Plastic I still use EVERYDAY as an environmentalist...
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- Опубликовано: 3 авг 2024
- News flash: no one is perfect. You can still use plastic and be an environmental activist. Some plastic is necessary for our health. Some is just wants, but we can't give up everything we love and expect this lifestyle to be sustainable. Let me know what plastic YOU still use down below and subscribe for more practical environmentalism and zero waste on a budget :)
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Timestamps:
00:00 - No one is perfect at zero waste
1:23 - Food I still buy in plastic
10:38 - Medical waste I create
12:27 - Period waste
13:16 - Plastic from my pets
14:33 - Laundry waste
15:25 - Camping/hiking waste
16:48 - Crocheting, clothes, and other hobbies
17:49 - Tips and future videos
20:01 - Bloopers
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Fav laundry, Dirty Labs: www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=17...
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Omg thank you for bringing up not shaming for medical waste! My uncle was a low waster, he got me into it, and when I would go see him in the hospital, he had all of his different "trash" separated for us to take home and eco brick or reuse. My favorite was his stack of the little paper/plastic lined cups they brought his meds in and "are great for organizing little things like earrings"
love that! we can only do so much :)
Thank you for teaching us to accept our medical waste
for sure! I hope you can learn to accept it, it took me a while but some things we simply cannot help and we should not stress about it :)
"Rather almost right than totally wrong" works out often.
that's a good point!
Very important topic.
After all, the first of the three (Reduce, reuse recycle), is "Reduce" not "Remove"
yes!
I feel like people might need a reminder that plastic is not inherently bad or evil. It's just the wasteful nature of how we (capitalism) treat plastic that is the problem.
YES! Well, sorta. Plastic is truly bad in the way it's created and that it never breaks down. Overconsumption really is the MAIN problem, but until companies stop offering plastic, it's sometimes our only option
For anyone wanting an easy way to label jars that's kind of weird/unconventional, but relatively plastic free. I make scraps out of mail/envelopes that I'm sent, and stick them to my jars with beeswax. Also, you can cut receipts that already have the item printed on it and use those. When I want to change them I just wash off the beeswax.
Wow, this is about as sustainable as you can get! Great idea that I would never have thought of, thanks.
love the upcycling!
@@sustainfem right?!
Ha! Now that's awesomeness!
Paraffin works too if you’re vegan, but it’s made from a non-renewable resource, oil and gas.
Cauliflower oxidizes so they wrap it in plastic to prevent it turning brown. Plastic is the least risky (for employees and consumers) food manufacturing material so it's never going away and traditional manufacturers will likely never go back to glass because it's such a safety risk.
good to know!
I thought I had found plastic-free cauliflower at my local Central Market (HEB’s Whole Foods) but turns out they just display it package free 😢 I saw an employee restocking them and he was unwrapping them before putting in the display. So, no plastic waste “from my end” but it’s still indirect waste.
WHAT
This in an important video as I see anti-environmentalists disingenuously using the fact that ecologically minded people use some plastic products to irrationally conclude that there is no point doing anything to protect our environment. I think that narrative can have the effect of making some well-meaning people conclude that if they can't be perfect then it's not worth trying at all. So I really hope videos such as this can dispel some of that faulty thinking. Thank you for making and sharing this video.
for sure!! You hit this right on the head!
Please be careful and consult a veterinarian when buying bulk cat or dog foods. I was a registered veterinary technician for many years. Bulk cat or dog foods are often a lower quality formula than branded options.
for sure! I don't think I will since in the video I stated it wouldn't even be plastic free but thanks!
This video makes me feel A LOT better about what I have in my home. While I’m still newish (~2 years in), we definitely still have room for improvement or things were still using up or working on alternatives for. We’re not vegan, and one thing I feel bad about sometimes is the plastic film that comes on top of frozen dinners. Granted, we don’t eat them every night (and less now that we replaced the stove and cook more, but the super thin plastics like film always make me feel guilty.) I’d love to hear about what you do with the eco bricks when done and if you have a local group that makes PLARN mats (sleeping mats for the homeless from plastic grocery bags).
everyone is always learning and improving and zero waste is not linear! I took my eco bricks to my mom for her to use at her school where she's going to make some benches!
If you do have Winco, their pasta in the bulk section is surprisingly great! It's very odd that they're giving you a hard time about bringing in your own packaging though. In the area I live it's pretty normal to bring your own bags and packaging so I think they're pretty used to it
maybe I need to try another one!
I always say do what you can, what you are able, and what you can afford. Sometimes plastic packaging is the option you can afford, an that's ok!
Also, I feel ya on the migraines. I'm actually on disability because mine are so constant and severe, and nothing works for them.
YES!! Well said! So sorry to hear you're on the migraine train :(
Packaging vegetables in plastic foil significantly extends their shelf life. For example, a cucumber from 3 days to 14. So, contrary to appearances, it may be sometimes a more zero waste option...
If you want a different option for example for the cucumbers: in Germany you can buy silicone food covers in different sizes that you can wash and reuse. They have them at Ikea and now even from the brand of a drugstore. I'm not sure though if you can buy them in other countries.
ehh i think that's sometimes right but i had a cucumber in plastic get moldy in less than a week so it may just be anecdotal
@@buschi4798 except they're SOLD in plastic
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist yes, it's about products sold in the store, not packing at home - at home you can even put them in boxes or wet cloths (herbs). And the info comes from a podcast from the Sorted Food team who looked at food waste in the sales process and I trust them to have verified information
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist that's true. The different options in different countries are interesting to me. In Germany it is now hard to find cucumbers wrapped in plastic. They are almost always free of packaging except you want to buy an organic one. They have a sticker on them.
In regards to thrifting clothes, I used to stick to natural materials but started incorporating basically any materials. It makes secondhand shopping more accessible and easy, plus I think buying more items secondhand is better for the environment compared to buying new products with better materials.
yes!! I'm already overwhelmed enough second hand shopping and looking for the perfect fit, feel, AND material seems near impossible
The way we use yogurt containers the most is for building sand castles at the beach!
OMG THAT IS GENIUS! If only I lived near the ocean hahahahah maybe one day!
I am drastically changing my life....two big ways is having period panties/cup, bidet, making my own milk (a huge one to eliminate tetrapack---sicne I used to buy almond milk/cow milk).....sicne watching your videos I am working on being more conscious on reusing glass jars.....and so much more. So thank you everything you post I learn so much and implement in my life as I can. So relatable do thank you
always reusing around here! nice work!
I definitely have more waste than I'd like but I also try to reduce where I can. Sometimes I buy pre cut produce because I don't have energy to deal with making food and that's one way that can make it easier for my health. I'm sure many of my clothes and shoes have plastic. My glass Tupperware have plastic lids. Sometimes I use acrylic yarn. My dogs treats often come in plastic (though I do also buy bulk treats! Our pet store sells chews for dogs in bulk, they're animal products that would otherwise be wasted because humans don't eat them like ears). I buy frozen produce (in plastic) and I need a ton of medicine. I do what I can though, buying things in glass and aluminum, cans of seltzer instead of bottles, leather dog collar instead of plastic. I buy stickers (plastic) and washi tape (recyclable paper tape but sometimes it's wrapped in plastic for sale) because I love it and want to support artists, my bamboo toilet paper comes wrapped in plastic unfortunately. I use plastic toothbrushes (I have dental sensory issues and I'm not switching to bamboo and making it harder for me) I use plastic multiple times every day.
The most important thing people miss is that using what you have is the most sustainable thing you can do. I'm far from perfect but I try to do what I can, when I can, and I honestly focus less on plastic waste than other things like using what I have, food waste, not buying excess home decor you throw out at the end of the season, giving away things on places like buy nothing instead of throwing them out. My partner and I share a car (how very European lol and hard to do in the Midwest USA)
yes always use what you have! thanks for your insight on this :)
Another winner of a video, very well explained and reassuring that doing our best is the important part, not restrictive perfection. Thank you! 😊
thank you SO MUCH!
I work at Winco and I believe the policy is you are charged the total weight no longer tiered weight. At least its like that at my store. I reuse a bluebird flour bag and the plastic containers (not bags) when I shop bulk.
yes they don't do tare
I totally agree with you, unfortunately you can't totally avoid plastic. My big problem with plastic is that you indirectly support the big oil and fuel companies. BTW Love your glasses so much, what brand are they?
the gray ones? They're genusee which unfortunately is out of business
For litter use chick layer feed....compostable I believe and usually comes in paper bags.
oh cool!
I work at a Winco in the bulk dept and although it's technically not allowed tp bring your own, I have yet to see someone at work actually deny someone from using their own containers. Loved the video btw
This! We shop at WinCo regularly, and we always use our own containers for bulk items. We’ve only gotten pushback from one cashier, once, and he still rang it up in our containers, he just tried to tell us we couldn’t do it again. Of course we ignored him and kept bringing our own containers.
If I really had to, I would have no qualms about giving an earful to the store manager about how it’s completely unreasonable to require me to do something that harms the earth, and therefore society in general. But I haven’t needed to do this. The vast majority of the cashiers say nothing about it, and a few of them even comment about how they’re inspired to do the same thing.
i may just have to try it!
@@onepetalleft RIGHT!
Okocat is the best litter ever and you can get it from chewy in a cardboard box. Also, you can get cheap versions of it from seed and feed places for horses but its in plastic.
my sprouts used to carry it, stopped, BUT I JUST FOND IT AGAIN TODAY!
Thank you for this, it's encouraging. Makes me feel like I'm doing a lot better than I i thought!
yayyyy you can do this!
Excellent open, honest realistic video. Thank you. Tired of being shamed by extreme environmentalists, vegans when I meet them (rare species around here admittedly 😆). They come across like religious fundamentalists. All same effect, make you want to run other way and not bother with whole issue. *if your interested.. I've radically cut meat down (one small portion a day). Still sometimes have eggs in morning. Majority of my thinking/purchasing habits is similar if not same as yours. On same page with the spices, will buy in large olastic container and refill the little glass jars. Greetings from southern hemisphere.
you're so right it can feel culty from the exteme end of the movement which is really a shame
My produce stickers end up collecting on one of those plastic containers that cherry tomatoes come in.
omg i love it feels like an art piece haha
Bubbies sauerkraut comes in a glass jar! You might need to go to a Vons, Whole Foods, or any other fancy grocery store near you. Also depending on what kind of thin plastic you have, you could turn it into Plarn and crochet things with those thin plastics.
I JUST FOUND ONE after filming this video! My sprouts has a new option! I don't think driving farther for glass would outweigh using recyclable packaing that much, what do you think?
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist True! Only worth it if it’s nearby. You can always reuse the plastic containers anyways
This was so fascinating to see which food items are available or not available plastic-free in the Las Vegas area. I live in the southeastern US, and some items are the opposite here. (Like sauerkraut is pretty easy to find in glass, and I've found grapes in cardboard boxes before. I think cauliflower is universally difficult unless it's from a farmer's market or similar... I'll have to look carefully to see if I ever spot it plastic free at a store.) We also buy several things in plastic or with partial plastic packaging that you mentioned (like tortilla chips, crackers, frozen fruits or veggies, etc.).
isn't it crazy?? A lot has changed since I filmed the first iteration when I lived in Japan too!
Love your down to earth honesty 💞 So many plastic containers can be reused and that is what I do. My dog's poop gets picked up with packaging plastic i.e. bread bags that I have already used for freezing or making sandwiches etc.
Thank you for doing this and to the honesty 👍
thank you!!! love your ways to minimzing waste :)
Depending on where you live , you can go to farmers markets to get veggies with no plastic.
yup! But I did say I wasn't looking for feedback since I use what I have access to :) I hope to have a farmers market one day tho!! I know to look out for them, I just simply don't have access
Do you have a sustainable house tour video? Like all the ways you switched items to be more environmentally friendly.
yes! i have one from my home in Japan and one for my Vegas home, just search "home" on my channel page :)
Here in Australia there was a recycle program for soft plastics called Redcycle where the two major supermarket chains had collection points for plastic bags which were then forwarded to Redcycle to deal with. Redcycle had contracts with recycling companies but in mid 2022 it was made public that the plastic was not being recycled due to issues with the recycling companies but was being stock piled in warehouses which created a huge fire hazard. The program is currently suspended and there are a lot of angry and disappointed Australians.
that's so sad!
That's awful!
I don't drink lots of coffee, but I like a decaf coffee in the morning, I cannot find any beans in plastic free packaging 🤷. So I buy it in bulk so that it's less packing overall. I sometimes get freaked out by all the plastic in the super market 😳😳😳, but I keep taking my reusable bags for everything I can. There is a big supermarket within walking distance to my house and they are trying out a new refill station for certain products 👍😁. You can take your own containers, I haven't used it yet but I am going to try it out when I run out of anything that I would usually buy package free.
omg i hope that works out!
I love this video, so relatable making it more inspirational to be eco friendly even if you have these products and need to continue buying some
thank you so much! I strive to keep it real and honest ;:)
I use some chalk to label my containers, it washes away easily and for my context it lasts enough time.
woah!
I really appreciate this video. I like the challenge to make new habits. One thing that frustrates me in my neighborhood we have to put our recycling in a clear plastic bag. Probably due to the wind.
my old neighborhood did that too
I doubt there are very many people who can get everything plastic free and if so they're just pushing their plastic on the others really because whatever bulk bin they got it out of, it probably came in a plastic bag or at least something with plastic. And of course glasses and all that great either because it is often not getting recycled these days. At least it doesn't leach into the ground like plastic does. I'm almost 50 and when I was a kid almost all produce came without plastic bags. It wasn't that long ago so maybe we can start to change our ways. We really only been relying on plastic so heavily for about fifty years or less... Plastic bags came out in the 80s as I recall. We can certainly inspire change. Just a little PSA, use your pliers to pull the plastic ring off the top of the kombucha bottles.
you're so right we often only look at the plastic we create as individuals but even bulk shopping and dining in a restaurant creates plastic behind the scenes.
The thin plastic recycling scheme in Australia has just collapsed. It seems they were just warehousing the plastic because they couldn't find enough businesses to use it. Since we can't escape plastic use we will have to buy that ugly black recycled garden edging and create a demand for other recycled plastic goods.
someone else has said that too, so sad!
Hi. I love your honesty. We can only do the best we can. And you do SO much to make good choices. The other things are out of your control.
I am curious though...what happens to the eco bricks when they are full?
you can use them for so many things but I took them to my mom to use at her school to build benches!
Totally could know this already but on the off chance that it helps I thought I would mention it. Have you ever tried experimenting with your food intake for your migraines? A lot of migraines have dietary triggers and sometimes it’s things you wouldn’t expect. Great video!
yup i've been allergy tested and i have no sensitivities
Sometimes rather than an allergy it can be an intolerance as in depending on how much you consume you can get a reaction. Anyhow I hope they get better that sounds awful!
I was thinking about this earlier actually, I feel like plastic waste for food is okay. Yes we should cut it back, but the plastic waste helps protect the food, us, and can actually increase the life of the food.
That being said, if I’m buying other things then yes I buy plastic free, made from recycled materials, small businesses, second hand etc.
like I get all my soap and skin care products and household stuff refilled but because I’m low income I have to buy some groceries in plastic .
it definitely depends but plastic CAN help prevent food waste! I still avoid where I can :)
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist can someone please explain to me how wrap food in plastic helps it last longer? I have personally not experienced that as being accurate.
@@anaalves3658 right me neither which is why i think it's mostly anecdotal! When I buy cauliflower in plastic it goes bad so fast that I have to unwrap it right when I get home to help it last longer so I certainly don't know
Jesus Christ. I literally have never seen food in plastic in reality . Only in videos . It started to pop up in our local supermarkets only recently as a stupid western trend
@@junglesuperstar9270 plastic wrapped food is a trend ?
most plastic containers i use (like kimchi, etc) I always reuse them (which i’m assuming you guys also do !) But I just wanted to say, if you buy vegan products in plastic, think about it this way: by buying meat alternatives you are doing so much more for the environment. This is because the meat industry has a larger impact than meat alternatives, so therefore you are already making a bigger impact. It’s all about how you can reuse, eco brick,and research what the bigger impact is. :) Don’t stress. peace and love ❤ ✌️
always reusing around here too! they all become planters or used for leftovers. I'm not stressing about it :)
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist exactly !!❤️❤️
Do you have access to a farmers market? It's the only way I can get plastic free produce! And if you are way keen you can make saurkraut and kimchee. Having said all this I'm pretty lazy and rarely do these things myself! I do make my own greek yoghurt but that's cause it's cheaper 😉
Brilliant video thanks
they are usually on weekdays around here when I'm at my day job :(
I think the rumor that they fruit stickers are biodegradable might stem from the fact we're told you can eat them just fine. 😅
I will add a thank you for the talk about medical waste too. I hate to say it, but I have had multiple people fuss the use of medical plastics and some people even go 😬 really far with it.
who is saying you can eat them?!! a crime hahaha. No for REAL people go insanely far with medical waste being bad like I'd rather produce one vial every month than have debilitating migraines. They speak from a place of privilege
I think cauliflower discolors from air exposure.
woah really?! interesting!
"Glass isn't all it's *cracked* up to be" ha...
totally unintended but here for the pun haha
This is from another video I remember you saying plain products shampoo doesn’t get foamy for how you like, have you tried to wet it in your hand first?
Also would u be interested in sharing nutr recipes you use?
i have! it's still not my fav. Nutr has their own recipes on their site and I simply just make milk, nothing fancy haha
its the "CURIOUS" for me :'D
haha
it's become my catch phrase recently and idk why
Mustard does come in glass jars. Not sure about ketchup -- I don't think so.
haven't seen it yet but always on the look out!
I am so glad that I don't live in the USA, so much of what you can't buy plastic free there I can buy plastic/ packing free. I am curious, is there no local farmers market near?
it all depends where people are, there is significantly less plastic in the US than there was in Japan! And yes there are farmers markets but only when I'm at my day job. They certainaly are a privilege
plus all the foods i find at my local sprouts are the same (if not more) than I would find at a farmers market and all my produce besides like cucumbers and cauliflower are plastic free so a farmers market wouldn't even help me
Do you have an Asian supermarket near you? Sometimes you can find unpackaged tofu there!
i'll have to scope it out!
What are you going to use after your laundry sheets are gone? -Lynnette
find powder in cardboard!
I am trying to get to the point where I can recycle the plastics that I have no choice but to buy, on my own, using my 3d printer.
I see
I love how non-judgemental you are, especially when it comes to your favorite foods not being plastic-free. We really shouldn't pressure ourselves to give up everything for the sake of the environment
Yes!! I like to think I've always been this way towards others but always held myself to such an unrealistic standard that I started to hate zero waste so now I treat myself to my faves and limit elsewhere :)
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist Could you maybe make a video about your journey from being super strict to allowing yourself to be imperfect? I think it would help a lot of people who are also struggling with not having all the resources to be even close to complitely zero waste
@@ronjatuovinen6907 i love that idea thanks for the rec!
Is there any practical ways to use/build with eco bricks in apartments or suburbs, otherwise would you just throw away the eco brick when your done?
you can hop on the Brick Marketplace website and send them to someone who need them for a project :) otherwise, maybe building garden beds at a local community garden?
Why don’t you want suggestions if they could possibly solve your problem? I work at Sprouts, so I know you could just buy the regular organic cucumbers instead of the hothouse cucumbers wrapped in plastic. And can’t you just take the green beans and grapes out of the bags? I don’t think you have to put them in the bags if you don’t want to. And if your Sprouts isn’t good about putting the stickers on the organic produce, you could just get the fruits and vegetables without the stickers. Even if they are good about it, I feel like it’s inevitable that some don’t. You can always just tell the cashier that they’re organic. And if Sprouts ever discontinues something, I’ve been able to find it on directly on the product’s website or at other stores
because I know the solutions I just can't implement them right now. Also I moved so I don't have Sprouts any more. For example, I know I could make my own butter and ketchup and hummus and bread but working two jobs living in an RV I simply can't. If I only produce 20 pieces of plastic a month, that's pretty dang good.
@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist Okay, but did I what I said help at all, or did you already know that? If you ever happen to go to Sprouts at some point or somewhere similar again
oh yeah I already knew that which I why I asked for no advice. I know I don't know everything but I know everything I need to know about these swaps. I choose plastic for one reason or another which is why I specifically asked for no unsolicited advice :( @@CarlinaSunshine
Good video. Plastic is a tool that’s basically being abused
yes it's easy to get carried away with it!
Turn your lights off during the day
i do???
Yo send me some melatonin cus you can only get it via prescription in the UK xD jk jk. Man medical waste is my least favourite waste, because it's waste you can't do anything about! I wish my meds came in bottles rather than little foil packets, because at least then I could recycle the bottles!
If you have a Superdrug near you (only the bigger stores unfortunately), they have Terracycle boxes to recycle medicine blister packs. I don't have one nearby sadly, but hopefully they'll roll it out to the smaller stores too one day
@@alisonbirchall262 We don't have Superdrug, but I should check with large drugstores around here to see if they have something like that. Thanks for the info!
@@alisonbirchall262 guess I'll have to see if the one near me classifies as big! It's a step in the right direction I suppose, I never knew people had packets to recycle! I buy the cheap off brand ones like Tesco's that come in cardboard. Not to be eco, but to be cheap :')
woah really?! I rarely take it but didn't know it wasn't OTC everywhere!