There's definitely an interesting phenomenon going on when our natural first step is to buy something. It's like "OK! I want to be more sustainable, live slower and maybe be more minimalist...what can I buy for that!??" It says something about how capitalist society has us conditioned. I don't have the disposable income to go crazy with new eco-fads anyway, but I can't deny that the knee-jerk reaction is to buy something to somehow help me go in this new direction. I think when we often get introduced to the problem and we want to do something NOW and buying something "eco-friendly" is our way to feel like we're doing that and forget that slow living happens...well, slowly over time. And it's bizarre to think that the first thing you can do is less action? (Less buying, less using, etc.) I like that you've explained the problems or uselessness or other caveats for each of the items you've listed :)
Yes!!! We get all these feelings of helping and doing something good when buying "green" products but probably the best way to help would actually be NOT buying it. I think about this a lot with fast fashion too, how people are so used to buying a lot of clothes, shopping regularly, and having a continuously shifting wardrobe that the change to slow fashion seems impossible - if you see it as just shifting to buying sustainable/ethical brands instead that seems incredibly expensive and difficult, but really it has to be about slowing down fashion consumption and there are so many ways to have a more conscious wardrobe. Changing consumption and shopping habits is a lot harder though than buying an eco product instead.
This is such a great point! Sometimes getting rid of stuff or habits is better than buying a new sustainable product. One example is that I stopped painting my nails because I realized even if I do buy "eco-friendly nail polish", I would need to still throw away something afterward when I remove it (and not to mention, what do you do with an old dried up bottle of nail polish)! Honestly most people hardly even look at your nails and I'd rather receive a compliment on my work, personality, or skill rather than paint that will peel off in a week. I was wearing nail polish because it was the norm. Being truly eco-friendly means I need to evaluate those normalized habits and where I am currently spending my time and money!
Oh yeah! For sure. And the wardrobe is probably the most tempting thing to do that with. My wardrobe has a lot of pieces from fast fashion brands, but that's actually only because I continue to get a lot of wear out of those times (some of them are 15+ years old! Not sure how, but I'm not complaining!! haha). Some have holes in but are super comfortable so I wear them around the house. Obviously I eventually want to replace them with more sustainable brands, but I think the "what happens to your clothes *after* you finish with them" part of the story is often forgotten and it's not always super straightforward so we might chuck things prematurely to exchange them for the "green" label even though that might not be the best action. I think I had an "Aahh of course!" moment when it hit me that there are different ways to be eco-friendly depending on your situation/possessions/etc...as simple as that might make me seem...hahah!
@@MalinaCC Yeah definitely; there are so many things that we don't question but should. And then the most eco-friendly course of action might still be a little different from one person to the next! hahah
I started noticing a while back whenever I would read a magazine article about "solutions" it was 90-95% things to buy. I think I noticed because I used to read ask Eloise and her solutions were *never* about buying anything but using things you already have in innovative ways. Almost every "helpful" magazine article (so this excludes celebrity interviews, etc, *but not always*) will have maybe 3 suggesting that don't involve a purchase, out of every 10. And then even celebrity interviews will include, "what's in her bag" "what's her a.m. beauty routine," "her favorite time saving tips," etc... That will usually be basically a covert advertisement for 6-8 products. (I have a magazine obsession, lol... I cannot lie) But you'll see the same thing on "news" stories (especially morning news shows)
Here's the products I got for environmental reasons that I now have doubts about: Electric car (I got it second hand but after doing research about car batteries I probably won't replace it once it gets old) Reusable coffee cup (I prefer to enjoy my drinks in the café with a real cup, drinking while walking really isn't necessary) Bee wrap (just use a Tupperware) Wooden hair brush (I already owned hairbrushes from before going zero waste and didn't need to replace them. I've owned my plastic hairbrush for over 20 years and it's as good as new, but I fell for the trendy wooden one who is less durable and still has a bit of plastic holding the wooden bristles) Reusable straw (when do we ever need a straw to drink?) Mason jars (I have so many mismatched jam or pickle jars and still purchased the trendy mason jars and discarded the jars I had from purchasing food. Why?) Sorry for sounding so negative, but I think it's important to reevaluate what we buy, even if it seems like a sustainable alternative. The most sustainable item is the one we chose not to buy at all.
Mulan 121 a straw is better for dental health. Drinks such as grape juice are bad for teeth. I have very sensitive teeth plus I can’t brush all of my teeth properly due some them being turned the wrong way and stacked. So I always use a straw because I don’t need anything else negatively affecting my teeth. Not everyone has the time to sit in cafe and drink things. I don’t but I go to school full time, work part time, officer for a club, and many other things. Not everyone has nothing better to do than sit in a cafe. Straws are always good for cups with lids. It lowers the chance of spilling things.
@@Ladytasya If you find value in those items who am I to stand in your way. But I do think it's worth mentioning that we don't all need to purchase these items, even if beautiful zero waste videos advertise them. I drink water or tea, so I really don't need a straw. I've heard that they help with sensitive teeth and acidic drinks, but let's face it, most people don't need them. As for the café, takeaway coffee is a new concept that has been heavily marketed to us, but why do we do it? It's so much healthier to drink when sitting, so why not turn coffee drinking into an even rather than a fix. Take those 10 extra minutes to sit down and drink it, or make one af home and enjoy it there. I drink lots of tea at work and I have my own ceramic mug, no takeaway equivalent. It's a question of perspective and priorities.
Totally agree! Its a good thing the world is aware of the damaging but buying something organic to replace a thing that works perfectly fine sounds kinda dumb to me 🤷🏻♀️
I found myself reusing my metal straws all the time, since i can refuse straws when ordering fast food for example, and use my own. This is however a life choice in it's self, so i can see if you're way healthier than me there's no need lol. I do however plan to keep them forever, Having my future children and grand children etc use them :) And sometimes i just found myself needing a straw for other reasons (smoothies, hot chocolates, you name it) even tho it's not often, i rather reuse the metal ones instead of plastic ones (because i hope you've seen the images of plastic straws stuck in turtles). Now, you could just say that straws are unnecessary, and why not just drink out of the cup straight away. I've tried that, and it's just not for me. And I don't like putting my lips to the cupboard mugs. So if i'm keen on using straws anyway, why not it being reusable ones? And like i said, any children in my life is definitely going to want to use them, so lets teach them there's options and sow a seed of sustainability in their brains :)
I have 3 cotton bags, the oldest one is 12 years old. Still looks great. I use them all in rotation. Cotton bags nowadays can get ridiculously expensive just under an eco friendly name.
Thank you so much for acknowledging that some people do need to buy disposable things. 💖 This is so important for folks with disabilities. We don't hate the planet we just sometimes need specific things. I do what I can and I donate to good orgs and vote with the environment in mind but sometimes I need a paper cup or plate.
I have one of these baguette bags mentioned but I also buy a fresh baguette every 1-2 days, depending on how quick I consume it. I‘ve had the bag for 1 year now and I use it everyday and I‘ll keep using it till it falls apart, I really love it because in the past I‘d have a plastic bag every morning for my baguette
When it comes to detox products I highly recommend kidneys and a liver. I got mine for free and they work so well, even after 23 years of continuous use!
So relevant!!! More and more people are choosing low-impact and ethically sourced products over fast-fashion and single-use items, which is great. BUT what good does that do, if they just bring their over-consumption and love of mindless shopping with them? Low-impact living is more than buying "green alternatives". Without a change of habit and reflecting each lifestyle choice we make, it's not going to be as ethical as we might think.
I have a couple of cotton totes which I just gathered from everywhere. One is really old and was a gift, another was just one I found at a uni society fayre, a couple others I just got for free. They wear out after using them a lot, so I just keep patching them up. I like to get creative with it, so they turn into little art projects of their own and I honestly really enjoy that. Do I look like a crazy hippy carrying them? Sure, but I know that these bags will probably last me at least half a lifetime AND they're just a continuously growing and changing art project, which keeps me occupied on quiet evenings. Who even needs to buy new cotton bags when you can do such an awesome thing with old ones?
My engagement ring is lab grown and it is BEAUTIFUL! To be completely honest, I believe my diamond is more shiny and sparkly than mined diamonds. It is also more affordable and my fiance and I were able to afford a gorgeous solitaire diamond that, if it was mined, we would not have been able to afford. Affordability is a small perk when you think of the complications of the mining industry. I love to look down at my diamond and feel my fiance's love and also know in my heart that no one died for it to be on my finger❤️❤️
I've heard such good things about lab grown diamonds and gems. I love that you have such a good story with your ring and you can educate people with a great conversation piece!
Yes! I have a lab-grown pink sapphire ring that is stunning! I would never be able to afford that quality & caret weight in a natural stone, but chemically it *is* a sapphire, and flawless.
I used to work in CR for a large company and we hired environmental industry experts to do life cycle analysis on our products and all of the points you bring up are excellent and the message needs to be spread more. Most products that are touted as "eco-friendly" are not really eco-friendly in an absolute sense once you take into consideration things like energy costs of production, actual end-of-life, transportation costs, durability, etc, etc... The best take away I got from that time was that nothing beats using/reusing a product until it can't be used any more and purchasing already used items to continue using/reusing. However, one good reason to continue to buy items like biodegradable plastics and products with recycled content is that while these products may score low right now on an absolute scale w/r sustainability, we need these products in the pipeline if we ever hope to develop the ancillary services that will make these products actually sustainable. For example, the more that people buy biodegradable plastics and are willing to set aside a stream of their waste towards compost, the more reasonable it will be for a municipality to consider building an industrial composting facility. Similarly for recycled content. I believe that even today (I did my CR work over a decade ago), the majority of the product used in recycled products come from pre-consumer waste (basically, waste that is cleaner). But once the machines are in place that can recycle pre-consumer waste, it becomes much more cost-efficient and therefore likely for those manufacturers to consider incorporating post-consumer waste. So even if I can't get all the good feels for spending my $$ on these green-washed products, I still do it, because I think that it is important to keep pushing in this direction. Though I 100% agree with you about the sea sponge - I can't believe this is a thing!
You bring up a great point! Personally I think it's more effective though to contact and advocate for businesses and governments to invest in/support more sustainable innovation vs buying the disposable "eco" products that create more waste. I find most businesses take the easiest route to be "green" so I think it's good to push them to do better or offer other alternatives.
Yes!!!! I agree! I’ve seen so many and I almost felt weird the first I brought my own silverware but I thought I don’t need to buy any bamboo utensils if I already have silverware. I think sometimes is all about what things look like, but I’m happy with my choice, when we think more about purchases we realize how we don’t need certain things or how we can do just fine with what we have at home.
Looool yes! The fancy bamboo utensils are something I can't figure out. I just started using my camp spork year-round at lunchtime et voila. There are also lots of single flatware pieces at thrift stores if someone wants a dedicated lunch kit. 😊
Yeah I'm kicking myself years later for buying a set with a special bento box I thought I NEEDED. I still use it at times, but my actual silverware is much more practical. Learning form that purchase helped me reevaluate what is necessary and what is just some cute little gimmick that gives the illusion that I have my life together, hahaha.
It depends... people who travel a lot for work and/or have to go through metal detectors certainly appreciate bamboo sets. We shouldn’t discourage anyone from making changes that are better for the planet. We all have different needs, this issue will not be solved by one size fits all measures, we need every little bit of what people can and are willing to do.
Great video! I would like to add, that if reusable bags are made out of old clothes, sheets, curtains (and if you make them yourself), then the impact of making reusable bags is almost zero. This is also a good beginner sewing project and can help reusing some old textiles. I find that it is good to have many reusable bags laying around in my house and car so I always have one to grab. I am also very interested in future videos that explains the real impact of the items we use everyday. For example, isn't it more ecofriendly to use plastic that is filled with air to pad parcels than to use "puffy" paper-product? The plastic that holds the air is so thin and weitghs so little compared to the cellulose product. I am so eager to learn more about the real cost of some items that for eye look so eco friendly but what the calculations say?
I know there is a type of packing peanut that dissolves in water. I'm not sure what the impact on water toxicity is after dissolving, but it's the most "green" shipping alternative I've seen so far.
Watch out for mycelium. Dell actually already has done something with it. It's super light. Insulating and resistant. Uses agricultural waste. Oh and ikea is also working on it.yeah it's far from perfect. But it's really cool
Totally hear you on these points! It's great that designers and brands are coming up with alternatives to unsustainable products, but what we really need is not more stuff to buy, but a whole overhaul in our way of thinking about how we consume products.
Love that you brought up the whole issue with reusable cotton bags! I'm quite surprised about how few people know about this. Also great that you talk about sea sponges. They are sometimes used as an alternative to tampons. They were researched in the 80s and it was concluded that they were not clean or sanitary enough for internal use. Its also a risk of TSS with them. Sadly they are gaining popularity, which is extra sad when they are endangered. (The warning is based on scientific research, and while I am not a doctor - I am a nurse. Please ladies, do your research!)
I use them to clean with instead of plastic sponges and I do think they are a great alternative for that. Plastic sponges hold a lot of bacteria, sea sponges don't. They dry up and the sea salt and minerals keep it clean. I only have a couple of them and don't plan to buy more. One I use for almost a year now and it's still holding up well. Also the ones I buy are carefully being removed in a way that they can grow back.
You have been and remains the most honest and thoughtful youtuber that I’ve watched. We tend to choose convenience so even if we care about the environment, we want to make easy choices, like buying ‘green’ products instead of regular ones. But without thinking hard about what we are doing, maybe we will do more harm than we think. Sometimes the problem is that once you think using a certain thing is better, you allow yourself to use more of it, which is the opposite of green living.
In terms of electronics I deffinetly have some suggestions. One is to buy a desktop computer that is upgradeable so that if a component fails or becomes outdated you can replace it. I work at a computer store here in Canada and it’s really upsetting how often I see people come in and buy a brand new computer, on a very tight budget that isn’t going to get them something that’s going to last or is very good, and replacing their computer every few years. If you buy the right (and good!) components you can have a computer that will last you years and years, and you might just need to replace your power supply or something.
About coton produced bags, it reminds us of the impact of our clothes and how important it is to prefer second-hand clothes (or tote bags) and buy less. However, I had a look at those studies about coton produced bags and they make some assumptions that don't quite reflect reality: they chose big cotton bags that were nearly 200g or event 250g for the Danish study to replace light and thin plastic bags (cotton produce bags are 10 to 20g, and most ppl already have a tote bag anyway), assumed that more than 76% of plastic bags were reused at least once (UK study), assumed that you needed 2 organic cotton bags when you needed just 1 smaller plastic bag to put the same amount of products (Danish), that many plastic bags were recycled or composted, didn't take into account the damage that plastic bags are causing to marine animals, etc. Even with those criteria, the UK study concludes you have to reuse your cotton bag 130 times (when we use on average about 180 plastic bags per year per person in Europe, and more than 300 in the US). But I agree it's completely wasteful to buy new tote bags when you already have one.
Yes I thought this aswell. To see if something is environmentally friendly or harmfull we need to look not only at the way it's produced but also how durable it is, if it can be reused or recycled and how harmfull it is to our planet when thrown away. Now she made it sound like cotton is just as harmfull as plastic while plastic is really something that shouldn't be made at all anymore in my opinion.
@@Lily_and_River I don't know of any alternatives to plastic used in the medical community other than the type that can be recycled/composted at a special facility. I hope so.
@@rocsiali4092 that's true, didn't think about that. I guess plastic has it's use when it comes to certain important things. I meant it more towards the things that are unnessary or van be made from a different material.
Plastic bags in Denmark don't up in landfills or in the sea. They get burnt at power plant to produce heat for homes and electricity. Plastic bags in Europe usually get burnt or recycled into new plastic, and don't end up in the ocean, the biggest plastic poluters of the Oceans are all in Africa and Asia. The biggest problem with the study were that the production data for cotton production were over 20 years old and therefore not up to date. But it is a solid study, they just couldn't get better data on cotton production.
@@inkerstales2336 Unfortunately, most ppl are not like Danish ppl. I live in France and I see plenty of plastic bags in the streets, in the forest, in rivers, and pretty much everywhere I go... Also, burning plastic emits pollutants in the atmosphere and the incinerator bottom ash then goes to the landfill (once again, I guess this is properly managed in northern Europe, but those ashes are toxic and just accumulate and pollute ground water in most countries).
Yes, yes, yes THANKYOU!! Thanks for this kind but straight video around eco products. Mass consumerism and green washing turns a lot these days towards "green" mass consumerism which does not help whatsoever our main problem which starts with stop consuming so much. First, exhaust your current products and make the most use out of them you can. Then, and only if you have nothing else to cover your needs with, buy what you need and no more. I like very much your content and I finde it helpful, so in the future I really would like to see more videos around how to identify better and overcome green washing techniques. You already have some videos about that, so keep going please :) Nice work!!!
I have bought some reusable bags just because they were pretty, but I've started learning that the key is to use what you already own. I have a ton of those cheap nylon drawstring backpacks because they always gave them away at college events, so I've started using those at the grocery store as well.
I love this video. It’s certainly given me some food for thought, especially when it comes to biodegradable rubbish bags and the reusable shopping ones. As for “detox” products well there’s no such thing as a detox product. Our bodies are very good at detoxing through our kidneys, liver, skin and lungs (by getting rid of CO2). Any product with the word detox I stay clear of it.
Another thing with reusable bags, I work in a shop and I see this a lot where they bring their bags but they still asked me to put their items in plastic bags and then they put it in the reusable, like what is the point then. I have always been skeptic about the diamond industry and I also believe no more how “ethical” a brand says they are they are still not 100 ethical.
That's interesting because I get the opposite: I bring my own bags and the grocery store employee asks me (not every time but often) if I want something put in plastic. I say, "No thanks, I wash these bags." I hope that this is an educational response.
Also I have been using Chico Bags made from rePETE, a recycled plastic for over a decade and the bags last extremely well. We have about 4-5 of these Chico bags and other than one bag that is insulated (not by the same company) for the summer, we always have enough shopping bags. They also stuff into their own attached sack which easily goes in my purse or clips on the outside. You never have to be without a bag for any purchase. This IS something worth buying. I have never had to throw one out.
Addie K I think it’s where I work that the costumers we get don’t care really. Working in a international store has though how international people little care about the environment. My city right now is trying to ban all plastic bags so I’m really excited about that then I will have a more valid excuse to tell them. I have try to tell them in a nice way but it don’t seem to work.
@@marcelac4029 I understand, there also is varying degrees of awareness around the world. Our city grocery stores don't allow plastic bags for the main bag but there are still plastic bags for produce and meat etc. Which is why I try to purchase most things at the farmers market.
I'm really thankful for someone like yourself who does the research for us! There is so much to learn and so much is bombarded at us. Unfortunately, if there is money to be made, companies tend to use whatever marketing ploy they can that will bring them the customers. I watched a previous video you did, where you mentioned Matt and Nat. I was disappointed to hear the not great things about the company. I did some of my own research after watching your video. Needless to say, my daughter and I will use our few pieces to death and then not purchase anymore from them, unless of course their practices changes. Thanks again!
Something that I've been thinking about is the impact of online game sharing. It used to be that if you were a gamer, you'd have to buy a box made of plastic and paper with a disc inside. Now, you can simply download a file. I've been a gamer for a long time and I still have some old cartridges, but my partner has 10x the game collection I do without any physical product. You don't usually think of gamers and being ecofriendly in the same sentence, but technology has accidentally helped by improving to the point of no longer needing to make boxes and discs just to have the game. If anybody knows a gamer, encourage them NOT to buy physical copies because there isn't a need in this day and age.
Great video! I wonder what are alternatives for dog poo bags? At the moment I use biodegradable bags made of corn starch (I assume there's probably still some plastic in it??) Thanks! x
I nearly scoffed at a lady the other day. We were in line at the checkout and she had her branded reusable totes all ready to go. She was bragging to the cashier that she was trying to cut down on her plastic consumption. While an admirable goal, every item she bought was wrapped in plastic. Plastic produce bags, plastic and foam around the meats etc. Now, I'm not the greenest consumer but I'm self aware enough to know that buying a reusable tote doesn't offset all the other packaging. I make my own totes. It's actually very easy to do and relatively green if you're using recycled tectiles. I.E. old bedsheets or old clothes you can't wear anymore. Recently I've been buying destash fabrics from other crafters instead of buying new where I can. Again, not the greenest consumer but I try in small ways where I can.
Holly Hawk Sews I think that’s a bit unfair seeing as it can be really difficult to buy things at the grocery store that’s not covered in plastic. While her just switching to reusable totes may only be a small step, it’s still a step in the right direction and every little bit helps. I myself only recently started using reusable produce bags and I still end up with a ton of plastic packaging cause that’s all I can find at the store and I don’t live near any place that has stores/farmers markets that don’t cover nearly everything in plastic
@@Victoria-pt4io Perhaps so, but you don't have to stick produce in bags. It's grown outside and picked by humans. You hopefully wash it anyway. She also took wrapped meat and put it in a single use plastic bag. I find this to be unnecessary personally. If the meats make you feel that threatened for contamination perhaps consider not buying meat? Or if it needs to be prepackaged why not pick frozen or things like sausage which has no possibility of leaking? I know a single step is better than not, but honestly why spend the entirety of your interaction with a cashier bragging about your brand new reusable bags when that's the only thing you change? The cashier didn't remark on them to start with. She also did not engage in the ten solid minutes of the woman bragging about it. No, I'm not a perfectly ethical consumer myself but I also don't brag about tiny steps I take to people who didn't ask. My personal ethos revolves more around minimizing my purchases from places that use sweatshops. I'm also on the poverty line and understand that I can't afford to do so at all times. We all do our best. I just didn't like the obliviousness of what she was saying. Like, yes, you have a reusable bag. One purchased from a big box retailer that frankly is of inferior quality and could've been made personally or by a small business. Then fill them with plastics. Then brag to strangers that you're saving the environment while shopping at a big box store located next to a local veggie stand. Yes, I was there too. I can't afford to buy everything from locals and honestly I'm ashamed of that but I don't brag to people about what I am able to do. Honestly I didn't mean to offend you personally. I don't know you or your life.
Victoria agree❤️ maybe she is brand new and just learning. Maybe that is her first step. Maybe the cashier was looking at her like she was a freak for asking them to use her reusable bags. It’s happened to me before! #nojudgementhere
Working in local government, we have a huge issue with wipes marketed as "flushable" clogging wastewater pipes. Yet there's nothing we can do to stop manufacturers from such claims. Comments around plastic bags are interesting as supermarkets here in New Zealand have now banned bags (ahead of a total ban later this year).
Where i live. You just have to pay for em. My store (yeah i work at a real unsustainable place. But it's temporary) has them at 3 cents. The lowest that is allowed
The first one, my mom has a pantry full of re-usable bags - over 100, easily. She insists they are all great. I think she's collecting them or something and it's overwhelming to go in there when all I need is one bag, not dozens of them. She accumulates them left and right and it drives me insane! lol
Such a useful video! Great points about reusable bags, I need to be more careful with these. It''s so easy to get sucked into shiny marketing claims, and it's so frustrating to buy something and then realize we've been fooled. Or see other people think it's fine to use a disposable cup because it says compostable, and wondering whether to tell them more about it. Will they get annoyed, will they give up on trying to purchase sustainable products because it's too complicated to sort through claims? I find compostable / bioplastic packaging particularly frustrating!
Thanks Sophie! I totally get those feelings, compostable plastics are so tricky because they sound great and there's lots of green marketing around them. I remember thinking they were a perfect solution also until I learned more about them. Personally I wouldn't say anything to the person using them but if it's a business or an event that's giving them out I would try to talk to or message the company about it. 💚
Thank you for this video!!! I work at a large retailer that stocks so many of these products, and I get so disillusioned by the fact that we sell THOUSANDS of reusable bags with designs on them, but I get maybe a handful of individual customers who bother to ever bring them back for future shopping. Literally less than 2-3 per month. We’ve also started selling SO MANY metal straws in (you guessed it) plastic packaging. Our local thrift store already has a glass FULL of metal straws on the counter.
What drives me crazy are those make up wet wipes. So many people talk about them.Like, look at me I am using this one or that one, and no one says that they are not good for the future. I have been sceptical about them all my life and you are first person to tell me that I was right. It only shows how many people believe in "pink lies". It is so sad.
Bellah Nemetona Also, all they do is wipe most of your make up around your face, yuck! The only times I see any value for them is during long haul flights, otherwise long travel days in places with no easy access to water, or maybe if you’re a hot yoga teacher teaching several classes in a row ;)
I can't stand the wipes or the single use all natural organic etc masks. Why??? It is more trash than product that will probably not help after one use anyway.
This is great to know, I have never worn make up, but I would like to start wearing mascara, but I don’t know what kind of product I could use to remove it from my eyes. Any suggestions? Something that’s not oily though because my eyes tend to create these little white spots that I can’t remember the name right now but that are usually there because I got oily eyelids :(
I know there's plenty of products out there but to be honest I don't like use many things so I can tell you what I do. I use ordinary Jason body cream. I use it for removing all of my make up and also for moisturising all other parts of body. I was recently writing about my skin care on www.crueltyfreeattitude.com and it was called "My minimalist skin care routine" so feel free to read it if you wish.
don't replace things that work just fine. you don't have to stop wearing your good leather shoes and buy new fake leather shoes because you're vegan now. that's counterproductive.
Really enjoyed your video :) 100% agree about the vinegar and baking soda. Another thing well-meaning people do which I believe is more of a problem than a solution, is deciding to become completely "plastic-free" but in the process creating more waste by replacing perfectly good plastic products they already own just to have one that's made from a different material.
Okay, now I'm a bit confused about biodegradable plastic bags... I store a bunch of plastic bags at home, many of which are pretty old, and more than once I've had a bag fall apart into small pieces after a few years LOL. Biodegradable bags (from regular brands, like supermarkets/clothing stores) literally start to degrade right in my closet. So I'm a bit surprised to hear that biodegradable rubbish bags supposedly don't degrade in the landfill. Am I missing something?
To biodegrade things need "living conditions", oxygen, moisture, light etc. Landfills don't really have this so even biodegradable materials can take ages to break down. 25 year old food has been found in landfills in completely recognizable condition.
@@MyGreenCloset Oh, that's interesting. Aren't regular landfills just a pile of rubbish outside, exposed to sun, rain and open air? Just trying to understand why would landfills lack oxygen, moisture or light.
I think it depends where you live but usually they are lined to protect leaching into soil and groundwater, and covered which blocks out light and oxygen, it's very difficult conditions for organisms to live that help with biodegradation
@@MyGreenCloset Ohhh, then it makes more sense, because where I live they are definitely not covered (at least I only ever saw landfills that are just left in the open) and most definitely not lined either. Where are you from? (or in which area do they make these closed landfills as far as you know)
This system is used in Canada, America, I think also the UK, and maybe elsewhere but I'm not sure. Even if it's left open though, while materials may break down with exposure to sun, moisture etc. they don't really "biodegrade" meaning they get absorbed back into the environment.
PREACH! Also, it should definitely be noted that it is NOT supposed to be mainly the consumers' responsibility to be eco-conscious. It is manufacturers' and retailers' responsibility to stop producing harmful products.
Thank you so much for this video! What I love about your channel is that you share the real information that is hidden behind the jungle of the "eco-friendley trend". I am so surprised about the biodegradable trash bag and I'm almost glad as wired as it sounds. Because I realise that somtimes with that trend, I tend to invest way to much money in eco-friendley and organic things when some of these options are not even worth it. It helps me to decide where I want to focus my efforts and money on and just do my best instead of buying enthical things just to feel better.
But what's a better way to dispose of our trash? Not a lot of us are zero waste or live somewhere where we can compost ourselves. Sometimes things just seem so bleak. 😔
thanks for taking the time to look into these products. It's easy to get lost in all the hype. Many businesses take advantage of our desire to switch to eco friendly lifestyle and just lie about their products.
In my country, last year we got rid of ALL plastic bags when you go to buy food [and other types of stores are following that trend.] they have these reusable plastic bags that are good for the environment and break down easily if they ever go to the tip. [i personally reuse all of them till i break.] i do have some that are cute that has flowers on it, but they are so expensive!! like holy crap.
Great video. The only thing i think is worth to mention is that is better, more sustainable, to buy second hand clothes, shoes, bags... than expensive new sustainable items.
Hi! Just found out your channel! I really really like your contents, your energy and your videos quality. I find your videos to be a great inspiration. So thank you so much! No wander why your channel is doing so well and growing bigger and bigger. Congratulations! Let's spread this important message to everyone! Let's do our best to protect this beautiful nature!
Nice video. I guess I don't see the point in replacing sponges with any sponge alternative? In the bathtub, washcloths seem like a replacement, in the kitchen, there are kitchen towels and scrubby scouring thingies (some made of coconut) and brushes for dishes. Maybe for limited very specific uses that I can't think of, you need a sponge. Am I bathing wrong or something?
St. Rhinocéros - For those jobs where you feel a sponge is really the best tool, there are sponges made of cellulose, a plant fiber. Inexpensive versions are sometimes available in discount stores and supermarkets, but those are usually dyed and have an odd odor. “Cleaner” versions are available at small health food stores and large natural foods retailers, like Whole Foods.
I own the House of Marley headphones that you showed, and I really believe that they are the most sustainable option. I feel like they are really trying to do as good as possible with their materials and production. Yes, these headphones will still have a negative impact, but it is not like I can do without them or buy them secondhand. And my favorite thing about these is: they SO WELL! The chord is really sturdy and will not break on you, so is the jack plug. They are really stylish and timeless, and their sound is great. They will last you for years and years, and that is really important from a sustainability standpoint.
I was looking for images of wooden electronics in general so it wasn't about that brand in particular, but that's great to hear you're so happy with them!
On the note of cotton bags. Ok. Even if you don’t use it let’s say a 1000 times. Wouldn’t be getting rid of it (throwing it out) be better for the environment since it is cotton and not plastic?
While we can quantify and compare the energy, resources etc. that go into making something, we don't have numbers for what the impact of disposing something is, so it's hard to say. I agree and assume cotton is a lot better to dispose of than plastic though. The point of this is about use however, cotton has a much larger impact compared to other products so we can't view it as disposable or something that we only use a few times. I think if we understand the overall impact then we can better choose and use sustainable products instead of overconsuming them as well.
Hi. Your video is thought provoking. We are trying to do our small part and hope that making a start with sustainable products helps us and others. It is difficult finding products from bamboo sources in the real world of business, but we are trying to do our part. We don't think everyone can be perfect, but a start is good. We don't all share every opinion on how to live, but a small step in a sustainable way helps. Thanks for a video that helps to shape positive thinking in this area.
I make my shopping bags out of pillowcases I find dumpster diving or thrifting; especially the cute and colorful cartoon ones. I put a pillowcase on each side so it's reversible and interface them with fabrics I find dumpster diving. I patch them as they wear a hole which adds to their charm, I think. People ask me to make them for them and I suggest they give me their kids old sheets or clothes to make them. You can line the with old stained denim for strength too; denim is great to put in the handles as well if you don't reuse webbing straps or some such. I rarely throw any bits of fabric or yarn away, I'll find a way to reuse it!
I loved this video, thank you so much, there isn't one point I disagree with, and have thought about all of these myself. It is very noticeable how good intentions have been kind of hijacked by marketing specialist and we all need to really think for ourselves and not just blindly follow the "trend" on green living.
A big consideration in my cleaning supplies is the smell, and straight up destroying bacteria in my kitchen and bath. Vinegar doesn't really do it for me. Consider your first two Rs: reduce your consumption (by not buying things if your things are serviceable) and reuse goods (stop buying new things when ever you can buy them as secondhand items or reuse what you have), instead of just recycling Also with vegan leather, you are buying a look, not sustainability. Go with sturdy, not fashionable.
Not everyone likes to hurt animals for fashion. Nor is the animal industry sustainable with how many animals (cows especially) need to be mass produced to keep up with demand. Vegan leather is more sustainable and better ethically, even if it falls apart quicker. In most cases, leather isn't necessary and is usually a fashion choice, no matter which type you go with. So not buying at all is an option too.
Lab grown jewels are becoming much more popular because honestly, they're a lot nicer. You have little to no impurities in a lab grown, and they're cheaper, and you don't have to worry about where they're coming from.
I use cotton t-shirts as reusable grocery bags - they are great because they stretch to fit a decent amount of items! I use squares of cotton flannel/towel and coconut oil to remove make up, I don't like using wipes as I would want to wash (with soap) or at least rinse my face off( with water )after using them! My cleaning products include vinegar, bicarb soda, bleach gel ( I use it on weeds in my garden)and creme cleanser (for extra stubborn grime). I use stainless steel drink ware - the insulted cups are great when drinking cool water in summer and for having my tea/coffee stay hot! I wish handbags/wallets were only made in cotton/canvas/linen, recycled leather or cork. I purchased a leather bag years ago as leather is durable and if cared for properly looks good for years to come, unfortunately an animal had to die to provide the leather :(. I think eco friendly leather would be great if it was sustainable and practical, I also wish bags did't have so much unnecessary hardware (buckles, studs, chains etc..)! As for jewellery I wear cowrie shells encased silver and don't own any gemstones. My daughter recently got engaged and used an old sapphire owned by my grandmother. Lastly, I use an apple iphone 5😂. Thanks for giving me the space to 'air my thoughts' and I hope I don't offend anyone who reads what I have to say.
I recommend pilfering plastic bags from friends, coworkers, and neighbors to use as shopping bags and then trash bags. Reduce your own consumption and reuse whenever possible. Recycling is the last resort and I think that's often overlooked. Thanks for the video!
Honestly I've never had a pair of 'vegan leather' (plastic) boots last as well as my leather ones. A pair of plastic boots lasts me less than a year, wearing them until they break beyond repair. My leather ones are well into their sixth year and still look like new when polished. They have years left in them yet. Sometimes the animal-free option isn't the more sustainable one. And at the end of their lifecycle, plastic is going to be more of a problem than leather too.
Thank you for this video. The only thing on your list that was surprising to me is the biodegradable trash bags. I've been buying them feeling they are better for the environment. So trash bags made out of potatoes or corn starch do not biodegrade? I have seen the bags start to melt when they get wet. And what is the alternative? I still produce trash, though not a lot and don't think I'll ever get to zero waste. How can we dispose of our trash in a better way? 😒
It depends where your trash goes - if it's incinerated then things are different, but if it's going to the landfill then biodegradable trash bags don't really do anything. In that case I'd say it's probably better to look for bags made from recycled plastic, or are lower impact in some other way because bioplastics actually take more energy to make.
Another idea is to use any single use plastic bags that have come into your life- I've even used the plastic packaging from my toilet paper to line my bathroom trash can. Yes it is plastic you are throwing away, but using/reusing something you already have is usually more sustainable than buying something new.
Great video. Nice to see someone mention something like diamonds. I confess I do buy the biodegradable trash bags - I know they don't but hope that they magically just might :-). I tend to pass on a lot of the cotton bags I get with stuff I'm donating. I have a few I love and use. My fav. bags for groceries are the ones from Wholefoods since they are made from recycled bottles.
Great video! It's important to be thoughtful about what is effective vs. hype when it comes to reducing one's carbon and waste footprint. I'm skeptical of bulk bin shopping despite the fact that many zero-waste devotees are fans of it. It's a nice idea in theory, but I've worked at a coop and know that the bulk items come shipped in plastic before they are placed in the bins. There is a lot of spillage by customers and it spoils more quickly after opened, contributing to food waste. Anecdotally I notice that when I'm in a bulk bin aisle most people are not using their own containers and use plastic produce bags instead, so the reality is that the product is bagged in plastic twice. It seems green but I fear the net effect is actually more wasteful than assumed.
I only use biodegradable bin bags for food waste, and we get them cheaply from the company that collect the waste. For paper, we don’t need any bags at all, and the same goes for cans and glass - we just throw the paper/cans/jars/bottles into the correct wheelie bin and make sure it’s by the kerf on collection day.
We actually don’t use a garbage bag, we live in a small townhouse and have just a little backyard. And all our plant matter goes into a compost area in the back yard, then our soft plastic is taken to a local sold plastic recycling place. Then anything left over goes in the rubbish bin or recycling bin (depending on what it is) but I should say that the only animal product we eat is eggs, so it could be harder or messier to not use a bag if you eat meat.
tbh when it comes to stuff like leather or fur I'd much rather get the natural component from the local hunter at the Renaissance fair. Fun Fact: My brother and I once talked about what our dream armor would look like and we agreed that hardened leather with metal accents, chainmail amd fur trim would be good for me. My Beother would go full paladin plate armor and chain mail.
I agree, Wonderland Artwork. Natural leather and fur will decompose naturally and it won't take long either. Yes, an animal died to leave its pelt or skin behind. I like to honor the animal by using the resources it has left behind, like most ancient cultures did when they took from nature. I enjoy making handbags and purses from vintage furs and leather garments. People often forget that hunting certain species of animals prevent disease and suffering in their numbers.
A possible solution for the specific produce/snack bags: you can embroider the words you want on them! Like if you buy a specific product in bulk very often, you can embroider a bag to say “almonds” and you’ll know that that bag always has almonds in it, but you wouldn’t need to buy a different bag specifically for them. And you can easily seam rip the thread out if you stop buying a product so much, or you want to use the bag for something else (:
Thank you for this video. I started trying to be more conscious of reducing my plastic waste and I had many of these sam thoughts. I felt that many of the items deemed as sustainable or eco-friendly, were not really sustainable.
Do you have any information on mixing 'baking soda' and 'vinegar' for cleaning and how it works? Some sources say that they neutralize each other and are NOT to be used for cleaning?
Thanks for this video. I think the key is to keep what you use and buy to a minimum instead of buying all of the things in the zero waste beginners videos. I want to add glass and metal straws to the list - people who can easily drink without a straw don't need them. I've lived such a long time without straws that I don't even understand why people care enough to carry them around. Vegan shoes seem to be the biggest challenge for me. I want to take good care of my feet but... The fast fashion shoes I still have are falling apart. I bought ethically made sandals made from PU last year; I thought that using them for a long time would lower the impact of the material (and the price) to an extent but they didn't even last the whole summer. I often go through the second hand shoes in my favorite charity shop but so far I have had no luck. They're the wrong size and worn out and not my style :/
Hey, great video! I am glad that you mentioned the issue with cotton bags. At first I was impressed by those biodegradable plastic bags until I realized that it makes absolutely no sense if you put them in the trash anyway. We ended up using them to transport our compost whilst camping since an extra box or something was to much weight added. I sometimes get really annoyed by those oh so eco-friendly disposables because the brands/people providing them don't educate the people using it. For example, I was at a vegan fair and they used plates made out of bamboo but only provided regular trash cans.
Basically if you're constantly replacing an item, eg face wipes, they're probably not as sustainable as you're believing them to be. There are exceptions of course, but especially when things say compostable or biodegradable, check how long this takes and under what conditions it will decompose.
I know this is an older video but something that bothers me is eco friendly sponges for cleaning dishes and reusable kitchen roll.... I literally have a drawer with tea towels and cloths that I use to cover bowls of food, clean spills wash dishes and just clean the house in general.
Another thing is you don't have to buy anything new at all, you can always repurpose something you already have or DIY something. I know people who have 10 reusable bags for no good reason. But even if you have 0, you can always make one out of an old t-shirt you no longer wear before buying a brand new one, or maybe you have an old pencil case that is the perfect size as an utensil bag. Or may be you can just get a sleeve for your jam jar and urn that into a travel mug instead of buying a new coffee mug. There are so many solutions that doesn't involves buying new products. The only eco product I bought new is my menstrual cup. For example, I needed (more like wanted tbh) a few straw bags for reusable straws. I want to be able to put my dirty straw in one bag and throw it in the wash the moment I got home, and put the cleaned straw into another one for the next day. Of course, it would be totally a waste of money and un-environmentally friendly to buy like 10 straw bags for something so trivial. So I sewed a bunch with scrap fabric from old bedsheets that were torn up from use. And I'm going to make some utensil bags with the rest of the scraps, so I can carry utensils we already have in the kitchen on the go (opposed to buying a new set of bamboo ones), and throw the bag into the was after every use to maximise convenience. :)Are my brand new shiny straw bags with cute patterns on them really that necessary? Not really. But their environmental impact adds up to exactly 0. And on top of that I avoided throwing a bedsheet into the landfill. So I am completely okay with that. Same with buying second hand. Another example, I needed to produce bags, so I went to a thrift store and found a piece of mesh fabric and made like 16 out of that. I use yarns I already have at home for the drawstring and there we go, produce bag that is much less wasteful and much cheaper than a new one from an eco-company. The point is, you can have "new" things without contributing anything to waste or carbon emission if you just take something from the waste stream. That's so important so I don't understand why so many people go and waste so much money for new eco-friendly stuff.
I try to use more sustainable stuff but one of my parents doesn’t believe in “pollution” and that jazz so whenever I want to buy sustainable products and convince them “ya know recycling exist” they just push it off and say it’s stupid. So I’m kinda stuck in a dilemma because I HATE not being able to recycle things i know is recyclable. For now I just store all my paper products in a box and recycle them at my high school. I really am aware of what I buy though.
Microfiber cloths and water very effectively take off makeup. I'm not sure if they would have a similar issue as reusable bags in terms of sustainability. However, cost wise it seems insane to me that I ever bought makeup wipes.
About the sea sponges... I do have 3 of them but the ones I get are being removed very carefully in a way that they can actually grow back. Also they last forever! I'm using one for almost a year now, you can wash them but it basically keeps itself clean and bacteria free. Plastic sponges are really not an option in my opinion, they need to be thrown out so quick, so what else to use? Sometimes it's hard to find the perfect alternative. Totally agree on all the other things though.
I prefer buying trash bags made of recycled plastic rather than "biodegradable" trash bags for the reasons you stated. I do also use a sandwich tupperware to bring my sandwiches to work. They may have a bigger carbon footprint than ziploc bags, but they have a much smaller garbage footprint, if that makes sense. One of my main concerns is single-use plastics, especially since I live in a beach city and my garbage is much more likely to wind up in the ocean than some people. And, hopefully, they will last long enough to eventually have paid off in terms of carbon footprint as well. :)
Great video! For me, as far as I remember I only bought reusable sanitary pads and cotton face wipes and have been using them for 2 years now. Other things that I own, I would not buy another one for the sake of that "green" marketing
I think the most important lesson here is that however good your intentions, in the end it all depends on the city's ability to complete the recycling process once you put something into it. If you need to organize dividing your own waste yourself or all the trash ends up in the same pile somewhere else anyway, you're basically just wasting your time, money and energy. In the past, people lived sustainable lives because many of them were dirt-poor and couldn't afford to waste a single thing. This is the ONLY successful way, because it wasn't about ethics and choice, but sheer necessity. I know people who used old iron bed headbords as gates to orchards, or cans as support if the leg of a cupboard would break. That's the real deal.
One thing that gives me a bit of anxiety is that 95% of the eco items, packagings, etc, are sold in Alibaba. I've made a thorough and extensive search on this from every bamboo toothbrush/hairbrush, luffas, kitchen swaps, all sorts of biodegradable packaging... It's all there. All of it. The exact same products, materials, shapes and sizes. At Alibaba they offer the option of printing your brand on the stuff and drop ship everything to you. Sigh. It's really hard to tell a legit ethical brand apart from a drop shipping business. Even in the eco cosmetics and period swaps... What guarantee do we have they aren't purchasing the ingredients and fabrics and packagings from Alibaba? Or from a distributor that buys from Alibaba? Even tote bags are all sold there in bulk. This is so sad.
I think something important to keep in mind when trying to be sustainable is to work with what you have and avoid buying things unless you really NEED new things- and when you really need something new, then trying to choose a more sustainable option. We need to be conscious of how consumerist our society is.
If you soak orange peels in vinegar for a week, and then mix 50/50 with water you get a super cleaner that smells great! Plus you get extra Vit C from eating the 3-4 oranges that you use!
I think that the shopping bags are a good idea, but as you said, not quite as sustainable. So if you’re any good at sewing, try making one from an old T-shirt! It might not last as long, however you’ve already upcycled something and stretching out the use. Tehran must be tutorials not eh internet so give it a go! You’ve also saved money!
I'm NOT a vegan but I only have TWO cleaning products: liquid detergent that I use to wash my clothes, to clean my bathroom and my tile floors. Washing up liquid that I use for washing up, cleaning my kitchen and cooker. I also use vinegar as a substitute for a fabric softener, to clean windows, glass, mirrors and wooden floors. For deodorizing my mattresses and carpets, baking soda or salt. It's been over a decade since I bought any cleaning products and my life has become so much simpler.
Just one comment : baguette reusable bags are so useful as a french person, like carrying a baguette in a totebag is not that great, half of it is out of the bag while half of the bag is not used. In France, a lot of people buy bread daily and it is always given in non recyclable, non compostable paper bags, and a baguette bag would eliminate a ton of waste. Of course, this object might be superfluous depending on where you live and your habits but it is good that people sell that kind of bag. Have a good day :)
If you want a diamond you could always check out the crater of diamonds in Arkansas. It is a national park and is not commercially mined. It is the only place in the world the public can dig for diamonds.
A lot of people buy these things when not needed because they want to APPEAR green - "conspicuous consumption" in Economics, or "conspicuous conservation" if we're specifically talking about green goods. This is the concept that people do not buy an item just because they want to BE green, LIVE green, but they want other people to notice them doing it. If you are responsibly using old plastic items instead of purchasing new green things, your green lifestyle is less noticeable to others. I think truly green living advocates need to address this consumerist tendency, deeper thinking about impacts, as you and some other UA-camrs are doing. Thanks!
Have you heard of "Shiftphone"? I guess secondhand is still much more sustainable, but I also think that this company is a lot better than other "sustainable" electronic producers.
sometimes, I see really adorable reusable bags, but I manage to resist and think. I should continue using the ones I already have. I'll go ahead and replace it when it gives up on me.
What do you think about clothing brands like everlane or Zara or brands that are using this idea of incorporating plastic bottles in their clothing to insulate them? I recently noticed this as a trend among a couple brands and at first thought this was a good move but I’ve heard from some people that it takes more energy and expels more chemicals to make this type of clothing in the first place? I was just curious if anyone knew anything about this!
I have a few videos talking about recycled fabrics! (ua-cam.com/video/8JNF6JjhraU/v-deo.html, ua-cam.com/video/AjHVMhAOZa4/v-deo.html, ua-cam.com/video/9QmTnHNb8ro/v-deo.html) While I think recycled synthetics are better than buying virgin polyester/nylon there are still a lot of issues with things like microfiber pollution. I would only buy these materials if synthetics are required for function (for example a swimsuit).
There's definitely an interesting phenomenon going on when our natural first step is to buy something. It's like "OK! I want to be more sustainable, live slower and maybe be more minimalist...what can I buy for that!??" It says something about how capitalist society has us conditioned. I don't have the disposable income to go crazy with new eco-fads anyway, but I can't deny that the knee-jerk reaction is to buy something to somehow help me go in this new direction. I think when we often get introduced to the problem and we want to do something NOW and buying something "eco-friendly" is our way to feel like we're doing that and forget that slow living happens...well, slowly over time. And it's bizarre to think that the first thing you can do is less action? (Less buying, less using, etc.) I like that you've explained the problems or uselessness or other caveats for each of the items you've listed :)
Yes!!! We get all these feelings of helping and doing something good when buying "green" products but probably the best way to help would actually be NOT buying it.
I think about this a lot with fast fashion too, how people are so used to buying a lot of clothes, shopping regularly, and having a continuously shifting wardrobe that the change to slow fashion seems impossible - if you see it as just shifting to buying sustainable/ethical brands instead that seems incredibly expensive and difficult, but really it has to be about slowing down fashion consumption and there are so many ways to have a more conscious wardrobe.
Changing consumption and shopping habits is a lot harder though than buying an eco product instead.
This is such a great point! Sometimes getting rid of stuff or habits is better than buying a new sustainable product. One example is that I stopped painting my nails because I realized even if I do buy "eco-friendly nail polish", I would need to still throw away something afterward when I remove it (and not to mention, what do you do with an old dried up bottle of nail polish)! Honestly most people hardly even look at your nails and I'd rather receive a compliment on my work, personality, or skill rather than paint that will peel off in a week. I was wearing nail polish because it was the norm. Being truly eco-friendly means I need to evaluate those normalized habits and where I am currently spending my time and money!
Oh yeah! For sure. And the wardrobe is probably the most tempting thing to do that with. My wardrobe has a lot of pieces from fast fashion brands, but that's actually only because I continue to get a lot of wear out of those times (some of them are 15+ years old! Not sure how, but I'm not complaining!! haha). Some have holes in but are super comfortable so I wear them around the house. Obviously I eventually want to replace them with more sustainable brands, but I think the "what happens to your clothes *after* you finish with them" part of the story is often forgotten and it's not always super straightforward so we might chuck things prematurely to exchange them for the "green" label even though that might not be the best action. I think I had an "Aahh of course!" moment when it hit me that there are different ways to be eco-friendly depending on your situation/possessions/etc...as simple as that might make me seem...hahah!
@@MalinaCC Yeah definitely; there are so many things that we don't question but should. And then the most eco-friendly course of action might still be a little different from one person to the next! hahah
I started noticing a while back whenever I would read a magazine article about "solutions" it was 90-95% things to buy. I think I noticed because I used to read ask Eloise and her solutions were *never* about buying anything but using things you already have in innovative ways. Almost every "helpful" magazine article (so this excludes celebrity interviews, etc, *but not always*) will have maybe 3 suggesting that don't involve a purchase, out of every 10. And then even celebrity interviews will include, "what's in her bag" "what's her a.m. beauty routine," "her favorite time saving tips," etc... That will usually be basically a covert advertisement for 6-8 products. (I have a magazine obsession, lol... I cannot lie)
But you'll see the same thing on "news" stories (especially morning news shows)
Here's the products I got for environmental reasons that I now have doubts about:
Electric car (I got it second hand but after doing research about car batteries I probably won't replace it once it gets old)
Reusable coffee cup (I prefer to enjoy my drinks in the café with a real cup, drinking while walking really isn't necessary)
Bee wrap (just use a Tupperware)
Wooden hair brush (I already owned hairbrushes from before going zero waste and didn't need to replace them. I've owned my plastic hairbrush for over 20 years and it's as good as new, but I fell for the trendy wooden one who is less durable and still has a bit of plastic holding the wooden bristles)
Reusable straw (when do we ever need a straw to drink?)
Mason jars (I have so many mismatched jam or pickle jars and still purchased the trendy mason jars and discarded the jars I had from purchasing food. Why?)
Sorry for sounding so negative, but I think it's important to reevaluate what we buy, even if it seems like a sustainable alternative. The most sustainable item is the one we chose not to buy at all.
This is so true. Thanks for sharing your thoughts 😊
Mulan 121 a straw is better for dental health. Drinks such as grape juice are bad for teeth. I have very sensitive teeth plus I can’t brush all of my teeth properly due some them being turned the wrong way and stacked. So I always use a straw because I don’t need anything else negatively affecting my teeth. Not everyone has the time to sit in cafe and drink things. I don’t but I go to school full time, work part time, officer for a club, and many other things. Not everyone has nothing better to do than sit in a cafe. Straws are always good for cups with lids. It lowers the chance of spilling things.
@@Ladytasya If you find value in those items who am I to stand in your way. But I do think it's worth mentioning that we don't all need to purchase these items, even if beautiful zero waste videos advertise them.
I drink water or tea, so I really don't need a straw. I've heard that they help with sensitive teeth and acidic drinks, but let's face it, most people don't need them.
As for the café, takeaway coffee is a new concept that has been heavily marketed to us, but why do we do it? It's so much healthier to drink when sitting, so why not turn coffee drinking into an even rather than a fix. Take those 10 extra minutes to sit down and drink it, or make one af home and enjoy it there. I drink lots of tea at work and I have my own ceramic mug, no takeaway equivalent.
It's a question of perspective and priorities.
Totally agree! Its a good thing the world is aware of the damaging but buying something organic to replace a thing that works perfectly fine sounds kinda dumb to me 🤷🏻♀️
I found myself reusing my metal straws all the time, since i can refuse straws when ordering fast food for example, and use my own. This is however a life choice in it's self, so i can see if you're way healthier than me there's no need lol. I do however plan to keep them forever, Having my future children and grand children etc use them :)
And sometimes i just found myself needing a straw for other reasons (smoothies, hot chocolates, you name it) even tho it's not often, i rather reuse the metal ones instead of plastic ones (because i hope you've seen the images of plastic straws stuck in turtles).
Now, you could just say that straws are unnecessary, and why not just drink out of the cup straight away. I've tried that, and it's just not for me. And I don't like putting my lips to the cupboard mugs. So if i'm keen on using straws anyway, why not it being reusable ones? And like i said, any children in my life is definitely going to want to use them, so lets teach them there's options and sow a seed of sustainability in their brains :)
I have 3 cotton bags, the oldest one is 12 years old. Still looks great. I use them all in rotation. Cotton bags nowadays can get ridiculously expensive just under an eco friendly name.
You can easily make them from old t-shirts and things also. Tons of diys around for reusable bags.
@@ultravioletpisces3666 yes and it's quite easy to do so, that's why I find it so annyoing that brands can charge so much for them.
You can buy a cotton bag in second hand store!
@@Koshka219 you still don't need a million of them.
I'd just get some cute printed cotton fabric and sew a bag myself.
Thank you so much for acknowledging that some people do need to buy disposable things. 💖
This is so important for folks with disabilities. We don't hate the planet we just sometimes need specific things. I do what I can and I donate to good orgs and vote with the environment in mind but sometimes I need a paper cup or plate.
I have one of these baguette bags mentioned but I also buy a fresh baguette every 1-2 days, depending on how quick I consume it. I‘ve had the bag for 1 year now and I use it everyday and I‘ll keep using it till it falls apart, I really love it because in the past I‘d have a plastic bag every morning for my baguette
That is why it is so hard to be eco-friendly, all these things we think are good end up being bad.
Well, the rule of thumb is not buying or taking something new is always beter.
When it comes to detox products I highly recommend kidneys and a liver. I got mine for free and they work so well, even after 23 years of continuous use!
So relevant!!! More and more people are choosing low-impact and ethically sourced products over fast-fashion and single-use items, which is great. BUT what good does that do, if they just bring their over-consumption and love of mindless shopping with them? Low-impact living is more than buying "green alternatives". Without a change of habit and reflecting each lifestyle choice we make, it's not going to be as ethical as we might think.
🙌🙌🙌
I have a couple of cotton totes which I just gathered from everywhere. One is really old and was a gift, another was just one I found at a uni society fayre, a couple others I just got for free. They wear out after using them a lot, so I just keep patching them up. I like to get creative with it, so they turn into little art projects of their own and I honestly really enjoy that. Do I look like a crazy hippy carrying them? Sure, but I know that these bags will probably last me at least half a lifetime AND they're just a continuously growing and changing art project, which keeps me occupied on quiet evenings. Who even needs to buy new cotton bags when you can do such an awesome thing with old ones?
My engagement ring is lab grown and it is BEAUTIFUL! To be completely honest, I believe my diamond is more shiny and sparkly than mined diamonds. It is also more affordable and my fiance and I were able to afford a gorgeous solitaire diamond that, if it was mined, we would not have been able to afford. Affordability is a small perk when you think of the complications of the mining industry. I love to look down at my diamond and feel my fiance's love and also know in my heart that no one died for it to be on my finger❤️❤️
I've heard the quality is often better with lab-grown diamonds! Great to hear you're so happy with yours :)
I've heard such good things about lab grown diamonds and gems. I love that you have such a good story with your ring and you can educate people with a great conversation piece!
I wear a lab grown ruby ring and I love it. Chemically, it is the same crystal as natural rubies, but it is free of impurities.
Oh that’s awesome! Could you possibly share the name of the store? That would help my search so much. Thank you!
Yes! I have a lab-grown pink sapphire ring that is stunning! I would never be able to afford that quality & caret weight in a natural stone, but chemically it *is* a sapphire, and flawless.
I used to work in CR for a large company and we hired environmental industry experts to do life cycle analysis on our products and all of the points you bring up are excellent and the message needs to be spread more. Most products that are touted as "eco-friendly" are not really eco-friendly in an absolute sense once you take into consideration things like energy costs of production, actual end-of-life, transportation costs, durability, etc, etc... The best take away I got from that time was that nothing beats using/reusing a product until it can't be used any more and purchasing already used items to continue using/reusing. However, one good reason to continue to buy items like biodegradable plastics and products with recycled content is that while these products may score low right now on an absolute scale w/r sustainability, we need these products in the pipeline if we ever hope to develop the ancillary services that will make these products actually sustainable. For example, the more that people buy biodegradable plastics and are willing to set aside a stream of their waste towards compost, the more reasonable it will be for a municipality to consider building an industrial composting facility. Similarly for recycled content. I believe that even today (I did my CR work over a decade ago), the majority of the product used in recycled products come from pre-consumer waste (basically, waste that is cleaner). But once the machines are in place that can recycle pre-consumer waste, it becomes much more cost-efficient and therefore likely for those manufacturers to consider incorporating post-consumer waste. So even if I can't get all the good feels for spending my $$ on these green-washed products, I still do it, because I think that it is important to keep pushing in this direction. Though I 100% agree with you about the sea sponge - I can't believe this is a thing!
You bring up a great point! Personally I think it's more effective though to contact and advocate for businesses and governments to invest in/support more sustainable innovation vs buying the disposable "eco" products that create more waste. I find most businesses take the easiest route to be "green" so I think it's good to push them to do better or offer other alternatives.
It’s like the cutlery set people buy. Just bring your own silverware that you have and wrap a napkin around it!
Yes!!!! I agree! I’ve seen so many and I almost felt weird the first I brought my own silverware but I thought I don’t need to buy any bamboo utensils if I already have silverware. I think sometimes is all about what things look like, but I’m happy with my choice, when we think more about purchases we realize how we don’t need certain things or how we can do just fine with what we have at home.
Looool yes! The fancy bamboo utensils are something I can't figure out. I just started using my camp spork year-round at lunchtime et voila. There are also lots of single flatware pieces at thrift stores if someone wants a dedicated lunch kit. 😊
Yeah I'm kicking myself years later for buying a set with a special bento box I thought I NEEDED. I still use it at times, but my actual silverware is much more practical. Learning form that purchase helped me reevaluate what is necessary and what is just some cute little gimmick that gives the illusion that I have my life together, hahaha.
It depends... people who travel a lot for work and/or have to go through metal detectors certainly appreciate bamboo sets. We shouldn’t discourage anyone from making changes that are better for the planet. We all have different needs, this issue will not be solved by one size fits all measures, we need every little bit of what people can and are willing to do.
Then they should market things towards niches then, not just everyone.
Great video! I would like to add, that if reusable bags are made out of old clothes, sheets, curtains (and if you make them yourself), then the impact of making reusable bags is almost zero. This is also a good beginner sewing project and can help reusing some old textiles. I find that it is good to have many reusable bags laying around in my house and car so I always have one to grab.
I am also very interested in future videos that explains the real impact of the items we use everyday. For example, isn't it more ecofriendly to use plastic that is filled with air to pad parcels than to use "puffy" paper-product? The plastic that holds the air is so thin and weitghs so little compared to the cellulose product. I am so eager to learn more about the real cost of some items that for eye look so eco friendly but what the calculations say?
I know there is a type of packing peanut that dissolves in water. I'm not sure what the impact on water toxicity is after dissolving, but it's the most "green" shipping alternative I've seen so far.
Watch out for mycelium. Dell actually already has done something with it. It's super light. Insulating and resistant. Uses agricultural waste. Oh and ikea is also working on it.yeah it's far from perfect. But it's really cool
Totally hear you on these points! It's great that designers and brands are coming up with alternatives to unsustainable products, but what we really need is not more stuff to buy, but a whole overhaul in our way of thinking about how we consume products.
Love that you brought up the whole issue with reusable cotton bags! I'm quite surprised about how few people know about this.
Also great that you talk about sea sponges. They are sometimes used as an alternative to tampons. They were researched in the 80s and it was concluded that they were not clean or sanitary enough for internal use. Its also a risk of TSS with them. Sadly they are gaining popularity, which is extra sad when they are endangered.
(The warning is based on scientific research, and while I am not a doctor - I am a nurse. Please ladies, do your research!)
I use them to clean with instead of plastic sponges and I do think they are a great alternative for that. Plastic sponges hold a lot of bacteria, sea sponges don't. They dry up and the sea salt and minerals keep it clean. I only have a couple of them and don't plan to buy more. One I use for almost a year now and it's still holding up well. Also the ones I buy are carefully being removed in a way that they can grow back.
You have been and remains the most honest and thoughtful youtuber that I’ve watched. We tend to choose convenience so even if we care about the environment, we want to make easy choices, like buying ‘green’ products instead of regular ones. But without thinking hard about what we are doing, maybe we will do more harm than we think. Sometimes the problem is that once you think using a certain thing is better, you allow yourself to use more of it, which is the opposite of green living.
mylink1812 There‘s even a name for it. It‘s called ˋrebound effect´.
In terms of electronics I deffinetly have some suggestions. One is to buy a desktop computer that is upgradeable so that if a component fails or becomes outdated you can replace it. I work at a computer store here in Canada and it’s really upsetting how often I see people come in and buy a brand new computer, on a very tight budget that isn’t going to get them something that’s going to last or is very good, and replacing their computer every few years. If you buy the right (and good!) components you can have a computer that will last you years and years, and you might just need to replace your power supply or something.
About coton produced bags, it reminds us of the impact of our clothes and how important it is to prefer second-hand clothes (or tote bags) and buy less. However, I had a look at those studies about coton produced bags and they make some assumptions that don't quite reflect reality: they chose big cotton bags that were nearly 200g or event 250g for the Danish study to replace light and thin plastic bags (cotton produce bags are 10 to 20g, and most ppl already have a tote bag anyway), assumed that more than 76% of plastic bags were reused at least once (UK study), assumed that you needed 2 organic cotton bags when you needed just 1 smaller plastic bag to put the same amount of products (Danish), that many plastic bags were recycled or composted, didn't take into account the damage that plastic bags are causing to marine animals, etc. Even with those criteria, the UK study concludes you have to reuse your cotton bag 130 times (when we use on average about 180 plastic bags per year per person in Europe, and more than 300 in the US). But I agree it's completely wasteful to buy new tote bags when you already have one.
Yes I thought this aswell. To see if something is environmentally friendly or harmfull we need to look not only at the way it's produced but also how durable it is, if it can be reused or recycled and how harmfull it is to our planet when thrown away. Now she made it sound like cotton is just as harmfull as plastic while plastic is really something that shouldn't be made at all anymore in my opinion.
@@Lily_and_River I don't know of any alternatives to plastic used in the medical community other than the type that can be recycled/composted at a special facility. I hope so.
@@rocsiali4092 that's true, didn't think about that. I guess plastic has it's use when it comes to certain important things. I meant it more towards the things that are unnessary or van be made from a different material.
Plastic bags in Denmark don't up in landfills or in the sea. They get burnt at power plant to produce heat for homes and electricity. Plastic bags in Europe usually get burnt or recycled into new plastic, and don't end up in the ocean, the biggest plastic poluters of the Oceans are all in Africa and Asia. The biggest problem with the study were that the production data for cotton production were over 20 years old and therefore not up to date. But it is a solid study, they just couldn't get better data on cotton production.
@@inkerstales2336 Unfortunately, most ppl are not like Danish ppl. I live in France and I see plenty of plastic bags in the streets, in the forest, in rivers, and pretty much everywhere I go... Also, burning plastic emits pollutants in the atmosphere and the incinerator bottom ash then goes to the landfill (once again, I guess this is properly managed in northern Europe, but those ashes are toxic and just accumulate and pollute ground water in most countries).
Yes, yes, yes THANKYOU!! Thanks for this kind but straight video around eco products. Mass consumerism and green washing turns a lot these days towards "green" mass consumerism which does not help whatsoever our main problem which starts with stop consuming so much. First, exhaust your current products and make the most use out of them you can. Then, and only if you have nothing else to cover your needs with, buy what you need and no more. I like very much your content and I finde it helpful, so in the future I really would like to see more videos around how to identify better and overcome green washing techniques. You already have some videos about that, so keep going please :) Nice work!!!
I have bought some reusable bags just because they were pretty, but I've started learning that the key is to use what you already own. I have a ton of those cheap nylon drawstring backpacks because they always gave them away at college events, so I've started using those at the grocery store as well.
swopekat good idea
I love this video. It’s certainly given me some food for thought, especially when it comes to biodegradable rubbish bags and the reusable shopping ones. As for “detox” products well there’s no such thing as a detox product. Our bodies are very good at detoxing through our kidneys, liver, skin and lungs (by getting rid of CO2). Any product with the word detox I stay clear of it.
Another thing with reusable bags, I work in a shop and I see this a lot where they bring their bags but they still asked me to put their items in plastic bags and then they put it in the reusable, like what is the point then.
I have always been skeptic about the diamond industry and I also believe no more how “ethical” a brand says they are they are still not 100 ethical.
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That's interesting because I get the opposite: I bring my own bags and the grocery store employee asks me (not every time but often) if I want something put in plastic. I say, "No thanks, I wash these bags." I hope that this is an educational response.
Also I have been using Chico Bags made from rePETE, a recycled plastic for over a decade and the bags last extremely well. We have about 4-5 of these Chico bags and other than one bag that is insulated (not by the same company) for the summer, we always have enough shopping bags. They also stuff into their own attached sack which easily goes in my purse or clips on the outside. You never have to be without a bag for any purchase. This IS something worth buying. I have never had to throw one out.
Addie K I think it’s where I work that the costumers we get don’t care really. Working in a international store has though how international people little care about the environment. My city right now is trying to ban all plastic bags so I’m really excited about that then I will have a more valid excuse to tell them. I have try to tell them in a nice way but it don’t seem to work.
@@marcelac4029 I understand, there also is varying degrees of awareness around the world. Our city grocery stores don't allow plastic bags for the main bag but there are still plastic bags for produce and meat etc. Which is why I try to purchase most things at the farmers market.
I'm really thankful for someone like yourself who does the research for us! There is so much to learn and so much is bombarded at us. Unfortunately, if there is money to be made, companies tend to use whatever marketing ploy they can that will bring them the customers. I watched a previous video you did, where you mentioned Matt and Nat. I was disappointed to hear the not great things about the company. I did some of my own research after watching your video. Needless to say, my daughter and I will use our few pieces to death and then not purchase anymore from them, unless of course their practices changes. Thanks again!
Something that I've been thinking about is the impact of online game sharing.
It used to be that if you were a gamer, you'd have to buy a box made of plastic and paper with a disc inside. Now, you can simply download a file. I've been a gamer for a long time and I still have some old cartridges, but my partner has 10x the game collection I do without any physical product.
You don't usually think of gamers and being ecofriendly in the same sentence, but technology has accidentally helped by improving to the point of no longer needing to make boxes and discs just to have the game.
If anybody knows a gamer, encourage them NOT to buy physical copies because there isn't a need in this day and age.
Great video! I wonder what are alternatives for dog poo bags? At the moment I use biodegradable bags made of corn starch (I assume there's probably still some plastic in it??) Thanks! x
I’ve wondered about this too
I appreciate your critiques of consumerism both outside and inside the environmental movement🌿 thanks for sharing your insights!
I nearly scoffed at a lady the other day. We were in line at the checkout and she had her branded reusable totes all ready to go. She was bragging to the cashier that she was trying to cut down on her plastic consumption. While an admirable goal, every item she bought was wrapped in plastic. Plastic produce bags, plastic and foam around the meats etc. Now, I'm not the greenest consumer but I'm self aware enough to know that buying a reusable tote doesn't offset all the other packaging. I make my own totes. It's actually very easy to do and relatively green if you're using recycled tectiles. I.E. old bedsheets or old clothes you can't wear anymore. Recently I've been buying destash fabrics from other crafters instead of buying new where I can. Again, not the greenest consumer but I try in small ways where I can.
Holly Hawk Sews I think that’s a bit unfair seeing as it can be really difficult to buy things at the grocery store that’s not covered in plastic. While her just switching to reusable totes may only be a small step, it’s still a step in the right direction and every little bit helps. I myself only recently started using reusable produce bags and I still end up with a ton of plastic packaging cause that’s all I can find at the store and I don’t live near any place that has stores/farmers markets that don’t cover nearly everything in plastic
@@Victoria-pt4io Perhaps so, but you don't have to stick produce in bags. It's grown outside and picked by humans. You hopefully wash it anyway. She also took wrapped meat and put it in a single use plastic bag. I find this to be unnecessary personally. If the meats make you feel that threatened for contamination perhaps consider not buying meat? Or if it needs to be prepackaged why not pick frozen or things like sausage which has no possibility of leaking? I know a single step is better than not, but honestly why spend the entirety of your interaction with a cashier bragging about your brand new reusable bags when that's the only thing you change? The cashier didn't remark on them to start with. She also did not engage in the ten solid minutes of the woman bragging about it. No, I'm not a perfectly ethical consumer myself but I also don't brag about tiny steps I take to people who didn't ask. My personal ethos revolves more around minimizing my purchases from places that use sweatshops. I'm also on the poverty line and understand that I can't afford to do so at all times. We all do our best. I just didn't like the obliviousness of what she was saying. Like, yes, you have a reusable bag. One purchased from a big box retailer that frankly is of inferior quality and could've been made personally or by a small business. Then fill them with plastics. Then brag to strangers that you're saving the environment while shopping at a big box store located next to a local veggie stand. Yes, I was there too. I can't afford to buy everything from locals and honestly I'm ashamed of that but I don't brag to people about what I am able to do. Honestly I didn't mean to offend you personally. I don't know you or your life.
Victoria agree❤️ maybe she is brand new and just learning. Maybe that is her first step. Maybe the cashier was looking at her like she was a freak for asking them to use her reusable bags. It’s happened to me before! #nojudgementhere
Working in local government, we have a huge issue with wipes marketed as "flushable" clogging wastewater pipes. Yet there's nothing we can do to stop manufacturers from such claims. Comments around plastic bags are interesting as supermarkets here in New Zealand have now banned bags (ahead of a total ban later this year).
Where i live. You just have to pay for em. My store (yeah i work at a real unsustainable place. But it's temporary) has them at 3 cents. The lowest that is allowed
I agree on all the points. All those products sounds more "ego" than "eco" to me.
The first one, my mom has a pantry full of re-usable bags - over 100, easily. She insists they are all great. I think she's collecting them or something and it's overwhelming to go in there when all I need is one bag, not dozens of them. She accumulates them left and right and it drives me insane! lol
Such a useful video! Great points about reusable bags, I need to be more careful with these.
It''s so easy to get sucked into shiny marketing claims, and it's so frustrating to buy something and then realize we've been fooled. Or see other people think it's fine to use a disposable cup because it says compostable, and wondering whether to tell them more about it. Will they get annoyed, will they give up on trying to purchase sustainable products because it's too complicated to sort through claims? I find compostable / bioplastic packaging particularly frustrating!
Thanks Sophie! I totally get those feelings, compostable plastics are so tricky because they sound great and there's lots of green marketing around them. I remember thinking they were a perfect solution also until I learned more about them. Personally I wouldn't say anything to the person using them but if it's a business or an event that's giving them out I would try to talk to or message the company about it.
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1.reuseable bags
2.natural sea sponges
3.green cleaning products
4.biodegradable plastics
5. makeup wipes/ wet wipes
6. reusable bags for specific things
7.leather alternatives
8.sustainable diamonds
9.eco friendly electronics
10.biodegradable trash bags
11."natural" detox products
I’m surprised about the reusable bags, though I get mine for free.
@@naturegirl321 she really means we don't need to keep buying them. Enough is as good as a feast.
Thank you for this video!!! I work at a large retailer that stocks so many of these products, and I get so disillusioned by the fact that we sell THOUSANDS of reusable bags with designs on them, but I get maybe a handful of individual customers who bother to ever bring them back for future shopping. Literally less than 2-3 per month. We’ve also started selling SO MANY metal straws in (you guessed it) plastic packaging. Our local thrift store already has a glass FULL of metal straws on the counter.
What drives me crazy are those make up wet wipes. So many people talk about them.Like, look at me I am using this one or that one, and no one says that they are not good for the future. I have been sceptical about them all my life and you are first person to tell me that I was right. It only shows how many people believe in "pink lies". It is so sad.
Bellah Nemetona Also, all they do is wipe most of your make up around your face, yuck! The only times I see any value for them is during long haul flights, otherwise long travel days in places with no easy access to water, or maybe if you’re a hot yoga teacher teaching several classes in a row ;)
I can't stand the wipes or the single use all natural organic etc masks. Why??? It is more trash than product that will probably not help after one use anyway.
This is great to know, I have never worn make up, but I would like to start wearing mascara, but I don’t know what kind of product I could use to remove it from my eyes. Any suggestions? Something that’s not oily though because my eyes tend to create these little white spots that I can’t remember the name right now but that are usually there because I got oily eyelids :(
I know there's plenty of products out there but to be honest I don't like use many things so I can tell you what I do. I use ordinary Jason body cream. I use it for removing all of my make up and also for moisturising all other parts of body. I was recently writing about my skin care on www.crueltyfreeattitude.com and it was called "My minimalist skin care routine" so feel free to read it if you wish.
Bellah Nemetona thank you so much!
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FLUSH-ABLE WIPES
don't replace things that work just fine. you don't have to stop wearing your good leather shoes and buy new fake leather shoes because you're vegan now. that's counterproductive.
Really enjoyed your video :) 100% agree about the vinegar and baking soda. Another thing well-meaning people do which I believe is more of a problem than a solution, is deciding to become completely "plastic-free" but in the process creating more waste by replacing perfectly good plastic products they already own just to have one that's made from a different material.
Okay, now I'm a bit confused about biodegradable plastic bags... I store a bunch of plastic bags at home, many of which are pretty old, and more than once I've had a bag fall apart into small pieces after a few years LOL. Biodegradable bags (from regular brands, like supermarkets/clothing stores) literally start to degrade right in my closet. So I'm a bit surprised to hear that biodegradable rubbish bags supposedly don't degrade in the landfill. Am I missing something?
To biodegrade things need "living conditions", oxygen, moisture, light etc. Landfills don't really have this so even biodegradable materials can take ages to break down. 25 year old food has been found in landfills in completely recognizable condition.
@@MyGreenCloset Oh, that's interesting. Aren't regular landfills just a pile of rubbish outside, exposed to sun, rain and open air? Just trying to understand why would landfills lack oxygen, moisture or light.
I think it depends where you live but usually they are lined to protect leaching into soil and groundwater, and covered which blocks out light and oxygen, it's very difficult conditions for organisms to live that help with biodegradation
@@MyGreenCloset Ohhh, then it makes more sense, because where I live they are definitely not covered (at least I only ever saw landfills that are just left in the open) and most definitely not lined either. Where are you from? (or in which area do they make these closed landfills as far as you know)
This system is used in Canada, America, I think also the UK, and maybe elsewhere but I'm not sure. Even if it's left open though, while materials may break down with exposure to sun, moisture etc. they don't really "biodegrade" meaning they get absorbed back into the environment.
I had no idea sea sponges are threatened aww
PREACH! Also, it should definitely be noted that it is NOT supposed to be mainly the consumers' responsibility to be eco-conscious. It is manufacturers' and retailers' responsibility to stop producing harmful products.
Also governments to better regulate - I definitely don't trust a lot of companies to do the right thing.
Both of those - corporations and governments - will not change until the public (you & I) demand it. Our vote and our dollars are the key to change.
@2.01 scary hand behind her shoulder. Probably a plant in the wind, but it scared me.
OOOOH it's her reflection!
It seams like an aliens hand to me O.o But now I can see that is just a mirror.
Omg I saw that I freaked!!
Thank you so much for this video! What I love about your channel is that you share the real information that is hidden behind the jungle of the "eco-friendley trend". I am so surprised about the biodegradable trash bag and I'm almost glad as wired as it sounds. Because I realise that somtimes with that trend, I tend to invest way to much money in eco-friendley and organic things when some of these options are not even worth it. It helps me to decide where I want to focus my efforts and money on and just do my best instead of buying enthical things just to feel better.
But what's a better way to dispose of our trash? Not a lot of us are zero waste or live somewhere where we can compost ourselves. Sometimes things just seem so bleak. 😔
thanks for taking the time to look into these products. It's easy to get lost in all the hype. Many businesses take advantage of our desire to switch to eco friendly lifestyle and just lie about their products.
In my country, last year we got rid of ALL plastic bags when you go to buy food [and other types of stores are following that trend.] they have these reusable plastic bags that are good for the environment and break down easily if they ever go to the tip. [i personally reuse all of them till i break.] i do have some that are cute that has flowers on it, but they are so expensive!! like holy crap.
Great video. The only thing i think is worth to mention is that is better, more sustainable, to buy second hand clothes, shoes, bags... than expensive new sustainable items.
I talk a lot on my channel about shopping secondhand 🙂
Hi! Just found out your channel! I really really like your contents, your energy and your videos quality. I find your videos to be a great inspiration. So thank you so much! No wander why your channel is doing so well and growing bigger and bigger. Congratulations! Let's spread this important message to everyone! Let's do our best to protect this beautiful nature!
Nice video. I guess I don't see the point in replacing sponges with any sponge alternative? In the bathtub, washcloths seem like a replacement, in the kitchen, there are kitchen towels and scrubby scouring thingies (some made of coconut) and brushes for dishes. Maybe for limited very specific uses that I can't think of, you need a sponge. Am I bathing wrong or something?
St. Rhinocéros - For those jobs where you feel a sponge is really the best tool, there are sponges made of cellulose, a plant fiber. Inexpensive versions are sometimes available in discount stores and supermarkets, but those are usually dyed and have an odd odor. “Cleaner” versions are available at small health food stores and large natural foods retailers, like Whole Foods.
I own the House of Marley headphones that you showed, and I really believe that they are the most sustainable option. I feel like they are really trying to do as good as possible with their materials and production. Yes, these headphones will still have a negative impact, but it is not like I can do without them or buy them secondhand. And my favorite thing about these is: they SO WELL! The chord is really sturdy and will not break on you, so is the jack plug. They are really stylish and timeless, and their sound is great. They will last you for years and years, and that is really important from a sustainability standpoint.
I was looking for images of wooden electronics in general so it wasn't about that brand in particular, but that's great to hear you're so happy with them!
On the note of cotton bags. Ok. Even if you don’t use it let’s say a 1000 times. Wouldn’t be getting rid of it (throwing it out) be better for the environment since it is cotton and not plastic?
Completly agree on the fact you shouldn’t buy a new one every other day. That defeats the purpose. But this question sprang to mind instantly.
While we can quantify and compare the energy, resources etc. that go into making something, we don't have numbers for what the impact of disposing something is, so it's hard to say. I agree and assume cotton is a lot better to dispose of than plastic though.
The point of this is about use however, cotton has a much larger impact compared to other products so we can't view it as disposable or something that we only use a few times. I think if we understand the overall impact then we can better choose and use sustainable products instead of overconsuming them as well.
Hi. Your video is thought provoking. We are trying to do our small part and hope that making a start with sustainable products helps us and others. It is difficult finding products from bamboo sources in the real world of business, but we are trying to do our part. We don't think everyone can be perfect, but a start is good. We don't all share every opinion on how to live, but a small step in a sustainable way helps. Thanks for a video that helps to shape positive thinking in this area.
I make my shopping bags out of pillowcases I find dumpster diving or thrifting; especially the cute and colorful cartoon ones.
I put a pillowcase on each side so it's reversible and interface them with fabrics I find dumpster diving. I patch them as they wear a hole which adds to their charm, I think. People ask me to make them for them and I suggest they give me their kids old sheets or clothes to make them. You can line the with old stained denim for strength too; denim is great to put in the handles as well if you don't reuse webbing straps or some such. I rarely throw any bits of fabric or yarn away, I'll find a way to reuse it!
I loved this video, thank you so much, there isn't one point I disagree with, and have thought about all of these myself. It is very noticeable how good intentions have been kind of hijacked by marketing specialist and we all need to really think for ourselves and not just blindly follow the "trend" on green living.
I have cleaned out my closet and I think I am going to repurpose the fast fashion shirts into reusable shopping bags instead.
A big consideration in my cleaning supplies is the smell, and straight up destroying bacteria in my kitchen and bath. Vinegar doesn't really do it for me.
Consider your first two Rs: reduce your consumption (by not buying things if your things are serviceable) and reuse goods (stop buying new things when ever you can buy them as secondhand items or reuse what you have), instead of just recycling
Also with vegan leather, you are buying a look, not sustainability. Go with sturdy, not fashionable.
Not everyone likes to hurt animals for fashion. Nor is the animal industry sustainable with how many animals (cows especially) need to be mass produced to keep up with demand. Vegan leather is more sustainable and better ethically, even if it falls apart quicker. In most cases, leather isn't necessary and is usually a fashion choice, no matter which type you go with. So not buying at all is an option too.
Lab grown jewels are becoming much more popular because honestly, they're a lot nicer. You have little to no impurities in a lab grown, and they're cheaper, and you don't have to worry about where they're coming from.
I love shopping second hand. My mom hates it but recently if I can get something second hand, I will.
I use cotton t-shirts as reusable grocery bags - they are great because they stretch to fit a decent amount of items!
I use squares of cotton flannel/towel and coconut oil to remove make up, I don't like using wipes as I would want to wash (with soap) or at least rinse my face off( with water )after using them!
My cleaning products include vinegar, bicarb soda, bleach gel ( I use it on weeds in my garden)and creme cleanser (for extra stubborn grime).
I use stainless steel drink ware - the insulted cups are great when drinking cool water in summer and for having my tea/coffee stay hot!
I wish handbags/wallets were only made in cotton/canvas/linen, recycled leather or cork. I purchased a leather bag years ago as leather is durable and if cared for properly looks good for years to come, unfortunately an animal had to die to provide the leather :(. I think eco friendly leather would be great if it was sustainable and practical, I also wish bags did't have so much unnecessary hardware (buckles, studs, chains etc..)!
As for jewellery I wear cowrie shells encased silver and don't own any gemstones. My daughter recently got engaged and used an old sapphire owned by my grandmother.
Lastly, I use an apple iphone 5😂.
Thanks for giving me the space to 'air my thoughts' and I hope I don't offend anyone who reads what I have to say.
I recommend pilfering plastic bags from friends, coworkers, and neighbors to use as shopping bags and then trash bags. Reduce your own consumption and reuse whenever possible. Recycling is the last resort and I think that's often overlooked. Thanks for the video!
Honestly I've never had a pair of 'vegan leather' (plastic) boots last as well as my leather ones. A pair of plastic boots lasts me less than a year, wearing them until they break beyond repair. My leather ones are well into their sixth year and still look like new when polished. They have years left in them yet.
Sometimes the animal-free option isn't the more sustainable one. And at the end of their lifecycle, plastic is going to be more of a problem than leather too.
Thank you for this video. The only thing on your list that was surprising to me is the biodegradable trash bags. I've been buying them feeling they are better for the environment. So trash bags made out of potatoes or corn starch do not biodegrade? I have seen the bags start to melt when they get wet. And what is the alternative? I still produce trash, though not a lot and don't think I'll ever get to zero waste. How can we dispose of our trash in a better way? 😒
It depends where your trash goes - if it's incinerated then things are different, but if it's going to the landfill then biodegradable trash bags don't really do anything. In that case I'd say it's probably better to look for bags made from recycled plastic, or are lower impact in some other way because bioplastics actually take more energy to make.
@@MyGreenCloset Thank you for this eye opening information. Things just seem so hopeless. 😔
It can definitely feel really hopeless but things are also slowly changing and we can each be part of that change 💚
@@MyGreenCloset Thank you so much! I am definitely trying to do my part and videos like this one help.
Another idea is to use any single use plastic bags that have come into your life- I've even used the plastic packaging from my toilet paper to line my bathroom trash can. Yes it is plastic you are throwing away, but using/reusing something you already have is usually more sustainable than buying something new.
Great video. Nice to see someone mention something like diamonds. I confess I do buy the biodegradable trash bags - I know they don't but hope that they magically just might :-). I tend to pass on a lot of the cotton bags I get with stuff I'm donating. I have a few I love and use. My fav. bags for groceries are the ones from Wholefoods since they are made from recycled bottles.
Great video! It's important to be thoughtful about what is effective vs. hype when it comes to reducing one's carbon and waste footprint. I'm skeptical of bulk bin shopping despite the fact that many zero-waste devotees are fans of it. It's a nice idea in theory, but I've worked at a coop and know that the bulk items come shipped in plastic before they are placed in the bins. There is a lot of spillage by customers and it spoils more quickly after opened, contributing to food waste. Anecdotally I notice that when I'm in a bulk bin aisle most people are not using their own containers and use plastic produce bags instead, so the reality is that the product is bagged in plastic twice. It seems green but I fear the net effect is actually more wasteful than assumed.
I only use biodegradable bin bags for food waste, and we get them cheaply from the company that collect the waste. For paper, we don’t need any bags at all, and the same goes for cans and glass - we just throw the paper/cans/jars/bottles into the correct wheelie bin and make sure it’s by the kerf on collection day.
What is behind your left shoulder at 2:02???
Chad Adams it creeped me out when I saw it too but after watching more of the video you can see it’s a mirror reflecting her hand 😂😂
Oh my
We actually don’t use a garbage bag, we live in a small townhouse and have just a little backyard. And all our plant matter goes into a compost area in the back yard, then our soft plastic is taken to a local sold plastic recycling place. Then anything left over goes in the rubbish bin or recycling bin (depending on what it is) but I should say that the only animal product we eat is eggs, so it could be harder or messier to not use a bag if you eat meat.
I don’t understand what’s wrong with leather. Like even if you aren’t eating meat, someone else is, and it’s better to just use that than PVC.
tbh when it comes to stuff like leather or fur I'd much rather get the natural component from the local hunter at the Renaissance fair.
Fun Fact: My brother and I once talked about what our dream armor would look like and we agreed that hardened leather with metal accents, chainmail amd fur trim would be good for me. My Beother would go full paladin plate armor and chain mail.
I agree, Wonderland Artwork. Natural leather and fur will decompose naturally and it won't take long either. Yes, an animal died to leave its pelt or skin behind. I like to honor the animal by using the resources it has left behind, like most ancient cultures did when they took from nature. I enjoy making handbags and purses from vintage furs and leather garments. People often forget that hunting certain species of animals prevent disease and suffering in their numbers.
Regarding electronics; what do you think about the fairphone?
A possible solution for the specific produce/snack bags: you can embroider the words you want on them! Like if you buy a specific product in bulk very often, you can embroider a bag to say “almonds” and you’ll know that that bag always has almonds in it, but you wouldn’t need to buy a different bag specifically for them. And you can easily seam rip the thread out if you stop buying a product so much, or you want to use the bag for something else (:
We're so lucky that Boulder county does have industrial/curbside composting.
Thank you for this video. I started trying to be more conscious of reducing my plastic waste and I had many of these sam thoughts. I felt that many of the items deemed as sustainable or eco-friendly, were not really sustainable.
Do you have any information on mixing 'baking soda' and 'vinegar' for cleaning and how it works? Some sources say that they neutralize each other and are NOT to be used for cleaning?
You use them separately. Vinegar is a great cleaning spray/liquid and baking soda is good for scrubbing.
My Green Closet Got it! Thanks.
Sub hydrogen peroxide. And yes, they cancel each other: vinegar and BS.
Thanks for this video. I think the key is to keep what you use and buy to a minimum instead of buying all of the things in the zero waste beginners videos.
I want to add glass and metal straws to the list - people who can easily drink without a straw don't need them. I've lived such a long time without straws that I don't even understand why people care enough to carry them around.
Vegan shoes seem to be the biggest challenge for me. I want to take good care of my feet but... The fast fashion shoes I still have are falling apart. I bought ethically made sandals made from PU last year; I thought that using them for a long time would lower the impact of the material (and the price) to an extent but they didn't even last the whole summer. I often go through the second hand shoes in my favorite charity shop but so far I have had no luck. They're the wrong size and worn out and not my style :/
Hey, great video! I am glad that you mentioned the issue with cotton bags. At first I was impressed by those biodegradable plastic bags until I realized that it makes absolutely no sense if you put them in the trash anyway. We ended up using them to transport our compost whilst camping since an extra box or something was to much weight added. I sometimes get really annoyed by those oh so eco-friendly disposables because the brands/people providing them don't educate the people using it. For example, I was at a vegan fair and they used plates made out of bamboo but only provided regular trash cans.
Basically if you're constantly replacing an item, eg face wipes, they're probably not as sustainable as you're believing them to be. There are exceptions of course, but especially when things say compostable or biodegradable, check how long this takes and under what conditions it will decompose.
I know this is an older video but something that bothers me is eco friendly sponges for cleaning dishes and reusable kitchen roll.... I literally have a drawer with tea towels and cloths that I use to cover bowls of food, clean spills wash dishes and just clean the house in general.
Another thing is you don't have to buy anything new at all, you can always repurpose something you already have or DIY something. I know people who have 10 reusable bags for no good reason. But even if you have 0, you can always make one out of an old t-shirt you no longer wear before buying a brand new one, or maybe you have an old pencil case that is the perfect size as an utensil bag. Or may be you can just get a sleeve for your jam jar and urn that into a travel mug instead of buying a new coffee mug. There are so many solutions that doesn't involves buying new products. The only eco product I bought new is my menstrual cup.
For example, I needed (more like wanted tbh) a few straw bags for reusable straws. I want to be able to put my dirty straw in one bag and throw it in the wash the moment I got home, and put the cleaned straw into another one for the next day. Of course, it would be totally a waste of money and un-environmentally friendly to buy like 10 straw bags for something so trivial. So I sewed a bunch with scrap fabric from old bedsheets that were torn up from use. And I'm going to make some utensil bags with the rest of the scraps, so I can carry utensils we already have in the kitchen on the go (opposed to buying a new set of bamboo ones), and throw the bag into the was after every use to maximise convenience. :)Are my brand new shiny straw bags with cute patterns on them really that necessary? Not really. But their environmental impact adds up to exactly 0. And on top of that I avoided throwing a bedsheet into the landfill. So I am completely okay with that.
Same with buying second hand. Another example, I needed to produce bags, so I went to a thrift store and found a piece of mesh fabric and made like 16 out of that. I use yarns I already have at home for the drawstring and there we go, produce bag that is much less wasteful and much cheaper than a new one from an eco-company.
The point is, you can have "new" things without contributing anything to waste or carbon emission if you just take something from the waste stream. That's so important so I don't understand why so many people go and waste so much money for new eco-friendly stuff.
I’m so grateful for your wisdom and research 🥰 thank you for continuing with this much needed channel
I try to use more sustainable stuff but one of my parents doesn’t believe in “pollution” and that jazz so whenever I want to buy sustainable products and convince them “ya know recycling exist” they just push it off and say it’s stupid. So I’m kinda stuck in a dilemma because I HATE not being able to recycle things i know is recyclable. For now I just store all my paper products in a box and recycle them at my high school. I really am aware of what I buy though.
Thank you for the work you do.
Diamonds are so stupid. Overpriced carbon, haha.
Microfiber cloths and water very effectively take off makeup. I'm not sure if they would have a similar issue as reusable bags in terms of sustainability. However, cost wise it seems insane to me that I ever bought makeup wipes.
About the sea sponges... I do have 3 of them but the ones I get are being removed very carefully in a way that they can actually grow back. Also they last forever! I'm using one for almost a year now, you can wash them but it basically keeps itself clean and bacteria free. Plastic sponges are really not an option in my opinion, they need to be thrown out so quick, so what else to use? Sometimes it's hard to find the perfect alternative.
Totally agree on all the other things though.
I prefer buying trash bags made of recycled plastic rather than "biodegradable" trash bags for the reasons you stated.
I do also use a sandwich tupperware to bring my sandwiches to work. They may have a bigger carbon footprint than ziploc bags, but they have a much smaller garbage footprint, if that makes sense. One of my main concerns is single-use plastics, especially since I live in a beach city and my garbage is much more likely to wind up in the ocean than some people. And, hopefully, they will last long enough to eventually have paid off in terms of carbon footprint as well. :)
Great video! For me, as far as I remember I only bought reusable sanitary pads and cotton face wipes and have been using them for 2 years now. Other things that I own, I would not buy another one for the sake of that "green" marketing
I think the most important lesson here is that however good your intentions, in the end it all depends on the city's ability to complete the recycling process once you put something into it. If you need to organize dividing your own waste yourself or all the trash ends up in the same pile somewhere else anyway, you're basically just wasting your time, money and energy. In the past, people lived sustainable lives because many of them were dirt-poor and couldn't afford to waste a single thing. This is the ONLY successful way, because it wasn't about ethics and choice, but sheer necessity. I know people who used old iron bed headbords as gates to orchards, or cans as support if the leg of a cupboard would break. That's the real deal.
One thing that gives me a bit of anxiety is that 95% of the eco items, packagings, etc, are sold in Alibaba. I've made a thorough and extensive search on this from every bamboo toothbrush/hairbrush, luffas, kitchen swaps, all sorts of biodegradable packaging... It's all there. All of it. The exact same products, materials, shapes and sizes. At Alibaba they offer the option of printing your brand on the stuff and drop ship everything to you. Sigh.
It's really hard to tell a legit ethical brand apart from a drop shipping business.
Even in the eco cosmetics and period swaps... What guarantee do we have they aren't purchasing the ingredients and fabrics and packagings from Alibaba? Or from a distributor that buys from Alibaba?
Even tote bags are all sold there in bulk.
This is so sad.
Thank you for the detailed list. I use hardened fibers from any overripe gourd/luffa found locally as my bath sponge. Works really well
I think something important to keep in mind when trying to be sustainable is to work with what you have and avoid buying things unless you really NEED new things- and when you really need something new, then trying to choose a more sustainable option. We need to be conscious of how consumerist our society is.
If you soak orange peels in vinegar for a week, and then mix 50/50 with water you get a super cleaner that smells great! Plus you get extra Vit C from eating the 3-4 oranges that you use!
I think that the shopping bags are a good idea, but as you said, not quite as sustainable. So if you’re any good at sewing, try making one from an old T-shirt! It might not last as long, however you’ve already upcycled something and stretching out the use. Tehran must be tutorials not eh internet so give it a go! You’ve also saved money!
I'm NOT a vegan but I only have TWO cleaning products: liquid detergent that I use to wash my clothes, to clean my bathroom and my tile floors. Washing up liquid that I use for washing up, cleaning my kitchen and cooker. I also use vinegar as a substitute for a fabric softener, to clean windows, glass, mirrors and wooden floors. For deodorizing my mattresses and carpets, baking soda or salt. It's been over a decade since I bought any cleaning products and my life has become so much simpler.
Just one comment : baguette reusable bags are so useful as a french person, like carrying a baguette in a totebag is not that great, half of it is out of the bag while half of the bag is not used. In France, a lot of people buy bread daily and it is always given in non recyclable, non compostable paper bags, and a baguette bag would eliminate a ton of waste. Of course, this object might be superfluous depending on where you live and your habits but it is good that people sell that kind of bag. Have a good day :)
That's great if you use them!
If you want a diamond you could always check out the crater of diamonds in Arkansas. It is a national park and is not commercially mined. It is the only place in the world the public can dig for diamonds.
A lot of people buy these things when not needed because they want to APPEAR green - "conspicuous consumption" in Economics, or "conspicuous conservation" if we're specifically talking about green goods. This is the concept that people do not buy an item just because they want to BE green, LIVE green, but they want other people to notice them doing it. If you are responsibly using old plastic items instead of purchasing new green things, your green lifestyle is less noticeable to others. I think truly green living advocates need to address this consumerist tendency, deeper thinking about impacts, as you and some other UA-camrs are doing. Thanks!
Have you heard of "Shiftphone"? I guess secondhand is still much more sustainable, but I also think that this company is a lot better than other "sustainable" electronic producers.
I keep telling my husband that when he passes away I’m going to turn him into a diamond. Ultimate recycle! Lol. Just kidding!
Thank you Erin! This Video is so great, you are really THE ONE Person on UA-cam that is putting her fingers in open wounds, in a good way :-)
sometimes, I see really adorable reusable bags, but I manage to resist and think. I should continue using the ones I already have. I'll go ahead and replace it when it gives up on me.
What do you think about clothing brands like everlane or Zara or brands that are using this idea of incorporating plastic bottles in their clothing to insulate them? I recently noticed this as a trend among a couple brands and at first thought this was a good move but I’ve heard from some people that it takes more energy and expels more chemicals to make this type of clothing in the first place? I was just curious if anyone knew anything about this!
I have a few videos talking about recycled fabrics! (ua-cam.com/video/8JNF6JjhraU/v-deo.html, ua-cam.com/video/AjHVMhAOZa4/v-deo.html, ua-cam.com/video/9QmTnHNb8ro/v-deo.html) While I think recycled synthetics are better than buying virgin polyester/nylon there are still a lot of issues with things like microfiber pollution. I would only buy these materials if synthetics are required for function (for example a swimsuit).