I can 1000% support the use of rechargable batteries! My husband has cycling through the same 4 Energizer rechargable batteries on a weekly basis for his Xbox controllers for YEARS. It is amazing how well they have stood up with such frequent use. It's now all we use in our house if we have battery operated things :) Thanks for bringing those up!
In my town in regional Victoria, Australia, we have a Tool Library where you can borrow tools for a week at a time. It's great if you need a drill for 1 job and don't have one, or need a saw etc. They've also moved into party supplies eg trestle tables, bbqs, cake stands etc. You can even borrow a sewing machine and fairy floss maker! There's a yearly cost but it's less than buying all the tools you only use once! Also having an IUD. I'm not saying it's for everyone or good in terms of plastic/waste but not needing any period care items for 5 years is a win for me!
Here in the UK even supermarkets are catching up on zero waste, with shampoo bars, “wild” and “fussy” deodorants, and they have been charging extra for plastic shopping bags for a few years now . People are using their own fabric bags and heavy duty recyclable bags 🌱🤗🙏🏼
@@RosesRedTearsBlack😅 thank you! I’m from NL and we’ve had to pay for plastic bags in supermarkets for YEARS, I was worried I missed something in UK. I have plenty of shopping bags whenever I go out so I never need to buy one. Too many 😢
@10:41 A good reason to hit up IKEA: they take used batteries! And lightbulbs! Now if they would take dead charging cords my recycling needs would be more complete!
😂 6:02 I laughed when you said you were new to reusable tissues. I have a simple stack of cotton hankies that I use for Everything. I also have a few in my backpack, car, work bag. When people ask me for a tissue, they get a clean cotton hankie. No need to buy them either. Just ask for mother or grandmother, or wait for the inheritance. You’ll get TONS.
For the reusable tissues, I use 100% cotton small 'baby' wash-cloth towels (hand towels) set. I personally dislike how they're named "baby towels" because they aren't just for your baby... Anyway you can get them in different colors and I appreciate that because they will become stained after a long time of use and washing etc. I use them in the shower to apply soap instead of a sponge, as make up wipe, as a tissue and take them to the park if my child gets a bit dirty. Once we went to the park and the swing seat was wet from the rain from the day before, I wiped off the seat and my child was so tickled to play.
I work at a fabric store and multiple women have said that they used baby washcloths and burp cloths far beyond the baby era. At least one woman said she makes burp cloths with batting in the middle so it's extra absorbent
We found shave bars and soap bars at buff city soap! We love them! We use their detergent also, you buy the container one time, then can have it refilled over and over and over!!! ❤
On the vegan meal thing, I’m solidly an omnivore, but support Meatless Monday movement because it encourages take the $ saved and donate it to local food bank. A friend organizes a meatless meal potluck as a way for folks to try out making a dish and then get to taste other dishes. On reusable handkerchiefs, I have been doing that for over 40 years preferring 100% cotton because paper Kleenex self destruct when trying to use in a rain ☔️ storm, even a wet cotton hankie is better than nothing.
I started using old fashioned cloth handkerchiefs years ago when we could find them in vintage shops. I inherited my grandmother’s. It’s easy to forget and use tissues but the cotton ones are better. Thanks for the reminder.
I love your hair on this one! My problem with the solid deodorant is because I am a man and I have hair on my pits, and when I apply the deodorant, it gets stuck on my hairs and it does not melt, just stays there, like parts of the deodorant, and when I move my arms, they kind of pull my hairs and it hurts and it's disconfortable and not in my skin, where is supposed to go and make an effect, so I keep using the spray, personally is best for me.
I think I used the mechanical dryer once! When I needed to wash my cloths at my friend's home. Generally, I was air drying my clothes all my life 😘 The period underwear is absolutely amazing 😁
As far as the meal planning, I don't understand how people know what they are gonna wanna eat in 3 days. I also have a weird thing about food that's been in the fridge for more than 3 days. My brain insists it's bad and gonna make me sick. 😭
Figure out what you are making on repeat. Stock those items. Figure out how to reinvent them (then they're aren't leftovers, ie cooked potatoes become home fries, hashbrowns; raw onions can be a condiment if slowly sauteed with a tiny amount of oil and maple syrup; undressed cooked pasta can be either a hot dish or a pasta salad, you decide!). Think of it as meal prep: have cooked beans on hand to toss into every savory meal; have raw kale on hand to through into sauces, soups (if it starts looking like you're not going to finish it, it can go straight into the freezer for future tosses into whatever dish you are cooking). Figure out a meal you really love and make extras that you freeze (a la home made freezer meals). One of my favorites: Jamaican jerk seasoned black beans, rice and seasoned steamed kale. If freezes lovely and it very, very satisfying. If you don't like spice you can control it with your own spice mix. Start out small: I will eat an apple (or banana, or bagel, you name it) a day. So buy that many (7?). then do it --- eat those that you plan to eat. Don't go shopping on an empty stomach, but DO go shopping on an empty fridge! It really works --- you will burn through the condiments that live in the fridge and you will have a better idea of what you really want taking up that valuable real estate! good Luck!
I think it depends on your purse or whatever you bring to carry your wallet. I know in my life my purse is too tiny... holds my keys, wallet, checks, and phone. I don't have any space for a take out container. So I'd either have to invest in a bigger purse or backpack item or try to eat all my food when I choose to go out.
I use wild deodorant for more than a year now and I’m very happy with it ☺️ I use bar everything or powder everything - my shampoo, conditioner, body wash, face wash, body lotion is all a bar. My cleaning products are all powders which are diluted in water and ready to go ☺️ the only things packaged in plastic I still use in the bathroom are my contact lenses (but fortnight ones) and their fluid and sunscreen for my face. And that’s acceptable for me. And the menstrual cup changed my life about 10 years ago 😊
Bars- they also make shaving powder but that packaging can vary. I saw metal tins and Tetrapacks but I use bars like my family so kinda moot for me. Also I wish more shampoo bar companies offered a sample packs or something because there are so many I have to pass up because of the (very fair) price for something I might get to use once Libraries may also offer sewing classes. Mine has a whole craft area and they try to host educational events regularly. I love to use vintage hankies plus they are good bar soap holding for travel (I have heard wax cloth works better) Building meals in store without a list is definitely a skill. Usually I go in with a few meal ideas like stew, salad, etc then go through and see what is on sale. It's definitely not for everyone and especially if you aren't a slow shopper. I find for me it generally helps my impulse buys because I'm already being impulsive testing my cooking skills Powders- dry shampoo can be replaced with starches there are some different diy recipes too. There is also body powders which were used before deodorant can absorb and some are scented be sure to make sure yours are talc (some people again use starch) Make up- look up vintage brands that are still going some still follow the refill method. Ex- Rimmel (but still in plastic packaging), and max factor (idk im not a make up person)
Composting was tge easiest swap for us. We've struggled (and are still struggling sometimes) with all the other swaps, but composting is so friggin easy!
Shampoo bars! I bought one at a farmer's market to try out, and i no longer need conditioner! I bought a 7-pack, and my littles love their colorful shampoo MUCH better than the clear or white liquid soap they used to have. And the bars last longer than 2 weeks! I no longer use tissues. I just grab a rag and keep it in the "hanky bin," then reuse until washed. They're also colorful, and the kids prefer them to white tissues, too. I like some vegan dishes. Last night, I made barley salad. Lentil and barley stew is delicious. Pancit with edamame is good. I can't plan meals because i don't know what my energy/taste is going to be like throughout the week. I buy a lot of fresh fruit and veg because that's what my kids eat, and if it gets close to going bad, I'll cut it up for the hamster, or can it myself. I keep a lot of dried grains and legumes, canned/jarred goods, and frozen veggies/meat. The big problem we have is that nobody wants to eat leftovers (myself included), and I grew up cooking large dishes for a household of 11.
I've been a fan of soap/shampoo bars for ages but I do not believe that they last longer than 2/3 bottles of the liquid counterparts. It might if you compare it to cheap brands but in my experience, a Lush 100 ml shampoo will last 9 months (give or take). A 100 ml bottle of shower gel about a year if not more. I do shower almost every day but you really only need a drop. I would love to learn how to mend clothing. I try to only buy second-hand products but still cannot repair them. Menstrual disc
I love soap bars. I use them to shower with every day and one bar usually lasts me a week to 10 days before they get too small to use. Then I melt them down with all the other scraps, remould them, let them dry for 2 weeks and start again. Aldi occasionally have a pack of shampoo and conditioner bars which I buy up when they’re available. They are the cheapest ones I’ve found at $9.99 for each pack. All others I’ve found can be up to $30 just for the shampoo bar which I refuse to buy.
For coffee, I also recommend a Moka pot. They're super low maintenance and durable, plus if you're a camping/outdoor buff, you can easily make your coffee over a fire!
I do several of these and two of my favorites are reusable period products and rechargeable batteries. Ive been using rechargeable batteries for years now, so nice not having to buy any new ones, they can be expensive!
Thanks for reminding us that we can improve without being perfect. Little by little. My pet peeve is body wash in plastic bottles instead of bar soap. What a destructive product. And whoever started bottled water created a monster world wide. BTW I love washing clothes with laundry soap sheets.
Bottled water has it's place (i.e. emergencies) just like all plastic. BUT it's the normalization of disposables that should be despised, at least in my opinion!
Thanks for all the great tips. I really like shampoo bars. I can lather them in my hands and apply that to my hair. I have trouble with conditioner bars because they seem to pull on my hair when I try to use them and it never feels like I’m getting enough on my hair. To use up the ones I have, I’ve been grating them so I can put a bit in my hand, add some water and make it into a creamy paste to apply.
I love my Native deodorant though i havent gotten the cardboard packages yet, i am alergic to a large number of deodorants and we accidentally overbought while on subscription lol. Once it is used up ill be using the cardboard. I love the library and read 90% of my books from there or other free digital sites, also buy 90% of my hard copies (maybe 10 a year) from second hand shops since there is few reasons to get new books. I admit i recently switched back from shampoo bars to bottles while doing a haircare "experiment" but do plan on using them again in the future, love the Earthling conditioner bar in particular.
I am low key pissed with wild bc they just came out with the bee design and it did not exists when I got mine 😂 I really want it bc it’s sooo cute but I don’t need another one, so sad pass.
So I've always wanted to try a more vegan lifestyle, but unfortunately I married a carnivore, and he believes that a meal is not a meal without meat... Still learning how to navigate that one 😅❤
Sounds like he's actually an omnivore? But still, you should try a vegan meal. Perhaps he's right that a meal needs PROTEIN but that protein can come from plants :)
He really never eats pasta with marinara? Cereal and milk? Pancakes? A lot of people with a strong bias against meals they perceive as veg still often enjoy meals that are vegetarian, and easily vegan.
When eating pasta, he adds meat either by including meatballs or by making a meat sauce. Pancakes are usually accompanied by eggs and sausage because PROTEIN 💪💪 Cereal and milk is more of a snack food for him, and he doesn't feel it counts as a "real meal".@@christinehottinger5791
Research has shown that French-pressed coffee contains a lot of cafestol, which amounts to increased levels of cholesterol. If you drink several cups a day, it's not a healthy option.
Don’t use dryer sheets. They deposit residue on your clothes and if you want your wools and cotton to allow sweat to evaporate or be absorbed, this residue inhibits it. Most tech fabrics say don’t use fabric softener and so do the wools. Cotton towels are less absorbant when fabric softener is used, found this out over 2 decades ago. And not buying this saves money. Buy all cotton handkerchiefs. They are relatively inexpensive and last a long time. Bought 2 dozen during covid and they are still going strong. They also work when wet and the dozen were enough when I caught covid after vaccinated. I carry one in my outer purse pocket just for drying my hands in restrooms. I don’t use paper and it saves electricity not using a dryer. I recently bought a paktowl for travel and this worked even better for drying my hands and I used it as a wash cloth for my face as european hotels don’t have them in the room. On the flight home I used it to keep my lap clean while peeling and eating an orange. Hang it up and in 5 hours it’s dry.
Thanks for saying you don't need to be 100% vegan/vegetarian. I'm not vegan or vegetarian. But I checked today, 10-20% of my calories come from non-vegan sources, either milk/cheese/fish/etc.. But many days it might only be a small piece of cheese. I've tried both, but end up failing and viewing it as an all or nothing. Now, I'm firmly in the, I look at the plant based options and go for these first (I generally prefer the taste). Have you compared your electricity use between when you lived in Japan + now you're in the US? There's quite a big difference at a country level, I wonder did yours go up when you went back to the us due to difference in building/appliance design.
Speaking personally, i never learned how to use a tampon applicator and tampons never worked that well for me. Menstrual cups were a much easier learning curve. I am not so sure they'd be that much more challenging to learn than how to use a tampon without an applicator, assuming all products actually work with one's anatomy (I know some simply can't do the cup).
That's brave. I tried one for my first period at age 11 but I didn't insert it correctly so I was super uncomfortable all day and didn't understand why 😅 I get it now
Eco friendly Deodorant is only for the wealthy :( The bars don't have to be the expensive online brands either... there's even one in poundland! Or there was and I see them crop up in supermarkets too Libraries definitely 👍
This is so super random- my silicone baking mat that I’ve had and used for 3 years now is just perpetually oily no matter how much I wash it. Any idea why? 😂 I still use it, but I am just slightly grossed out when I have to touch it. Maybe it’s time for a new one?
Why can’t low waste deodorant companies include antiperspirants? It’s a myth that they are harmful. I thought of making my own but the ingredients come in big plastic bottles. I have made lotion bars. They are great and make nice gifts. Warning: they melt in a hot car and store better in the refrigerator.
Question for thought: I saw Kitsch shampoo and conditioner bars at Walgreens, but I would rather support a brand directly by buying on their website. But instead of getting it local, that means it has to be shipped. Pros and cons for everything. What are people's opinions?
i stopped using Native because they (disappointingly) got bought by P&G🤬 i currently use and like meow meow tweet; it's in cardboard, vegan, Palm oil free, and is a B corp (if those things are important to you).
I'm an android user, and let me just say that I have SUCH a difficult time buying a protective, eco-friendly phone case due to my unpopular phone choice 😅💀
