
That houseplant article was about vilifying millenials, as usual. The "expert" they quoted literally said the solution for the peat issue is to just throw away the nursery soil and replace it with peat free soil. That's like saying the solution to buying apples in a plastic bag is to just throw away the plastic when you get home and put them in your fruit bowl 🤦🏻♀️. Another prime example of blaming the consumer for a problem caused by the supplier.
Vilifying millennials as usual? That’s a ridiculous statement
@@MyLifeInTheDesert That's fine if you feel that way, but it's rare that I see an article written where the term "millenial" isn't used in a derogatory way. That particular article opens by, condescendingly, suggesting that "millenials" blindly purchase plants with no greater concern than posting a photograph on Instagram. Perhaps the greater issue with that article is actually the vilification of the consumer (as usual). As Shelbi discusses in most of her videos surrounding these topics - the issue should be with the suppliers of the products which make use of such unsustainable materials rather than the consumer who is provided little or no alternative.
@@MyLifeInTheDesert millennials kill everything according to mainstream media. everything is to be blamed because of the changes in our financial habits apparently, so yeah, its not ridiculous at all. there have been a billion articles about things millennials have "killed" including: the housing market, marriage, casual dining, going to the movies, cable tv, fine jewelry, golf industry.. people will find a way to blame us for declining economy and now for the climate crisis that the older generations have helped perpetuate.
@@unbiasly Yay let's blame millenials for not spending enough money they don't have!
@@raapyna8544 or for having to go along with the implications of the actions of the generations that preceded us! ✌🏻
Before pandemic, grocery stores made it the customers responsibility to not use plastic bags for fruit and veggies, went on for years, when pandemic hit and they started to offer online grocery shopping, it was suddenly on the store itself to not use plastic, 2 weeks and they had paperbags...2 WEEKS, thats all it took to not have plastic bags, and yet they kept the blame on the customer?
Ugh my local grocery store refused to go paper. I emailed customer service about it and they said "sorry we can't".
In my country the ban on plastic bags had just started a couple of months before, and then the pandemic happened and boom, using plastic bags it's OK again :(
It may not have been a “pandemic” response for them to have paper bags. My state had been working on a ban and back in 2019 or so they implemented that they were banning all plastic bags and straws by June 1st 2020.
@@caitlindavis3634 Who's gonna make all the paper bags... I guess it's our forests that will have to be cut again. (*bitter taiga resident *)
@@raapyna8544 yeah the switch to paper is better than plastic but still not ideal. All we can do is remember our own reusables and try to convince others to refuse paper and switch to reusables. I do know a lot of people aren’t taking paper bags as my state has implemented a mandatory 10¢ fee per bag. I work retail and you would not believe the amount of people that get so angry that they have to pay a small fee for a paper bag. Most people want a bag, but then learn they’ll have to pay for it, and change their minds.
I 100% agree with the house plant rant. One way to further reduce the environmental footprint of your house plants is to propagate them. I love doing this and giving them as gifts to friends and family.
That's so true... You can also get a lot of them or exchange them and you don't support shady buissness (like I got a lot of flowers gifted were infected)
I do this with a plant that I was gifted as a leaf and it grew huge and I have given more plants to my mom and sisters
Also I have a giant alovera that I could get 20 other plants from
Yes!! Spider plants are the best for this!! They literally make new mini spider plants, and hang there, begging to be planted! I have several pot bound spider plants, and I think of them as "mothers", constantly making new spider babies, the more I snip off, the more she makes. Kinda creepy, but cool. ;)
@@megan2176 same! Have dozens of spider plants everywhere. And pothos my mom has one that is older than me that we've propagated so that everyone in the family has a piece.
Where I live, there's a "plant swap" group on Facebook.
Here in Iceland, we actually harvest the methane gas from landfill and use it mostly in public transport and governmental vehicles. It is also sold to different companies for their cars.
Good, more countries should do that
That is so cool and smart!
The book that Shelbi always promotes, "The Story of Stuff," talks about this. While it seems like a good idea, in practice it isn't as good as it seems because waste disposal companies can claim that they are using "renewable energy" and get government subsidies as a result, therefore encouraging people to throw out more trash
@@xpraisethekingx Every greener alternative has a loophole like this. We just need to keep an eye out for them.
@@xpraisethekingx I still think it's better than if the solution wasn't there, but it shouldn't be used as an excuse to be more wasteful. Maybe that's something people need to be taught too
Big companies not doing the bare minimum and just setting “goals” is infuriating. I run my own business and we use scrap fabrics, sustainable materials, source anything new from local small businesses who are also doing what they can to make a difference, and reuse items, upcycle, etc. I just launched our candle collection and I thrifted all the jars from local thrift stores, am tying scrap fabrics over the tops that don’t have lids, and am using all locally sourced wax and cotton wicks. We are encouraging customers to return their jars so we can reuse them again and give them $1 off their next candle. We don’t use any plastic in any part of our process or packaging/shipping and use the smallest possible envelopes or boxes made from recycled materials. If my tiny business can do ALL THIS, there’s no excuse for any bigger companies.
whats your website? im interested and would love to buy
Thank you for doing all this ❤️ and the answer to why big companies don't do this things are basically capitalism, doing what's best for the environment comes with a bigger cost most of the time and that affects the profits and even if it's a small percentage, the people in power wants more money so any dent to their profits as minimal as could be, they won't accept it
@@Gr95dc You are correct. I don’t know why I keep getting surprised that profit matters most to the large companies. Sigh.
Would you be willing to share the name of your business? I'd love to try some of your candles, if you offer any made from plant wax :)
@@zimm2295 I tried to respond but it isn’t showing up. It might not be allowed. Search for myBeeleaf or Beeleaf on fb, IG or Etsy. We use soy wax :)
I want an ECO MINIMALISM Wikipedia page with credit to the Founder Shelbi (surname)!!!!! We love a philosophical and ethical queen
Yes!!
Yesss!!! Eco Minimalism should be a mainstream phrase.
We'll do this guys
Yes but also she didn’t actually start this lol. It’s been around for a while
We need a complete youtube series and a Netflix show on eco minimalism. Of course, a book will be great, my preferred choice! 😌
Kind of piggy-backing off of the house plant article: yea, there is some kind of weird push back against people trying to live a more sustainable, or debt-free, eco-friendly, minimalist, off-grid, healthier, or basically any kind of life that will prevent them from following the status quo or staying stuck in the system's cycle that has bred as much toxicity and stress as it has the freedom of choice to choose our own lifestyle.
For example, I'm interested in growing herbs, vegetables and possibly, in canning. Since I'm interested in those things, I've been researching how to do them for years, since I didn't have the means to do it years ago since I was a literal child. I'm now noticing that those things are becoming a BIT more popular. Funny enough, the more popular they become, the more I'm noticing a lot more articles being written about how dangerous it is to grow your own food, make your own herbal infusions for hair and skin, can your own vegetables, and so on and how people should leave it to the "professionals", aka, the companies who profit from you buying their stuff. And I just found it funny that people have been doing these things for millennia w/o any modern technology to help them along. But SOMEHOW, now that we have all of the tools at our disposal to do these things with decreased risk, we shouldn't do these things to sustain ourselves and community....for our own good.
Growing my own food: bad. Buying your food that's been showered in what the fk nutbutter chemicals made by the same companies who created chemicals for warfare: good. Riiiight.
The whole houseplant article sounds eerily familiar to the early recycling ads made on plastic and blaming all the individuals for the plastic issue and not on the companies for producing the plastic to begin with
Right?! Im like, whats wrong with those ppl??
I was taught as a kid that food waste etc was biodegradable in landfill and didn’t learn until a few years ago how wrong that is.
It can't be in plastic.
Thank you for the houseplant rant!! 👏👏👏
On a side note, so many people on my local Buy Nothing group love houseplants and routinely share clippings and accessories with neighbors. It's been a great way to feel connected with my community
same here, its been great connecting with my neighbors
I also found a local plant swap page, it’s been so much fun!
Oh, I love my no sell group! We’re in a low density residential area so we’ve had outside garden plants going round
I love my Buy Nothing Group
The first comment is so on point. Also, how many times have we pushed this goal? We've seen "Do this by 2020", "Net zero by 2025", "Carbon Neutral by 2030", "2040" and now 2050? Like get real and actually try.
YES and it's not even just brands. Also whole countries! Thoso politicans will be dead until they reach the deadline!
What about those huge companies and corporations that are charging us, as individual consumers, for our "environmental impact"?? I recently moved, and the truck rental company chose to charge -me- for my measly 15 mile move and its supposedly huge environmental footprint....instead of, idk, lowering their profit margins a touch and investing in more eco-friendly trucks?
I'm actually in favor of this. Companies produce products to meet a need. Making environmentally expensive products actually expensive for consumers is good, because it discourages us from buying things that are destructive. Part of the problem with the economy is that the actual costs of our choices are borne by other people. (E.g. we all pay taxes to support roads, but most of the damage that requires annual repairs is not done by someone who travels mostly on foot.)
I'm not for any direct taxes to punish people but if doing something more environment friendly (or more ethical in other ways) costs more than it would be reasonable to do that and have a naturally higher prices as a result, while actually improving the ways things are done. Still have to consider that poor people exist too
Girl I was so reluctant to click this video cause I did not want somebody telling me that I can't have house plants, so I was greatly comforted by your words. Watering my plants was the only way I could keep track of the days even now, a year into this pandemic. There is so much shame and blame that we place on ourselves as individuals when the real problem is the corporations and the politicians who are reeking true havoc on this planet.
EXACTLY! This article paints our attempt at surviving an unprecedented life changing event to be somehow as important as the other massive contributors to climate change. I think that’s such bull shit. Glad I could help!
I believe you should keep what's important for you (also emotionally) unless there is a better alternative that would be a good enough replacement. And of course try not to overuse in general. Don't think you should be ashamed. But it was a bit odd to drag direct comparison between house decor and food
One thing I cannot part with is crocheting. Unfortunately, the most common type of yarn is acrylic. I stopped buying it, but like many crafters, I have a big stash of (acrylic) yarn. I know, that's terrible. So I've been coming up with projects that wouldn't need washing, although that will take some time. Been shamed a couple of times for too much yarn and crocheting, never mind that I haven't bought anything in years, except food and bathroom stuff. I really don't need much, yarn is the only exception, although I've been trying to be more sensible, buying leftovers and making T-shirt yarn, when possible, instead of buying brand new synthetic fibers.
There's options for washing synthetic fibers that prevent micro plastics from entering the water system as well. I'm pretty Shelby has gone over some before. There's definitely some on EarthHero (or second hand)
Also I think it's all about just reducing your impact where you can. It wouldn't be reasonable to ask people to give up all their hobbies
It would be worse to throw it all away. They have natural yarns
A guppy bag can help with reducing micro plastics from washing these materials. Some thrift stores will sell donated yarn which could be a good option! There’s also naturals yarns and thread that can be found on Etsy or prob other websites. Use what you have and enjoy it!! Then see how you can make it more sustainable as you go on. Lowering your waste in any aspect is awesome, and everyone can still have hobbies even if they do produce some waste or if it takes a awhile to transistion to more eco friendly products. Have fun with your crocheting!! (From a another yarn and thread fanatic)
@@Shannon-gz9pg yeah, I've seen that, but it's not really an option when you don't own the washing machine :D
But for your own needs, great. Also, reducing the use of synthetic fibres overall is probably better
Plants in your environment are a basic need, if you're not provided that by your municipality (yards, parks) then you need houseplants, and I stress, need. It's very important for mental health and wellbeing of any animal, not less us humans, to not live in a 'conrete jungle'.
It's frankly disgusting that someone would suggest vilifying people with houseplants. It's almost like vilifying people who eat fast food - since that's the food they have access to, and they need to eat.
If you're concerned about people growing plants in their homes, perhaps start with advocating for native environments and accessibility to greenery.
Shelbi going to bat to defend those of us who have houseplants and do the best that we can (including not buying peat moss) actually brought a tear to my eye. Plants make me incredibly happy, but if she gave a case for it being detrimental I would have given it up. Thanks you Shelbi!
I buy composted dirt cause I can't buy a composter
Uh... doubt having houseplants in your home would be worse for the environment than all of the furniture and stuff we have in our homes- also theres the cultural aspects of owning houseplants, such as owning them reconnects us with nature and gives us a greater awareness of our climate issues
That plant rant made me really happy, because my little shelf of plants are my precious babies and i cant believe people are trying to throw a fit about house plants.
I love that in New Zealand we have green bins to put food waste and biodegradable/compostable waste in which the council then turns into compost! Helpful for those of us who don’t have our own compost system!
Oh thank goodness... you think like me when it comes to the “carbon neutral by 2050” statement. When I hear this, all I can think about is “procrastination with out goals”. Like yeah... hello... that’s 29 years from now (just like you said). I hate to be negative, but I’m not interested in procrastination... I’m interested in real change with support systems in place with time targets. Thank-you for hearing my rant... which, is really the same as yours.
I think the same thing. Like oh yeah goals for 20 years from now that takes to long. Why not in 5 years? Thats more doable
“I’m doing my part. Don’t come for me”
ICONIC 😍
If you’re in the Nashville, TN area check out Compost Nashville. It’s great if you’re unsure about backyard composting or you live in an apartment. You get a bin for your food scraps, they pick it up once a week and give you a new clean bin. And twice a year you get a bag of compost to use in your yard, or if you don’t have a yard you can donate your compost to (I believe) a community garden. And it’s really affordable!
I can’t believe the effort that goes into trying to blame consumers for owning things like plants. Literally everything has some kind of footprint and we all just have to balance and make choices about what brings us joy. You’re totally right we need to stop getting mad at each other and be mad at the corporations. Preach sister
Can you pleeease do a video where you explain both how to recognize if a product is sustainable and what are the sustainable certifications that exists and the meaning behind them?🙏❤️❤️
Regarding biodegradables breaking down in landfill - without UV light and oxygen organics will break down a lot slower - but they WILL break down. Unfortunately in an anaerobic environment they will produce methane gas, that being said a lot of developed countries like Canada harvest that methane gas and use it to power recycling plants. It's absolutely more beneficial to compost, but if that isn't an option for you, please know that your organics will break down and some of the products of that decomposition will likely be used.
Only in the places where the waste company in charge has that technology.
I came here for this comment, if you send your biodegradable waste to landfill it decomposes in an anoxic environment producing methane with is a very strong greenhouse gas for around 10 years before it breaks down into carbon dioxide, also it can produce hydrogen sulphide and carbon monoxide as breakdown products too which are toxic. Better to have a wormery for cooked kitchen scraps and compost bin for raw fruit and veg waste
Edited for a typo and to say that my job involves measuring gases from landfills so it’s my bag 😉
Great points. All of my house plants I grew from cuttings from friends, family, co-workers plants.
Same! This has also helped the mother plants and me, I love it!
That was absolutely my favourite Shelbi rant. I have around, erm, 40 or so houseplants and I haven't binned a single nursery pot. I have so many waiting for propagations that I will give to my sister and SIL. Unfortunately a few depression cycles have meant I've killed a handful over the couple of years I've been collecting them, but I spend my time searching charity shops for second hand cover pots and glass vases for propagations. I've asked staff at the market stall I buy a lot of my plants from to take the plant out of the nursery pot if I know I have the right size one at home, so they can reuse it themselves and they always laugh a little but think it's good of me to do.
I 100% will not feel guilty for my love of houseplants that on a daily basis keep me from spiraling. Although at this point
I really should just start buying rooted and unrooted cuttings from people because I am running out of space that the cats can't access 🙈
Wonderful video as usual!
Holy shit! I never knew about peat moss. But yes I'm aware how other certain things for house plant aren't sustainable. I have friends who have gotten into house place because of the pandemic. I have gifted them plant that I propagate and reuse some nursery pots I have laying around. I love encouraging my friends to thrift wicker basket for plants or shelves so I try to do my part when it comes to this. Thank you for sharing this. 💖
If you're interested, coconut coir may be a more sustainable option than peat for what it's generally used for (lining hanging baskets and amending soil mixtures), depending on your source and how it is processed.
@@sonipitts thanks for letting me know. I personally don't buy bags of it but I know some of the soil I use has it so now I'm going to be more mindful on that. I'll try to get soil with coconut coir. 😊💖
It's also becoming a problem in the reptile/carnivore plants community with it becoming illegal to harvest in certain countries now so it can come back. People are switching to coconut fiber.
My first thought was "Oh, she means the pop companies." And if your thought is, well that's okay I don't drink pop. Then you have no idea how many products they own.
My uncle works as a landscaper/ a dried flower and plant shop. He takes home all the plants that they can’t sell anymore and whenever one comes allong that i like, he gives is to me. Greet for the enviroment and Fred plants for me ;)
I'll feel shame about my house plants when Unilever become sustainble not a second before.
AMEN!
You're always good at putting things into perspective and this is a big reason why I follow you. You understand intersectionalities, socio-economic aspects of "going green," and how news outlets frame topics. Thank you for helping me go green in the most supportive and non-judgemental way.
I have 60 plus plants in my apartment and I love them they remind me of being in puerto rico. They bring me joy and only have the ones that I know I can keep alive.
When i was 13 i had this realisation that probably everything i owned or could buy at the store within my (very minimal at the time) budget was most likely made with some form of sweatshop labor and to be honest im more surprised to find out ANYTHING is sustainable. The ugly result of that relization was a lot of apathy and cyncism on my part. What I really appreciate about your videos is that you present not only the problem but solutions. Therefore avoiding the apathy and burnout these realisations can sometimes cause
Do you have a video explaining why meat/ dairy can't be composted? I went plant based back on October and I am learning so much about how this change helps the environment but I think knowing and sharing why animal products don't help to make healthy soil to grow our food in would be a powerful video by you (you have a very clear and intelligent way of conveying messages)
From my basic knowledge, animal products attract other animals and bugs, and when the bugs find the animal products, they’ll lay eggs and the larva will just eat it, and you could get overrun by maggots who just will eat the compost instead of it decomposing. Other animals like bears will also get attracted to compost if there are a lot of animal products in it. Bones also take a really long time to decompose and probably just would stay in bone form even when the rest of the compost is ready. These may not be all the reasons but I know are some!
Go off Shelbi!! I loved the response to people bitching about plants.
Shelby is a whole other level of eco warrior as oppose to all other influencers in the same direction. I super super appreciate the knowledge she shares and the effort she took into getting the knowledge.
I'm here for the peat moss
Save the peat moss!
Thank you SO much for including the houseplant article!!! I love plants so much and saw the article, I was pretty upset. I’m glad you included the fact that it adds value to your life since it does the same for me.
Great point about the plants! Also, house plants can also be acquired second hand! Scan your online marketplaces and you'll see lots of cool plants that are larger and more quirky than what you'll find in the plant stores.
You are glowing in this video and it’s because you’re talking about things you’re so passionate about and it makes me so happy and inspired. Thank you so much for doing what you do!
I’m in a fb group called "plants, cuttings and seeds to give or to exchange in *my city*", probably a privilege of living in a densely populated area, but I think it’s always worth checking if an initiative like this one exist in your area! And I also sometimes find plants on marketplace.
My home is FILLED with plants and it makes me so happy to know that 90% of it is from cuttings I exchanged with friends, family, colleagues, neighbours or even strangers:)
I never understood corporations making a somewhat vague goal list with a deadline 10 years from now. So weird and tells me they're lazy
I've worked in a sustainability department for a company that had 5 year goals. The truth is a lot of the implementation just takes time and more importantly (to them) space in the annual budget. But the companies actually doing the work right will usually publish a sustainability report.
YESSS!! I will not be shamed for having and caring for house plants and my garden!
I have recently got into houseplants - it takes me a while to make decisions lol. I have about 15 so far - 3 were yellow labelled and dying (they started me off!), 1 I bought full price in a store because I love it, the rest were all gifts or from Facebook marketplace. Like you I buy little new, although for me it's partly because I never have spare money, but also because I hate the thought of things being thrown away when they're still usable so love Facebook marketplace and also a furniture refurbishment place in my local town.
I got quite excited the other day when my council announced they were going to start a food scraps collection alongside our normal rubbish collections :)
shaming individuals for the environment instead of corporations is literally ecofascism
I have bought a bunch of second-hand plants! There are so many on Marketplace, just the other day I got a huge palm tree second-hand from Ikea. I am glad I searched there first because I was about to go to Ikea to buy that exact one
You can get free cuttings a lot of places, and even free full on plants and pots from some fb groups and on CL. I don't have a problem with buying plants, but I try not to, same with the fish I have. I make sure that they're grown here instead of draining the fishing areas in other countries to ship them over here. I bought an elephant ear plant for $5 tonite, via porch pickup.
I tried to talk to my uncle about this. His family is thinking about starting a compost pile. When I was explaining what happens to organic material in landfills, soil depletion, how things don't break down, etc. he argued that some landfills need organic material to break down other things. I didn't really know what to say other than I don't think there's a concern of being short on organic material. A very small amount of people even compost. Was just kind of annoyed he responded that way. How would you respond?
I requested a video about houseplants around the start of covid and I’m so glad shelbi finally tackled that subject- makes me love eco minimalism even more
Little tipp: it’s so much fun to exchange cuttings of your plants with your friends or in Facebook groups. And then you can propagate them.
I love to see my baby plants grow! It’s so relaxing!😍☘️ and here and there you can buy a house plant if you really want it :)
(That’s not meant as critique, just a way to make that hobby a little more sustainable)
YES SHELBi! Your message is perfect! Thank for having the interest to educate. :-) ♥️♥️♥️
I love your outdoor composter. Where’s you get it? I hope to be as eco friendly as you someday.
I LOVE ranting Shelbi. She is my favorite and I want to take her with me everywhere to call people out on their bs
can you tell us where to find peat-free soil, recommend brands, etc.? It's very difficult to find it, and of good quality.
Big corporations are more responsible for pollution then we could ever be...and most of them refuse to acknowledge their contributions let alone fix it. All we can do to help is all we can do to help. It will never be perfect and that is OK.
This makes me want to compost! I would love to see a video on composting, especially how to make it work for small spaces, such as no outdoor space or a small apartment porch if you don't have one already! Budget friendly containers/DIY container ideas would be great as well!
The fact that you ranted to show how passionate you are, put the haters/questioners in their place, and addressed the issue with pure facts is why I liked this video 👏👏 I give you props for this video and your authentic reaction!
These videos lately are giving me LIFE keep up the honesty we love it queen
Just wanted to say discovered your channel quite recently, and I’ve been combing my way through your stuff. I just wanted to take a minute to say that you’re such an eloquently spoken individual and your videos have given me the breath of fresh air I need to get excited about sustainability and climate justice!
I watch plenty of channels that talk about the climate crisis because it’s an issue I care deeply about, but often I leave those videos finding myself wallowing in anxiety. I remind myself it’s a very valid response, but it’s a response that all the same tends to give me more anxiety, since then I just think that me wallowing even more in the idea that it’s not helping anyone, ahah. And that’s not to say those videos aren’t effective for others, but your videos, for me personally, have all left me feeling reinvigorated in my power as an individual to create a change, and I really appreciate your vibe that way! I’ve been adopting sustainable habits to my lifestyle for a couple years now, and I feel like I’m rediscovering the joy and fearlessness we must have in our world’s journey towards sustainability and climate justice again thanks to your content, and I really needed that at this point in my life!
Love the videos, you’re awesome, can’t wait to hear/see more! 😊
Can you do a video of how to compost
Thank you for talking about this issue! Plants really help to lift my mood and brighten my day. I try to buy cuttings from eBay but sometimes I just want to have a big beautiful plant to love and care for!
You embody the best of minimalism and environmentalism - eco-minimalism. Thank you for focusing on the good we can individually do and clarifying that this is NOT the place for misguided criticism. P.S. Houseplants - will get you through anything and can only do good!
We just got an apartment size composter for our little deck and keep a container in the kitchen for food waste. Our friends and family have gotten into the habit of composting while they are visiting and some have gotten into doing it themselves. It’s important to do your research before starting your own compost, but there are options for those of us apartment dwellers that are effective and compact!!
Hi Shelby! I was wondering if you could talk about Acorns new sustainability portafolio. Love your channel!
Can you talk about pet products? I doubt that doggie poop bags are ACTUALLY compostable
Shelbi, I just want to let you know that you have been a major role model for me on this journey of eco minimalism! Don’t let the few negative people influence you. For me this started with becoming vegan 3.5 years ago (now I prefer plant based as the term) and then further learning about minimalism and eco minimalism. A huge part of becoming plant based was the environmental and healthy aspects for me. I have been trying to tell myself that this is a journey and it doesn’t happen overnight. This year’s goal is to do everything possible to find things second hand first and that was inspired by your channel. I was buying the most sustainable NEW options but that didn’t make them the most sustainable options. With that, I’m learning that it takes time to find items that I need or need to be replaced, so it’s taking a change in mindset. A lot of us just go and buy what we need and now it takes more time to find the right thing second hand and that’s okay. I just wanted to take the time to comment because you have been a major part of my journey!
Shelbi, you are amazing and I love your passion for sustainably. I working towards eco minimalism and educating my family and friends the best I can as I go. watching your videos helps and encourages me to keep striving to impact this planet in the least way possible.
thank you again for all you do!! 😉
Could you do a compost 101 type video? I would love to start, but idk where to begin and it just feels overwhelming.
What a great video! ALSO the rant about companies blaming consumers is much needed. the AUDACITY of them
Regarding houseplants as well: If you join a local plant swap group or find people online who sell cuttings that would be a sustainable way to get new plants. I'm trying to do that although sometimes I do really want a specific plant and don't want to wait until someone sells a cutting ^^
I like how you explain all these topics in a very factual, informative way and not just shaming people or being like "if your not doing x,y,z or vegan then your the worse!" Shaming people for doing the best they can is not productive but the way you just thoroughly explain the cause and effect of each subject is done very well so thank you.
I love you so much Shel!
I'm a rising Environmentalist in Dallas, Tx and have been watching your channel for years now. You inspire me so much and I love how real you are getting in your videos.
You and your wife are so beautiful, I wish you both the best!❤
I'm more concerned about the kinds of plants that we are seeking out and whether they are harvested from regions that are at risk. I've been trying to do research into what regions my plants come from and lately tried to buy from stores that are propagating them rather than harvesting them.
Most of my houseplants were either second hand or propagations from friend's plants. They are planted in soil from a local composting business. There are more sustainable options when it comes to houseplants like for almost everything. But still, you shouldn't feel bad for the ONE THING that you buy. Even if it is not at all sustainable. If we all just consumed a lot less, every individual item could get away with a much larger footprint.
I'm very unsure of the impact and resource footprint of bio-plastics and crude oil free plastics. Would love to hear your thoughts on this topic
If I remember correctly, Gittemary did a video on this topic. You should check her out, she's great!
I always keep the pots plants come in unless they are broken beyond use. I have some other plant that can go in there, whether that's a pot upgrade or new cuttings. That's one way I try to be more sustainable.
I also get a lot of plants from hobbyists who have extra cuttings or are rehoming plants.
I'm trying to figure out the best way to compost, I tried a bin where by adding bark covered in enzymes you could quickly compost all food together. But cleaning the bin each time it got full to ensure the enzymes got to do their job before mould had a massive water and chemical footprint... Now I am composting all my plant based food & packaging in a normal heap, while I figure out what I can do about other things.
We LOVE ranty Shelbi!! I’m sick of certain items being branded as evil/bad because of their specific footprint...EVERYTHING HAS A FOOTPRINT!! Ugh. We need more Shelbis in our world🥰
Can you please do a video on your compost tumbler? How you use it, how you get the compost from it, what browns you use, do you like your bin? Thanks in advance!!!
I did not know peat was an issue. How are you mixing your chicken's dusty bath without it? I use peat moss as a main part in my dust bath.
You can get plants secondhand too! I buy, sell, and trade cuttings from existing plants all the time.
Plus, even houseplants are buyable second hand. At least in my city there are several groups. :)
I'm still working on my consumerism. I definitely indulge in 'retail therapy' when I'm feeling down (and it doesn't really make me feel better). I have been putting a lot more thought into the things I do buy, but still pick up things (usually second hand) that I don't really need. Sadly, I end up filling my home with too much stuff when I more minimalist, clean space is so much more calming.
Get it girl! I couldn't agree more. I also now propagate plants and give them to friends and get free clippings from my Gardner's group. I absolutely love getting and giving them for free and in this sustainable way and also sometimes buying a new one. Plants are basically my only home decor and they make me feel so uplifted.
Do you have a video on composting? Like a composting 101 type deal? I just bought my first composter (secondhand, of course), and want to produce QUALITY soil! Also, can you go more in-depth on peat moss? Much love!
I also propagate my plants but to try to reduce my waste i take the pots that i get my plants in and reuse them then i take them to my local farmers market and give them to them and they really appreciate.
Support 100% of the way on the houseplant rant 💯
Some questions for your next "Things you thought were sustainable" video, because I don't know if they are or not and feel a little lost when searching for answers:
-Stainless steel as an alternative for plastic to-go containers, as a material for kitchen sinks, thermoses, etc. Because it's not resulting in micro-plastics, but... Where does the steel come from? What's the manufacturing process like?
-Silicone: companies seem to be putting silicone on everything to make it seem eco-friendly, but... What even is silicone besides a periodic table element? Where do companies get it from and how? Will it ever break down and how? Can it be melted down and remade into something else?
-Glass: you've covered this vs plastic, but being that it's so heavy to ship and isn't recyclable once broken, should this be an item type I only buy/use second-hand? Should we push for broken glass recycling programs or is that too dangerous?
Most things seem pretty straightforward (use/reuse what you already have, compost what you can, buy secondhand, demand more of companies that don't give a damn, etc.) but plastic alternatives stump me, and these big three that have gotten really popular are being used in a LOT of things to make them marketable as eco-friendly. I'm asking the questions but can't seem to get to the answers. If anyone has/can find the answers, it's definitely you!
Can you please do a compost video?! I get so confused about cooked food, cardboard with writing and colors etc.
Ranty Shelby is a dream 😍 thank you for bringing her to the stage.
YOU TELL EM!!!! I love your rants, I learn so much from them and I love how passionate you are about the topics. It builds the fire inside me to continue on this zero waste journey.
A lot of etsy sellers will sell cuttings of house plants! That may be a more sustainable option than buying from a nursery or garden center
My favourite type of videos and now it is a series!!
Rant-y Shelbi is the best because you’re so honest and you are right!
Thank you for talking about houseplants! I was feeling bad about it but they are such a great hobby and bring so much value:)
In relation to your first point, I will be doing a summer internship in a big bank this summer, think one of the major polluters. A graduate was telling me about her role in the sustainability team, which I am obviously interested in even though I know the bank itself isn't best. Apparently companies, big companies, come to them and tell them "look. We promised to be carbon neutral by 2030. What is the most cost-effective way for us to achieve that?".
I find it quite cool to be honest, because as long as it is not at the expense of real sustainability, the cheaper the combination of sustainable solutions provided the larger the number of companies willing to make those claims and actually follow through.
My point is, although some companies have not achieved their goals at all in the past, there is an entire industry developing around helping companies reach those goals, and that reassures me to an extent that the clients there will meet the goal as long as the bank does a good job estimating emissions.
Obviously this has many, many downfalls, from underestimating impact etc but it is a step in the right direction that banks these days have entire teams dedicated to those claims companies make. Not saying I would fall for the advertising though, especially goals that aren't short term.
Not every houseplant is unsustainable though! Most of mine are technically secondhand, because I have friends who like houseplants and we will "trade" propagations of the plants we own. So its not like every single plant is brand new, in fact, I personally have very few plants I bought myself. I didn't know about the soil thing though, so I'll have to check that out!
My university had set the goal of "Zero Waste by 2020", it was written on all the compost/recycling/trash bins around campus; when I graduated in 2019, I was still looking around at a lot of trash cans... wondering if they updated those signs....
This is so validd!!!! I am doing my best to make changes in my life towards sustainability like buying secondhand clothes only, getting reusable products instead of buying their plastic counterparts but right now there are just some things I can't afford to invest in and I am done feeling guilty about that. I'll make those changes when it's right for me and continue to do my best in other areas.
I don't think anybody should be left out when going for digital assets
Trading on your own is very risky l've lost alot trading for myself
Yes! I used to trade some stocks but I couldn't understand how it works kept on getting bad stocks.
Investing in crypto is really profitable, been making good progress
Cryptocurrency is an incredibly speculative and volatile buy. That's why I work with Mr Lucas Naved
@Theresa chaffee That won't bother you if you trade with a professional like Mr Lucas Naved