thrifter ◦ recovering zero waster ◦ eco myth-buster
sharing my love of minimal waste, supporting the circular economy, and romanticizing research-backed eco habits 🌱
my aim with this channel is to document all the successes + struggles i've encountered throughout the last five years of transitioning into a low impact lifestyle, from the viewpoint of a former perfectionist. because guess what? you CAN make a huge difference, but the fate of this planet does not rest on your shoulders alone! so let's find a way to make sustainable living practical, evidence-based, and oh yeah FUN
Why is washing bee wax wrap is more wasteful than disposing plastic bag? And again no explanation why it is so from a youtuber as you said. I wont subscribe
My only issue with my local thrift store is that they have zero changing rooms. I do visit it less due to that factor, it's annoying to buy clothes I like the look of then having to go take the garments back to my home, try on all of them and return the ones that don't fit.. Its a waste of time. I'm making it work but I might have to seek new thrifting spots.
I will say, my issue with the biddet is that the idea of water being sprayed at me anywhere (especially there) is such a sensory 'oh my god no' that I legitimately could never consider buying one. I know its better for the planet, but I simply cannot even fathom. All love and appreciation for everyone who does, but I'll focus my efforts elsewhere.
Great point about the resellers! And anything that stops people from buying more new clothes is a good thing. I heard the other day that every Australian (on average, of course) bought 56 new items of clothing last year. How?! And who is buying so many clothes? And how can you possibly wear them all? If resellers can reach those people (who perhaps wouldn't normally buy secondhand) then it's a big yay from me!
NO NOTES. you nailed it. Systemic things are systemic. Calling 1 group of proletariat witches and proceeding to burn them simply preserves the system. Preach on! 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿 My Eco friendly items: I drink out of old pasta jars daily and use my stainless steel tongue scraper every morning and night had it for 7 years i think and still doing fine 😊
Great discussion. Could you please also do one on self care habitats and products? Also sports clothes can be challenging to find if one cares about sustainability. Research about the details of each product takes time too in general. I wonder why we can’t relate systemic approaches to evaluate them and make suggestions like LEED or living building certifications that the company itself needs to provide evidence not consumers 😒
Just look at a big part of the world North America! They have been using water to clean themselves for thousands of years and still do 😂 it’s not an innovation. In west Asia toilets are equipped with hoses and bidet too. Not a breakthrough 😅
One thing that always baffles me is that when other industries raise their prices for no apparent reason, we’re more than happy to blame inflation, rent, corporate greed, etc. But when thrift stores raise their prices… we blame resellers? It makes no sense. Thrift stores have to pay rent and wages too.
Allison your channel is a breath of fresh air. I'm going to share this with some family members of mine because you explain things 10x better than me and without all the attitude and annoyance I inevitably give off because of the ignorance. Love the knowledge you share!
. According to far too many people there are only two types of people, the level 5 vegan that doesn't eat anything that casts a shadow and lives in a cave, and "hey guy welcome to my $1000 shein haul of cheap plastic rubbish i don't need or want but buy to keep up with microtrends". Letting perfect be the enemy of good is really holding back environmentalism.
Girl your point about consumption in capitalism was so accurate. I’m pissed with how ambientalism became just a “lost cause” for soo many people. I’m tired of trying to convince everyone to do at least something less degenerate.
oh my GOURD i can’t wait to hear your susty unpopular opinions / hot takes!! and if you can’t think of any, let us know which eco-friendly items you use every single day! p.s. feel free to express your disagreement but comments are being moderated so keep it kind or you’ll be removed 😌 thank you fellow earth people!
Thank you for encouraging people to use their brain instead of following a bunch of hardseth rules. You did a great point that driving is often worse than plastic. However, it seemed to me that your investigation fell a bit short when you talked about beeswax and glass. Especially regarding beeswax products, do not forget that by encouraging the use of products containing it, you are helping to make the rearing of bees economically viable. As for glass, recycling needs to be improved indeed, however, there is one major difference: glass is not chemically reactive! You can use it to create habitat for sea life, build houses for people and pets in combination with clay and straw or crush it and use bags of it to stop flooding. Plastic is chemically reactive. As it breaks down the particles get smaller but retain a positive charge and bind to all sorts of chemicals around it. If it breaks small enough it goes trough our gut and lungs into the blood stream of animals and US. Look at the numbers in cancer and allergies. A recent study showed we carry about the equivalent of a credit card in our blood alone. There are many environmental issues and a lot of imperfect solutions. We all need to educate ourselves to find the solutions that fit best into our lifestyle and help tackle the issues in the "location" we live. Above all, just take a second to consider what you are supporting with the dollars you spend and educate yourself about what the issues are in the 50km around the area you live in!
The main reason, at least for me, in reducing single use plastics is that they became litter… I think that the litter part of it is the most important in reducing single use plastics… And then, unless you are going to actually Compost whatever you use… or reuse it. It can make more sense to use plastics.
Huge on number 2! I have sensitive teeth and I just need to use specific toothpastes and mouth washes and I try to consider that the alternative is needing to get dental procedures done that will produce significantly more waste (on top of being more expensive for me and just not as good as not needing them in the first place).
Are you using brain cells? 40% vs nearly zero for plastics. Plus glass also can be recycled in insulation ( have a plant that does this one hour away). The reason glass doesn’t have as high a number is the vast amount of plastics. YES A MILLION Times, change where you live.
I find the intense - are you doing something perfect it’s stupid. And people acting very OCD. REASON FOR THIS AN OTHER VIDS. JUST REDUCE WHERE you can.
This is super helpful. Some of the zero waste movement has always been so wild to me. Like making toothpaste with essential oils and bicarbonate of soda. A simple Google search would tell you both are actually detrimental to your health! I still encounter the odd ZW that tells me my prescribed toothpaste is bad and I should be ashamed of myself and I just have to laugh. My teeth are damaged enough as it is, I don’t need to wear them down more with a chemical for funky internet moral points. I do wonder what goes on in these peoples lives to think ingesting essential oils for “health” via toothpaste for internet points is a good idea
zero waste doesn't necessarily mean 100% plastic-free, for instance if you can reuse the plastic component in the packaging then that could be considered zero waste, but i get where you're coming from!
@@allisonfromearth -So how do you reuse the plastic cap, then? -You should call it "Low Waste" then and be more transparent if its not actually Zero...
not entirely true although yes, plastic recycling could and should be miles better than it is so overall i'll agree with you. and for your second point, we can do all the googling we want but the fact is scientists don't yet know the effects of microplastics on the human body or the environment so neither do we. we have a pretty good idea how global heating and air pollution will affect our health though...to me, that seems like a more imminent threat
Also true but plastics are also destroying whole eco systems and that is a proven fact by scientific research (not Google). I agree to disagree. We should all be working on reducing our carbon footprint. Landfills also produce greenhouse gases and that is where most containers glass or plastic wind up. So pick your poison.
Found you by chance with some of my goals each year to make one sustainable move every month (eg changing out a genuine plastic issue I have to something else I’ll use for a good half a life time, or saving money to fix some old clothes rather than buying new ones that month/etc) and I am SO delighted to have found your channel. These templates are super awesome and they’re my May eco goal to set up and make a plan from everything! Thank you so much for always sharing this and actually helpful eco facts and aid. You’re a gem and a breath of fresh air on this website and other websites that have a horrific misinformation problem.
@@allisonfromearth same here. You’ve some wonderful actually helpful tips that just is lacking in so many places 💕 thanks for reminding me it’s about sustainability not what random people bark about on instagram and discord
Could you please explain a little more how handwashing beeswax wraps creates way more gas emissions? I wash my beeswax wraps with a little bit of cold water and some castile soap.
i think it's because of the massive amounts of electricity required to power water treatment plants! i should add that if you enjoy beeswax wraps, keep on using them 😊 they're not single-handedly destroying the environment and we don't have to make each and every decision in our lives based on emissions. personally i *only* bought them because i believed they'd be better for global heating -- so for me they were a waste of money since they're not particularly eco-friendly compared to alternatives i enjoy using more!
The reason glass is recycled less is partly because it is being phased out and being replaced by plastic crap that has a lot of indoctrination disruptors in it. That's not just bad for our home but bad for us as animals.
@@allisonfromearth We produce ammonia, (pee), that does not mean I will actively inhale ammonia. Essential oils are to be treated with caution but you truly are unhinged if you think synthetic fragrances are harmless. But go ahead, sniff it all you want, we need less people like you on earth.
I think your approach is not the worst but still a bit short-sighted. A huge problem in plastic trash is the micro-plastic that is already found in all humans and animals and that is found everywhere in nature. That is a real problem for the environment as a whole. At least as important as CO2 emissions if not more. Also: have you ever heard about a whale that died because of 2 tons of glass in its stomach? I doubt that.
@@allisonfromearth MP in humans, nature and animals are without doubt already prooved. Studies to what MP and NP do to humasn, animals and nature are yet only in "baby shoes". In some parts studies already show that just beacause we don't now yet how bad it is we should be sincerely concerned. (translated via deepl:) The following can be said at the present time: Microplastics have been detected in many groups of organisms, such as mammals, molluscs, insects, crustaceans, birds, etc.70 crustaceans, birds, etc.70 , especially in the gastrointestinal tract.71 Even in newly discovered species living in remote places such as the Marianas, which is more than Mariana Trench, which is more than 6,000 m deep, microplastics have already been detected.72 Due to their small size and availability, animals ingest microplastics. animals ingest microplastics, for example through their food.73 While some organisms excrete microplastic particles without any obvious effect, the substances added to microplastics, which ensure the stability and longevity of the plastic the stability and durability of the plastic (additives) appear to enter the blood or organs and into fat and muscle tissue.74,75 What effects do microplastics and additives effects microplastics and additives can have on organisms, on organisms, although it is not possible to make general statements here. can be made here. For example, when amphipods were constantly exposed to microplastic exposed to microplastic particles, their growth and reproductive rate suffered. their reproductive rate.76 Sea urchins were found to have reduced embryonic embryonic development77 and in microorganisms of the zooplankton it was found that the animals that the animals consumed less food in the form of algae, algae, which impaired energy supply and growth and increased mortality.78 increased mortality.78 One study found that the ingestion of polyethylene particles slowed the growth of earthworms and also resulted in higher mortality.79 mortality.79 Another study, which worked with a lower concentration of concentration of microplastics showed hardly any effects.80 In addition, species-specific effects can also be observed, such as e.g. the reduction in the photosynthetic performance of bacteria, which make a significant contribution to global oxygen production81, or mussels, in which microplastics microplastics appear to have an effect on protein metabolism, so that they produce form fewer byssus filamentsv and therefore no longer adhere as firmly to the substrate and can therefore drift away more quickly.82 In principle, scientists assume that microplastic particles damage the organs either organs either mechanically (through internal injuries) or indirectly, e.g. by the additives added to the particles causing irritation in the body.83 in the body.83 Studies have shown that some additives have a hormone-like effect and can influence the reproduction, growth and sexual development of animals.84 growth and sexual development.84 Additives such as plasticizers, flame retardants etc. are generally not chemically bound to the plastics and can therefore plastic and can therefore be easily released.85 Among the possible effects, it is also being discussed whether plastic may also bind harmful substances, viruses or bacteria in addition to the added substances, and whether animals may ingest these substances when ingesting microplastics. additionally ingest these substances when ingesting microplastics. The following is a german pdf but the sources/studies are linked at the last pages in english: www.wwf.de/fileadmin/fm-wwf/Publikationen-PDF/WWF-Hintergrundpapier-Mikroplastik.pdf
please don't glorify plastic. I am aware of being more eco friendly, i don't buy much, but people who are not into eco friendly living as you are, or I am might take this as example that plastic is always the best solution and that being eco friendly doesn't make any sense. You should mention secondary problems with plastic. That micro plastic are harmful for health as well as for the planet. This is much more complex problem that u are saying..
i think there's a big difference between glorifying plastic vs. limiting its use but still recognizing it has its plus sides. no one's glorifying plastic here 🙃 if the takeaway for anyone is that plastic is always the best solution -- they didn't watch the video
Discovering your video, Such a great surprise! I saw you re using a home made product to remove labels ...do you have any receipt to share?😘 You give me nrg! thanks!
The consumer finds a platform to send more ideals to another consumer. I’m definitely into reducing my impact on this ball that spins around the sun. You have work to do.
there's not a whole lot of proof of that but it does seem likely that certain compounds in plastic *can* leach into certain foods [particularly oily foods], so chemists advise not to microwave plastic containers or put them in the dishwasher to be on the extra safe side. i mainly use my containers in the freezer and if i have to get takeout in plastic, i try and decant the food sooner rather than later. but for every day types of disposable plastic food packaging, there's not enough proof yet for me to make any big changes. it's personal though!
