the era of problematic zero waste content
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- Опубліковано 3 сер 2023
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I'm an EMT as well as a wildland firefighter.
I wish nobody felt bad for the medical waste- there literally is no other alternative right now. Medical waste at the patient's level is a necessity, and you should not feel bad for doing what you need for your health. It's simply how it has to be for now.
As a wildland firefighter, although I try and live a low-waste lifestyle, there's SO MUCH WASTE produced fighting forest fires!! It's astounding, and COVID only amplified it.
Breakfast and dinner come in Styrofoam box, in a plastic bag, with individually wrapped utensils and condiments. Sides are often in their own plastic containers. Coffee cups are disposable.
For lunch, your sandwich is in a plastic bag, your 8 carrot sticks are in a plastic bag, all the snacks they throw in are individually wrapped in plastic. They throw it all together into one big ziplock, and then into a paper bag.
One time we were sleeping away from the main camp so they sent our meals to us-- they made more than 30 extra servings, every day, for a week. I saved all the clean ziplocks and vegetarian snacks from this-- it's been 2 years and I'm still working through these things. It was all simply going to be trash.
This is just the food aspect of this job. (not even mentioning how tricky it can be for vegetarian/vegans, I pack my own protein snacks). I HAVE to use leather boots and gloves, and all our clothing is made from wool. There's simply no safe alternative.
I bring my own coffee mug, and utensils, and I save up my plastic bags to recycle or reuse, I try to refuse the extra plastic bags if it's at all possible, most people use plastic disposable water bottles- I try and refill a 5 gallon container I have instead, I don't throw away any shelf-stable snacks and bring them home to eat later in the year.
But at the end of the day, simply by existing in this system I'm leaving a massive trail of waste behind me. There's very little I can do about it, except hoping that over time the culture slowly shifts. Maybe people will see the small efforts I'm making and they'll make their own, and maybe someone else will notice, and eventually in a decade that's the standard. Who knows. I can only do my best in this flawed system, and realize it's not my fault it's so flawed.
As someone who is trying to lessen the waste that I throw out (I have several severe chronic illnesses along with being deathly allergic to far too many plant based proteins-> like honestly, it seems unnatural to me AND I'M the one who has the freaking allergic reactions) with much of my sterile dressing kits for port access/care I try to reuse the products for things that are not sterile (such as reusing the gloves to clean up cat vomit, I reuse the chlorahexadine swab sticks for wiping my hands and face with straight rubbing alcohol along with repurposing my sterile field sheets to help minimize mess made on my counters (because extreme fatigue comes with many of my chronic illnesses). Because I run liters of saline about 2 to 4 times a month, I frequently cut down my IV tubing to make straws of sorts that only I use (and will only use each "straw" a max of four times because any more use than that and the taste of my oral fluids taste weird).
In terms of food (at least animal sourced) I am trying to reduce the amount eaten although tbh, I'm limited in how much I can reduce because otherwise I won't be eating very much but I am also cutting down on carb intake because of my diabetes and high weight issue but I still need some food even if it's an animal because the last thing that I need my body doing is thinking that I'm going through a period of food scarcity and tanking my metabolism.
I so resonated with this. I just switched jobs after 5 years of working as a wildfire firefighter/ first aider. The amount of waste is depressing but so difficult to avoid. I would bring my own mug and utensils too and try to avoid some of the ziplock bags, bring some stuff to recycle at home, limit the amount of plastic water bottles I used. But we have to drink and eat to not only survive but thrive in this demanding job. I'm also plant based and I found the options limited and often even more heavily packaged. Then add the amount of gas we use while driving (often multiple vehicles when 1 would do), burn mix, flagging tape... It can be overwhelming but those things are out of our control so I tried to do as much as I could and not feel bad about the rest. One place I found that I was able to make changes was at base, advocating for reusables, better recycling, etc.
Respect to you guys/ women!
@@weronikawalker9650 yes, being on a crew is even harder because you kind of have to do what your crew is doing. Luckily nowadays I'm a single resource, so I have a lot more freedom in my behaviors like that
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People forget that zero waste is the best trend to get behind because you dont need to buy anything. Its just about buying less
Isn‘t that minimalism? (Not that I‘m against either)
@@Alina_Schmidt No, minimalism is more about owning less, which is not necessary the same as buying less. most people who tend towards a more minimalist lifestyle do that for more clarity and simplicity in their lives, whereas zero wasters want to reduce their environmental impact. In the end, most minimalists tend to overconsume less because they strive for a deep understanding of their needs and priorities, and therefore also live more sustainably than other people. But there are also minimalists who are not concerned by sustainability at all and create a lot of waste and emissions by eating, travelling etc. And people who live very sustainably can still collect a lot of stuff because you still have the option of buying things second hand with minimal waste and emissions. I hope that explanation is helpful and not redundant :)
Your statekent:"you can't be zero waste in a world not designed for it." rings SO true! I taught a uni lecture on waste management for the first time last semester and the students tried really hard to be zero waste. Cutting them some slack in this form was a nice breather for them. So yeah, we need to try our best but 1 not on the extent of our mental health and 2 also need cooperations an governments!
THANK YOU! So some years ago, my husband was like "yeah we need everything in glas now. We need new tupperware, new this, new that, because of sustainebilety." and i was like "No!Thats not the point. We can change things out if they are broken or what ever, but i will not change out everything just to feel better" and that is still how i handle things. Sometimes it is kinda hard, but over all i think its the best way of handling things.
I am starting an emergent environmentalist group at my daughter’s elementary school, and your message about a more attainable zero waste ethic is going to resonate with the kids. Children don’t have a lot of agency in their lives so teaching kids that zero waste means doing what is within their abilities is going to be more empowering rather then teaching them zero waste perfectionism. Your content is inspirational, thank you.
I am so grateful that there are people out there who are actively talking about shifting our approach - keeps the conversation going and keeps everyone accountable and empowered! - guilting people into an all or nothing approach never solved anything (as in, people thinking they have to be perfect at zero waste or not do it at all).
I worked in health care as I became interested in zero waste. Things need to be sertile so they are often disposable, like you said. It used to bother me. But the alternative of using metal and santatizing it was stopped for a reason.
I noticed from the begining of my zero waste journey, that even if I still buy some products wraped in plastic, I think I live a more sustainable life than before.
I looked under the shelves at my bulk food store and realized they were filling up the spices with those 1 litre plastic bags that you can actually find at the supermarket sometimes! I felt kinda silly 😅. now I get alot of my bulk things from an Indian store. they come in plastic but so does literally half the stuff at my bulk food shop.
This is such a good point. I've always wondered how the bulk food is packaged, and if the packaging of it is reused. I feel that there has been so much focus on the waste the individual zero-waste-person generates, rather than looking at the whole supply chain. It would be interesting to know how much waste, CO2 and single use plastics are involved in the process of making and distributing things that the consumer never sees or knows about, and buys without packaging so they don't have to feel bad about the trash themselves.
I live in a small town in the Midwest of US. It is HARD to be zero waste or sometimes even low impact. I have to drive 30 minutes to my nearest grocery store and it only has a few bulk options. Forget about any vegan options at the small town bars and diners. BUT I do have 9 acres of beautiful forest that we are taking care of, a huge garden so I can grow food for my family and plant native wildflowers for the pollinators, a clothesline so I can save electricity and wear and tear on my clothing. I use my reusable every chance I can and buy everything secondhand.
My point, and I think your point too, is we have to do the best we can with what is available to us, and allow for imperfections.
We need more people living imperfectly sustainable than a few people living perfectly sustainable. ❤
i had a rly toxic mindset in the very beginning of my zero waste journey. every time i did sth "wrong", i'd batter myself for it. the zero waste media i consumed did influence it, but so also did my perfectionism.
it has taken me until now to realise that i don't have to fit into a certain box within the zero waste movement, and no one's going to scrutinise everything i do, and i think i've started to find a balance that fits into my current life style that embraces zero waste, plant-based diet, as well as living on a restricted budget as a student.
lastly, thanks for continuously inspiring to get into a more conscious way of living!❤
We love a queen that recognizes the importance of growth and embraces it ❤️
I’m just curious, because you said a lot of your old content contains advice you wouldn’t give today, do you think you might consider taking down those videos one day?
In any case, I found this video really genuine and motivating. I love how you’re pushing for us to open this whole movement up to nuance, that it is about redefining our relationship with consumerism rather than flaunting all our sustainable and “sustainable” gadgets. For example, if I need (or sometimes want) to add to my wardrobe, I buy most of my clothes secondhand these days (I live in an area where good quality secondhand clothing is available, which I don’t take for granted), but if I have a chance to buy a shirt or (ideally useful) item from my favorite K-pop group(s), I will probably take it. And I highly doubt that will be secondhand. I have no intention of spending loads of money on loads of stuff, not only would that be unsustainable (not to mention out of budget), but it would lower the value of the one or two items I do buy. But I think allowing room for some things like this, while fostering this mentality of buying sparingly and with the intention of making items last as long as possible, is really healthy. 😊
I appreciate how you're not afraid to cringe at your past self a little from time to time and it's so refreshing to see you reflect on your growth.
I have to admit, I am so relieved to see that yourself and other similar channels I follow are addressing this.
For me, the biggest turn off from making 'zero waste' changes in my life has always been the idea of 'perfect' zero waste life. If the goal is to be perfect and I know it can't be achieved... it's incredibly overwhelming.
And I find regular life overwhelming enough with all of it's aspects: work, relationship, friendships, family, health, hobbies, home etc. it's such a balancing act.
So I find it so much more motivating when the approach is - here's some ideas of what you can do, doing what you can is good enough, it doesn't have to be perfect or look fancy.
This was such a great video. I really admire how you are able to reflect on some of your past content and offer constructive criticisms. Finding balance/consistency, over perfectionism, in sustainability is so important because feeling guilty and bad about tiny everyday decisions isn't going to achieve much. I feel like you would like the book 'How to create a vegan world: a pragmatic approach'.
I feel like the movement has matured so much in the last year and I'm very happy about it, I think it makes it easier to get reluctant people on board with sustainability and also it is better for our sanity and ability to keep with that lifestyle long term.
This is a needed mature video that sees the forest for the trees. You've articulated my thoughts better than I could've.
SUCH a great video. I'm so glad there is a shift happening in the zero waste movement. A couple of years ago I really gravitated towards minimalist, zero waste style videos because the life those people had seemed so simple and organised. All those matching glass jars and stainless steel containers were so pleasing to the eye. I was never able to justify buying stainless steel containers when i had a huge pile of perfectly functioning plastic containers still hanging around in my house, so I never bought them, but that made me feel like I could not be part of the movement. Yet here we are, 5 years later, and I'm still using those same plastic containers. That's what sustainability is all about!
Its so refreshing to watch videos that don't blame individuals or turn sustainability into a competition 😍
I learned my zero waste actions from my grandmother who taught me how they did it in the 1930s... I grew up with glass ickle jars and glass mayonaise jars being used to store pasta and rice on the kitchen counter and used plastic butter tubs were filled with homemade freezer jam raspberry and strawberry. I learned to darn socks. mend clothes, and shop thrift stores for my knick knacks ie salt& peper sets and tea cups & saucer sets and the occasional dinner plate sets... I have let go of making freezer jam but I still do all the rest. I don't worry about making waste but I do recycle everything I can broken as the recycling system might be.
Gittemary, I have a bulk food shop in my town, but I am priced out living on disability benefits. There are 2 small supermarkets and a greengrocers. I actually could "do" zero waste shopping and I must admit that makes me feel guilty. Luckily I have a small allotment which helps alleviate fresh veg costs a bit. You're right though, we can only do our best.
While individual responsibility is important, frankly with your wage (as she says in the video) you're likely not one of the important targets for it. With your income you can't really over-comsume. Your little bit of food waste is nothing compared to say Unilever or even Colleges that don't recycle.
Honestly, society is already so challenging for folks with disabilities (and those in poverty), I really feel sustainability is not something which should land on you and others in your situation. By and far you're not the problem ☺️
Thanks Gittemary for teaching about shopping second hand, using what you already have, caring for and mending our items! You're a voice of reason in a world always trying to sell 'zero waste' ♻👏
I love how your content and vibe has grown and shifted as you have. Also I often have to remind myself how privileged I am living in southern California, where the farmers markets are year round and grocery stores with bulk options are everywhere. I forget that not everyone has these options all the time.
I agree, over the years I have gotten to the point of realizing that there is no perfect in the zero waste life style, so I just do the best I can each day and figure that it has to help in the long run.❤
I am so glad that you talk about the trash we produce despite ourselves because of health condition. A few years ago, I was also so mind-focused on my waste that I almost sacrified my own comfort with my treatment :
I've been Diabetic Type 1 for 10 years. I started by using refillable Insulin pens (you only have to change the needle at each use, and refill with a small glass dispenser you'd throw away then) and control my blood sugar level with tiny-small plastic strip and a single-use tiny-small needle as well. But I was 15 at that time, and doctors advised me to use an insulin pump, which is LIFE CHANGING : it calculates for you with a program set up by your MD the amount of insulin to dispense for the meals and all day long, and you have to change the catheter every 3 days. This replaces 15 injections by only ONE jab every 3 days. Same for the blood sugar control, I replaced it with the Abbott Freestyle Libre sensor, which is a device pricked in my arm I can scan with my phone, replacing the 5-6 fingersticks per day and pain at my fingertips, FOR 2 WEEKS.
The problem is : The Freestyle Libre sensors and insulin pump catheters need a huge amount of plastic to set up, and make electronic waste and plastic waste, and this would make me crazy to fill my bins with such an amount of trash for my healthcare.
A few years ago, I asked my MD to change my prescription : I wanted back my refillable pens to make less waste. She was like "Gurrrl, this is not a good reason, your health and comfort is the most important thing to care about." and eventually prescripted me a new insulin pump, without nozzle (the Omnipod, if you want to check, it would be a bit long to explain how it works). It is even more life changing as the pump remote is not connected to the body anymore, it makes less plastic waste, but creates a new electronic waste every 3 days, that I don't know sht about recycling process if it even exists.
It still leaves me being torn between the planet and my comfort with my treatment, but at the end of the day, I am so glad these devices exist to keep me alive and to make me avoid sugarfree diet 😵💫
It’s so refreshing to see a realistic conversation about sustainability and what individuals can and should be expected to contribute. It says a lot about your character that you can look back and reflect and change. Your channel makes me at least way more inspired to keep trying.
I loved this video! Progress not perfection is the goal. Situations dictate choices from moment to moment. I do not like to shop, so I realize I'm living a sustainable lifestyle simply by not purchasing items because of of that. Perhaps I can save 50% on a sale item, but if I simply don’t purchase it, I've saved 100%!
You're content is always so amazing, I am baffled why you only have 119k subscribers :( You deserve sooooo many more.
Also missed the "this video has a sponsor ... dadadaddaadaaa" .
Thanks for keeping it real, that is why I keep watching your channel. Often times the information given can encourage decisiveness, a problem here in the US. That doesn’t encourage growth or responsibility. Love your content, it keeps me aware and moving in a more sustainable direction. ❤
I believe it is in Thailand - I've seen they're packing fruits in banana leaves instead of plastic bags. Isn't it cool?
In my neighbourhood in Kraków (Poland), I have two supermarkets, one local strand and a "zero waste" shop I found few days ago. And in these two lasts prizes are significantly higher. But luckily, in the supermarkets majority of vegetables and fruits are available without plastic. But not things like nuts or sweets. I would dream of having a bulk store, but I think it is not something very common and known in Poland.
And I remember when I was in my family town at the farmer's market, I took my cotton bags and asked sellers to pack produce to them. They were looking at me as I was an alien. And one of them wanted to put the plastic bag into my cotton one xD. (Okay, I have few of my bags made out of old curtain and I understand it may looks silly)
I think you’re a very intelligent person in your approach and honesty. It gives more people the freedom to do a lot more with out the need of feeling they have to do it perfectly. Koodos
I'm so glad to have you talking more and more about this. You've been a huge inspiration for me over the years, but struggling with both mental and physical illnesses, more often than not I need to simply choose the option that works, and when you *also* want to be more sustainable that can be difficult to manage. Beating yourself up about it, or stressing even more is never a great choice, and I feel like the "shame-free" retoric is so refreshing to hear, and so much more helpful especially when the options aren't there.
Thank you as always!
can relate.
I'm not sure if zero waste is actually possible but we can all find some ways to use less, reuse, repair etc... The world will be better if we all just try our best.
I have a chronic illness called Cystic Fibrosis. It's a lung condition and therefore I have to spend about an hour a day (some folks have even more to do) doing breathing treatments with a nebulizer. Those meds come in many individual plastic ampules. The plastic cups and tubes come in single use plastic and they're supposed to be disposable (but I use them as long as I can.) I also am autistic and adhd and sometimes I have to do less-than-sustainable things in order to eat or reduce steps to a task that I otherwise wouldn't get done due to those extra steps. I stopped feeling bad. I can't sacrifice my physical and mental health for the planet. I am doing my very best when I can and that's what's important! Thank you so much for sharing all of this.
I used to feel guilty for my medical waste a lot of what my illness requires is for me to care for myself so supplies get sent to me but after adjusting and realizing that I can save the boxes and bubble wrap and in conjunction with a local swap group I've helped many folks in my community move without having to purchase those things and minimally those get a second use there was also a supply I used that came with this whole paper pamphlet with it diagramming its very straightforward use within every package and they had to swap makers and the new one doesnt have all that paper and the packaging is smaller there are some papers and packaging I think aren't necessary but I have found that a lot can be recycled so I do as much as I can and don't stress about the rest corporations make so much more waste than me a I wish it was better but it can't be helped. I absolutely use my own bags and I get away with less of them because I have a cooler and laundry basket in the back of my car so I unload at each store. Most of our bulk shops went away during the health crisis but we are getting more for cleaning supplies so that's good. I did change detergent that's dehydrated straps that comes in compostable cardboard I wish more companies came up with more unique ways to package everyday goods but that feels like the least of the worries currently.
It's not easy to challenge and call out your previous ideologies and practises. You're brave to do this as someone in the public eye. V useful content and this is like trying and testing it but for years and that's how you keep things REAL.
Thanks so much for this video. You have a great way of looking back at your past self with a kind of critical forgiveness that is honestly refreshing. I like how you cringe but also let go and recognize how much you've grown and still continue to grow. In those early years of our teens and twenties we often conflate "being the change" with "being perfect" and create unrealistic and unhealthy standards for ourselves and others. Healthy self-reflection and trusting the process is a much better ideal to strive for than trying to portray oneself as the ideal sustainable individual.
Well done, evolving and recognizing that focus on the jar is not the solution!
It was one of your dumpster diving videos that woke me up to the massive food waste issues. I have started to "food rescue" and it is just one of the things I now do. Being frugal, buying used, going without, repairing, fixing are so much more sustainable than focussing on the jar! Your impact analysis videos are also wonderful, opening our minds to much bigger questions.
Thank you! Evolution of the movement is so important!
Love this! I appreciate the transparency. I think there’s a lot of shame and feelings of helplessness that feeds the backlash- we’re seeing global environmental issues and can’t fix it. It’s uncomfortable to not be able to control the bigger forces that are harming our planet. This is a valid feeling and I think collectively we’re going through it.
On another note, does Denmark have discounted food stores? Here in the States there are stores that sell expired, almost expired, or damaged goods for very cheap. I think the rejected products are bought from grocery stores and these used-food stores (as my husband calls them) are local small business. Obviously proceed with caution on expired food, but it feels like I’m able to help control more food waste by buying before it’s trashed systematically. Also the deals are phenomenal.
Edit: after watching some other videos I feel I should clarify. I think some people are so traumatized by the climate crisis that they respond with trying to control everything. And other people are just assholes.
Thank you so much for this and your recent videos. For many people, myself often included, there is an impossible situation between our reality and our aspirations - or our “shoulds.” To paraphrase KC Davis: you can’t save the earth if you’re struggling. And struggling is really anything from temporary hospital care to disabilities to mental health struggles and so many situational things. Nobody should be thinking about their waste while surviving.
Gittemary, it’s so cool to see your growth along your zero-waste journey! It’s super inspiring and you’ve had a big influence on how I think about sustainability and doing it in a sustainable way for my life. Thank you for sharing! ❤
In our house with kids one of the first swaps we did was no paper towels, and to get our kids on ours we did let them pick out small towels and such in their selected colors. That was over a year ago. With kids and three dogs we now use less than a roll of paper towels every 6 months.
i have worked in health care for a long time, medical waste can not be helped, not even by staff most of the time. a lot of things you simply NEED to be clean, new, in seperate packaging. it's like this for a reason. it quickly becomes unhygenic. not just for the patients but also for the staff. we try to be considerate, we try not to waste. but a lot of it you just can't help. either that or you end up with much much more trouble
I know this is off topic but I love that top!
Thanks so much for this good critique video, when I am a teacher again I will share your content with my students :) (IF they understand English ^^)
And ehm, also: LOVE the outfit! 😍
I literally stoped watching your videos around 2017 because I felt that your videos were kinda toxic and made me feel powerless. You've been on my mind these past few months, I've been wondering what became of you and today I come back and see this... I'm so glad for you! I'm so glad of these changes and I feel so happy for these community. Thanks for inspiring me once again. Love from Mexico
So interesting to see how far we have come! I started out preaching zero waste to anyone who would listen (and it did not go over well). I've since learned you have to let things go when other people don't understand or want to be sustainable -- because they sure don't want to be lectured about it. Just do what feels right to you and hope they learn by example. I tried to avoid a plastic water bottle yesterday at a friend's house and then thought why didn't I bring my reusable water bottle with me. So, I'm still learning and making mistakes. But I will remember next time! Thanks for another timely video!!
Very good medicine point. I think in case of medicine problem are leftovers. In Czech Republic we have huge problem with contamination from throw away medicines. People juat put it to mixed trash istead of taking to pharmacy.
We should not stress that we need to use plastic packed medicine but what we do with any left and expired medication
I love this content. I find it makes zero waste more accessible for more people. For instance I east meat, but my lunches I take to work are mostly zero waste. I get food from a organization that gives away food in containers, but saves good food from going to waste. Also we find ways to use our food scraps, and compost the things we cant use. It's the small changes and it's the little nods to change we need to celebrate even if we are not perfect.
Also I work in a industry that uses loads of single use products hairnets, plastic gloves, boot covers, ect. I wish I didn't have to use this stuff everyday, but its the way I get my paycheck. I remind myself all the time this is not my fault.
Glad you are back home and feelling better🙂
I love your latest videos. We started around the same time.. remember the Zero waste blog network?😊 I also evolved and struggle with many things. Your view today helps me immensely.thank you!!!
It probably was really annoying and stressful for the medical staff, especially the nurses, to do the extra task of collecting plastic.
when i get the impulse of buying something shiny and new just to treat myself, i just go to a different drug store or supermarket than usual and try out a new snack or handsoap from a different brand. In that way i can buy something that i actually need or am sure to use up, but it still gives me the feeling of having something unusual and fancy.
I genuinely appreciate your honesty in making this video. Thank you/Tak!
Thank you for watching 🌿🌿
What matters is that you try! ❤ you!😊every little bit helps. It adds up, baby steps can turn into leaps and bounds! Keep up the good work 👏 🎉
Great video! Very mature content and I think you should keep it up no matter what others may think. :) Reminding people that it's okay to be sustainable the way they can instead of the way they "should" as to not loose them completely from the movement in the end, it's actually the best way to go about it I think.
I will say, you doing the halls during that time. Period was probably a good thing just for the simple fact that it’s nuggets way into content styles that people were already watching, but exposing them to something different in terms of consumerism and what they can buy, etc. I am glad you’re moving away from it but I think at the time. It made sense to do it so don’t feel bad about it.
You could do a cruella themed video. That top is on point for the topic 😂
this video is like a breath of fresh air. i've been loving the topics you've been covering in your work lately, the honesty is so refreshing. i've been interested in zero-waste since about 2018 and i've witnessed people be excluded from the movement due to the same mentality of "you need to own stainless steel this and glass that" that you discussed. i myself ended up feeling entirely disillusioned and burnt out from these insanely high standards. it's so great to see you address the idealized version of sustainability and the fact that it is truly unattainable, while also making it very clear that it is okay to not reach this unattainable standard. it inspires me to want to keep going.
❤ I absolutely love today’s content. It is important to recognize that regardless or status of privilege or lacking. It’s all about what we can do on a personal level. Anything is better than nothing. Progress not perfection.
I can think of a “problematic” aspect to zero-waste, but that’s when it’s NOT actually zero-waste.
Like… corporatized zero-waste - products that hype themselves as “sustainable” but aren’t really different in their structure of expecting you to keep buying them, or influencers that love to show off all their zero-waste TikToks, but it’s all suspiciously perfect looking and, in reality, they’re actually generating a LOT of waste in order to get the perfect Instagram picture.
I have found that using what you already have is the best way to live sustainably.
Kathy B
i love your content as a newbie, gitte! you put me in the right, healthy mindset :D
If 100 people reduce their waste by just 1%, that's the same as one person reducing their waste 100%. A 1% change is almost imperceptable to the individual, but it holds huge potential benefits. Now imagine the level of systemic change that governments can help bring about, where we can help 10.000.000 people reduce their waste by 1%. Very cool video--thank you for. addressing this stuff.
I agree in every single point 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼
Thank you so much for this Gittemary! You make such good points, and I certainly remember being scared off a lot of the sustainability moment in circa 2016-2017 due to the trash jars etc, glad we've moved on from that :) I also remember watching some of your videos back then and definitely still getting good things out of them, but your content these days is just >>>>>
Do our best within our possibilities 😊
I got interested in zero waste around 2016 because I was watching a few "I'm quiting zero waste". Tho I will admit I was frustrated with un-items that are priced up common household items and then they became EVERYWHERE in craft fairs.
I also appreciate you regularly saying if it's something you need don't feel shame. Because that is something I base even food UA-camrs on. I hate when they insult products that are really ability aides but marketed as a gimmick. Just say it isn't for you and move on!
I had an experience once whilst in a hospital for an emergency gyno surgery where they ran out of pads (yes a gyno hospital!!!) They don't let you use your own (not even if you buy them) and so there I was. Bleeding profuselly in a bed. It was horrible. And in this kinds of cases you need those disposable products. So don't feel bad. In normal life I use menstrual panties so I know I od what I can. Also where I live you get your medicine handed directly. No plastic cup. I don't mind that tho:)
I remember the era of the trash jar and thinking at the time it seemed a little naive and self flattering. There was also an attitude of judgement regarding certain life choices, for example the assumption that everyone should be vegan or that no one really needs a car. I lived for years as a vegan without a car and got ill from nutritional deficiencies, was constantly exhausted from biking everywhere, stressed about the time public transit took, and unable to acquire certain needed items without extreme inconvenience. I also don’t like the minimalist aesthetic and I think you may be the only channel that differentiates the aesthetic from a lifestyle of lessening consumption. Where I live it’s easier to thrift outdated wood furniture and eclectic colorful clothes than all the sleek neutral basics that many minimalist channel promote (that often cost far more than I can afford).
Also most hospital waste things like bandages, dressings, and wound related items are all incinerated for safety reasons so it's not going to landfill.
This was such an amazing video. I truly appreciate the demonstration of green capitalism and just the need to reuse that is something more people can do and going to sustainable brands when there are real needs not just as a swap etc...all of your efforts are so helpful. Funny thing is I consider myself a minimalist but not by aesthetic but in concept of having what I need. As that movement happened grew the same privilege issue arose particularly around color.
Not me over here completely losing it at "zero waste beef" lmao omg stop 😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂
(Lol beef is why the Amazon burned a few years ago)
This video reminds of a woman I knew who thought she was so environmentally friendly because she made almost milk and sold metal straws, she forgot to mention that her husband ran a building company and half of all rubbish in landfills in NZ comes from building, but you know.... metal straws......
Great video
Having been very poor most of my life, but also an environmentalist since I was 10yrs old… it’s hard and seemingly unfair now that I have little bit of extra money in my 30s plus, not not buy a few things to “make up for what I missed out on”… and indeed (as mentioned in the vid) harder for us to ask this of people who don’t even identify as environmentalists… just trying keep their heads above water and occasionally buy nice things.
I often got my consumer “fix” over the years from what we call “hard rubbish” in Australia… the local council organises one or two days a year where everyone is allowed to throw out all their stuff that doesn’t fit in a regular bin… and there’s some good stuff… I don’t think I’ve ever purchased a mattress, many couches, and recently I found a long cat door worth $200 new!
I feel like if you’re constantly beating yourself up over any failures, you’re more likely to just consciously disconnect and give up, going back to more unsustainable ways of living. We need to allow ourselves grace to grow - let’s be honest, hardly anything is black and white anyway, there’s nuance to every decision we make so it’s not a case of right or wrong, it’s a scale of best to worst, so long as we are on the “better” side of choices the majority of the time, we can afford the odd “worse/worst” every now and again
I love your pantry and am trying to get mine looking somewhat like yours. My question is, when you buy flour, doesn't it come in a bag? Do you transfer it to the jars and recycle the bag? Also, living in the US, all of our dried pasta, beans, rice, etc. comes in a plastic bag, even from the organic stores and stores that encourage you to bring your own bags. What's a person to do??? Thanks!!! Love your videos; they are so informative and don't worry about people saying some of them are boring or that you don't research enough before you talk about something. You have 120,000 subscribers; your not going to make everyone happy all the time :)
Fantastic video. Just resubscribed.
I turn all my plastic into art so i don't feel too bad about buying in plastic. Especially when i forget my reusable bag I will crochet those bags into another bag lol. I like to make pins, earrings, flowers, etc from old water bottles so on and so forth but is this realistic for everyone ? No :) some have chronic illness or ocd which may make the person uncomfortable Touching and cleaning trash. Or personal preference. Gittemary makes a good point. Don't beat yourself up when you fail learn something from it and appreciate it move on :)
You really don’t need metal straws. I have a small collection of “single use” plastic straws that I have been washing and reusing for years.
If you have the urge for something "new" in your life, there's always going for a walk/bike ride on garbage day. Bring something home to fix with the other crap you brought home to fix. It will turn your home into a hoarder's paradise, but hey - you're saving the world right? /sort of sarcastic But, it is a cheap hobby - as long as you hold yourself to not buying anything in order to fix things.
„Buying from a bulk shop“ may not be the more sustainable choice at all. Recently went to one which offered grains, oats and pasta only fom an esoteric, anti-vegan and anti-science brand. I think the damage done to people, animals and the future outweigh the damage of the plastic package I get in another store.
My mental health has to come first. Then I can do what I can to help the environment and those around me.
I was vegan for a few years and then I got really sick-cancer. I’ve had vegans tell me that I wasn’t a very good vegan then because if you do veganism right, you won’t get cancer. So basically they told me it was my fault I got sick. We do not need to shame people for being human!
zero waste beef made me die😂
Zero waste beef 🤣🤣
I feel like it's okay to give some slack to the zero waste livestyle, some things are clearly necessary to live and it's okay having some treats that inevitably come in plastic. I think the problem is when people start justifying everything with 'just some slack' and move away from sustainability and start giving in to the consumerist mindset. There is a youtuber that I used to follow that would do zero waste and minimalist content, then she got a new house, and bought loads of brand new things that could easily be second hand, useless electronics for a sponsor posts, justifies all her piles of plastic skincare with 'it's vegan and my job', and now she's basically just another vegan lifestyle influencer. Which is just not a sustainable lifestyle imo
this!!!
Plastic is good for sterility or medical use, or to contain what other materials cannot. But is flagrantly used and not properly discarded. I approach plastic as a health concern. Maybe if someone was more worried about marine life or aesthetics they would look at it differently.
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Been watching you for quite a while now and your content lately have left me feeling encouraged to keep trying and not be discouraged by imperfections in my efforts. Thank you. 🤍