An alternative that I have heard for glitter/confetti is to collect dried leaves. If you hole punch them they can create these nice, earthy toned confetti that will 100% biodegrade (as long as nothing else is added to it) :)
Hey Gittemary, It would be very helpful if you could put time stamps to your lists next time onwards. Regardless, making a list of what all she has mentioned :) 0:35 Chewing Gum 1:12 Synthetic Clothes (1:32 example of synthetic clothes) 2:02 Paper Cups 2:29 Receipts 3:00 Tetra Pak 3:43 Bioplastics 4:33 Silicone 5:20 Tea Bags 6:12 Aluminium Cans 7:02 Lids 8:06 Glitter 9:15 Table Salt 9:52 Water 10:35 Cigarette buds 11:33 Wet Wipes 12:28 Exfoliators 13:10 toothpaste 13:50 Stay on products 14:20 Nail polish 15:36 Tampons & Pads (Use cloth pads or menstrual cups or period underwear instead)
Cigarette butts are my nemesis. I never understood how somehow they aren't considered litter by people who smoke. And not only are they litter but they can also start fires. Ugh!
I am a smoker and still cant understand how ppl do not think cigarette butts are litter. I mean its garbage. U dont keep it. Throw it away in a trash can after u really make sure it doesnt burn anymore.
I love how when I am with my friends in the park and I start picking up cigarette budds (with fallen leaves), my friends start to join me without me asking them to or talking about it at all.. you just gotta set a good model to learn from 💕
I’m in shock as well, plus I just bought different high quality salts recently... Ehm, but then I realised that they were mostly packaged in plastic to begin with! Then those microplastics...
Make up products often contain hidden plastics. That mascara that makes your lashes super long and is waterproof? Probably full of microplastics. Same goes for lipsticks and many other products.
Rayon is synthetic, but it's a synthetic that is biodegradable. Cellulose (ie. wood pulp) is dissolved in a caustic solution, which makes a thick slimy liquid. The liquid is then extruded into a different chemical bath, which sets it into fibers, which are then be spun into yarn and made into fabric. There are a lot of environmental issues surrounding rayon manufacturing, most notably the chemical discharge, but the material itself is biodegradable.
there is actually a biodegradable glitter option, i saw it in a german eco store it's called "Bio Glitzer" from the brand "Projekt Glitter" and is made of cellulose from eucalyptus
I know, as I mentioned in the video I am aware of the biodegradable options, but they make up a fraction of the use of glitter so the problem still needs to be addressed 😊🌿
But why would people need glitter? To me it seems so unnatural and it is pain to get it of your skin when it once sticks to it. I have multiple times had glitter particles on my face after going through crafting supplies and it's like a curse.
That is not at all the point though, no one can be perfect, but we need to know all the info to make the best decisions as consumers 🌿 I don’t expect perfection from anyone, or myself 💚
Can you make a video about which of these three types of vegetables are the most sustainable? - organic - plastic-free - local/seasonal I often find it hard to decide between those when I go buy me veggies from the supermarket, since it's mostly impossible to get veggies that meet all three criteria (or insanely expensive, and I am just a poor uni student from Germany :) ).
Local and seasonal would be more sustainable and organic but organic unfortunately can be expensive unless you manage to grow your own. If you do manage to grow your own it would also help with avoiding the plastic packaging that often comes with fruits and vegetables. I do have the privilege of being able to grow my own so they meet all 3 criteria but not everyone has a garden or the space to do so. There's some vegetables that can be grown in containers and indoors so you could consider that. Checkout youtubers who grow vegetables in containers for advice or rhs.org.uk/advice/grow-your-own
Great video as always!! You are really inspiring. Something to add for the possible part two is sewing thread. In an attempt to be more sustainable I'm repairing and mending my clothes, and I was shocked when I saw that the thread was made from plastic! It was something I didn't even think about. Also, one time I took a dress my grandma had made for herself to a tailor because it was too long for me, and asked the tailor to also change the zipper because it wasn't closing smoothly. She discouraged me from doing it because the original zipper was made from metal, something impossible to find nowadays and would last way longer then a conventional replacement made of plastic.
I'm so glad you mention cigarettes on this list. It's my little pet peeve. People here just don't care. I recently recorded a video about cigarettes and pollution but it's one of my least-watched videos. Smokers don't even want to know. On a better note, I recently had a long conversation with a roof worker who was leisurely discarding of a cigarette on my roof (where I would not even have been able to get it!!), and he didn't just pocket it but also seem to actually listen to what I was explaining. One person at a time, right?
Fun fact: It’s common in Sweden to get the receipt digitally when ur buying groceries etc. We barely use cash either, everything is digitalized in our society
Rayon is actually derived from wood pulp and will biodegrade! It does take more work to produce which is why it is considered a semi-synthetic fiber but it is better than polyester and it is not plastic!
The point was not that all materials on that list is equally bad 😊 and Rayon is still classified as a synthetic, just like tencel. Because it is not naturally occurring and depending on the quality it can contain fillers derived from plastic
There's a company here in my city that recycle cigarettes buts, there's collection points all around the city for people to throw their buds and private companies also ally themselves to install them, they are expanding to 2 more cities near but as far as I know they are the only company I know that do this, but it is possible
For any Canadians reading this: MisMack Cosmetics is a Canadian brand who makes completely biodegradable glitters! The base is either corn starch or wood pulp, depending on the colour, and they're really beautiful. I've used them on a few different occasions and highly recommend them! She also makes an eco-friendly gloss that doubles as a glitter primer. I belieeeeve the packaging is eco-friendly too, but don't quote me on that.
Could you make a sustainable video about what to do during the covid/social distancing/quarantine times? Our house is making an effort to reduce our waste (by no means zero waste but taking steps in the right direction). But now with covid a lot of our good habits are being reversed. We are no longer allowed to bring canvas bags or produce bags into the store. We've been requesting no bags and check out and just bagging all the groceries ourselves from the cart to the trunk, however we still have to use the plastic produce bags. Also, we can't eat at restaurants and have to get everything to go which comes in a TON of plastic packaging. And anything else we need basically comes from Amazon and you never know what kind of packaging that is going to show up in. My first grocery shopping trip I had a minor panic attack because of all the covid related changes and stress and every time I grabbed a produce bag it just made it that much worse. We are starting to make our own Oat milk so that is one step!
You're doing a good job! The covid backslide is real!! Shelbizleee has talked about how you can request plastic free packaging when ordering from Amazon. Even if they don't honor your request, you're one more voice encouraging them to change!
So funny about tetra packs. As in Belgium they would only take limited plasic such as tetra packs and bottles to be recycled. I also knew the plasic. However i was under impression tea bags were not always made of palsic apart from obvious ones like lipton. However they had plasic to hold them together. Pj tips now have a eco bag. Which i guess is were they have removed the palsic glue. Clipper in uk are plasic free. In rest of Europe they are plasic free but are individually packaged.
Wait, confetti is plastic???? I just know confetti as paper. Like, u make your own from paper or buy the paper ones from the store. I didn't know there were any made of plastic
So as someone who has a dream open her own eco spa, nail polish for me is where I am finding it difficult, how would you suggest removing the nail polish from clients in a sustainable way?
I always get so mad!! My work has a machine that won’t let us not print the receipts! So for every customer there is 3 receipts (our copy, their card copy and the register recipient)
At 2:18 I guess you meant plastic lining, right? Or did I misunderstand? I got the overall sentiment about the (no so) paper cups, so I guess it doesn't really matter :p
Plastic in toothpaste? I alway thought it was like baking soda or something that did that! Also I don't use body scrubs but I use facial apricot scrubs.
Many toothpastes have switched away from plastics because the microbeads were outlawed. A lot of them use hydrated silica now (which is basically sand).
I really want to emphasize that it is EASY to avoid polyethylene in your makeup and skincare (cleansing balms like the very popular Farmacy Green Clean, what an ironic name, have it too), it is definitely not in all products! Even brands that are not "clean" "natural" etc. make plenty of products that are polyethylene-free. All you have to do is take a look at the product label, because as Hyram says, "ingredients don't lie, bitch!"
So... I still have nail polish and I thought instead of throwing it away it would be better to use it until it's empty. I use it only during summer time on my toe nails, so it might take years until I have no more left. And I use the tampons I still have to remove the polish. Thought that would be somehow clever. Now I actually feel like a hypocrite piece of shit. I still have so much plastic (and meat but that's another topic) in my life and I feel dumb. When I started following you, I saw you as some kind of idol. Now, I only swapped the bathroom stuff to Zero Waste and I feel like I failed you although we don't even know each other.
I might sound overly pedantic here, but chemistry is kind of my thing, so oh well: "Polymer" is not actually a synonym for plastic, but it's true that plastic is a kind of polymer. A polymer is simply a material made up of identical monomers (the smallest repeated unit). Proteins are, for example, polymers of amino acids, so it might be a good idea to keep the terminology specific :)
BookishDaydreams no I am so happy that you can explain this better, we completely agree but thank you so much for the clarification 🌿✌🏼 I think what I wanted to say, which may have been slightly unclear, is that all plastics are polymers, thank you for the perspective 🥬
@@Gittemary Yeah, you always seem well-read on the topics you speak about! My comment was mostly to clarify it for other viewers, honestly, since I don't want any youngin's being scared of just any material that sounds "too chemical" 😅
Oh, someone commented this already. I like your videos but I wanted to tell you this so you wouldn't get into misinformation. Another example of polymers are starch and cellulose which are made from monomer called glucose.
Loose tea is way better anyway. Teabagged tea is more expensive anyways in weight and you can't get as many flavours. Just get loose tea. Better value, better quality and more eco friendly
@@natchosm4320 I'm aware loose tea is better. I dumpsters dived an insane amount of bagged tea a few years ago and have been having some almost every day. Now I'm all mixed up about it.
@@rstudent9977 there's reusable teabags on the market. I've personally never used them but from what I've seen they're just little cotton bags you pop your tea leaves into. Really handy for people who like to make tea in work, on the go, etc...
The cigarette buds problem is so horrible. They are everywhere!! I don't smoke, but my boyfriend does, and although I try to remind him not to throw them on the ground, he still does it sometimes... Baddd!!
There are biodegradable ones. They are Eco Filter Sticks from OCB. I specifically use them, cus I'm rolling my cigarettes if this is how u call the non fabric cigars.
Same here, I am proud of telling off few passers by... I also tried questioning people why they do that, most said, that they just do not think about it
Oh boy, these videos are so important and educational! But sometimes it just feels like such an impossible task to "save the planet". We are so far gone and it's not like companies stop making polyester or adding plastic into products. It will take years to get a big change in and we don't have time 😬 I don't mean to bu a downer, but it's difficult when you start thinking about the big picture... Environmental stress/anxiety and how to think about it would be an interesting topic for a video!
Just take one step at a time. It sometimes is overwhelming.. the things we can do. But just keep going. Because what you are doing makes a difference, when we all keep doing the good things.
My friend Nicole created a course called From Eco-Anxiety to Effective Action. It's been her project during lockdown and I'm taking it now! Let me know if you're interested in being a guinea pig and I can send you the link.
Who in their right minds sticks unwanted chewing gum in beautiful trees? I am shocked and sad. I never go into cities so never look in parks. I thought gobbed out gum stuck to cement pavements was bad enough and gross but now I am sad for nature. Why? Just why?
I did a little looking on it a while ago, I dont remember the sources and they suggest that you just throw it out. They think it would be better for it to be in the landfill than circulate through water systems I guess. I'm not sure what else you could do with it.
We have a filter and a cora ball. At the moment what they collect we put in the rubbish until we find a better solution. We know it's not ideal but working on a better final outcome
On the guppyfriend website they recommend collecting the fibers in a small container and then throw it out - in this way you avoid the microplastic to be spread by wind etc. :)
@@Ariyl yeah this is true, I myself have worked at a restaurant which had only vegan and vegetarian food and had some zero-waste nerds (me and others :D) working there, and there was no way for us to stop the register and the pin machine from printing out the receipts... so annoying!
I don't know where you are from but in the U.S. it is all over the place in amusement parks, and on the trees in amusement parks. It can be found on the outside walls of buildings, the parking lot, it can be found under classroom desks and chairs, which is why most schools ban chewing gum, you could even accidentally step on some. As for who would do that, I think some of it maybe ignorant adolescents, who see others do it. Students will put it under the desk and chairs to not get caught in school with it (there is nothing worse than accidentally touching the bottom of a desktop and finding gum). People a amusement parks get tired of chewing their gum, and/or want to eat or drink something else and will be too lazy or impatient to wait for a trash can while they are in line for a ride. Most of the People in the U.S. have no idea that there is plastic in chewing gum, I had no Idea until this video.
A small plastic lining is often used in the hems of cloths, even on clothing labled as 100% cotton. I've found it upcycling cloths. Also threads might be the same but I've only worked with dyes a little bit.
I’m from Canada, the land of colourful money which used to be made from paper. Now it is made from plastic. It is more durable, it doesn’t rip or tear... and depending on one’s spending habits it may, or may not be single-use plastic. LOL!! But seriously... our “paper money” is actually “plastic money”.
Ours in the UK has just been "upgraded" to that too. On the plus side maybe it means less needs to be made overall, because it lasts longer without wearing out, so maybe it saves energy overall..? 😬
I'm 100% on board with everything here... except the polyethylene in sunscreen. At what price, indeed... of not using that technology. ): It's not a cosmetic like lipstick; it's a critical medical item with life or death outcomes based on the success of its application, regardless of how the EU in particular (versus the US and Australia) classifies it. My family member just had a huge cancer cut out of her face because of a lifetime of inadequate suncare. She's lucky that the situation wasn't deadly. 2/3 Australians get skin cancer by age 70 because of the exposure to extreme UV conditions. Sunscreen adherence is a HUGE factor in how successful an SPF will be. Zinc sunscreens are lovely, but they do require re-application every two hours, versus far more photostable, suitable-for-melanoma-patients, high-adherence sunscreens with new-gen organic chemical filters. I actually think sunscreen is one of the few issues that the zero-waste community has completely wrong, same as marginalisaing disabled individuals for using single-use or plastic-based accessibility aids. Other than that, yesss, the revolution is nigh. ;) I found this video SO educational. I probably learn the most from your content of any zero-waste content creator, which is saying something. I love how education-focused you are, versus just material swap suggestions. For me, that speaks volumes. Also, I move between Sweden and Australia, so it means a lot to me to have someone making zero-waste content that is local to Europe/Scandinavia.
That's unfortunate that there's no zero waste store near you. I am grateful that I have one in my area of the country I live in and do my best to support it.
The non-woven bags that look like cloth are also plastic. I've seen many shops switching to these bags, and many believe it is cloth, but sadly it's not. It's definitely more durable and can be reused though. If it's just being handed out to everyone for free and no one reuses it, then I don't see the point..
Canadian high school sewing teacher here... you’re 100% correct. Those bags that you are referring to are made from “Olefin” fabric which is plastic-based. It is also very cheap to produce/purchase which is why a lot of stores are giving these bags away as freebie promo items. Every year there is a huge career fair in the high school where I teach, and students are given these bags with freebies in them. At the end of the day, there are so many of these bags in the trash, plus boxes of them are left over and never even used... they’re everywhere... it is so wasteful... and it drives me crazy!!
Rayon is a semi-natural fibre, and not plastic at all. It's basically chemically treated wood pulp. Still harmful due to the chemicals used, but not really bad when washing as far as I know. Tencel is similar but it is a more sustainable type of viscose/rayon.
Thank you so much for making this! I have been wanting a low waste, low plastic lifestyle, but I have a hard time researching. I am 15, so I’m taking baby steps as I am not in full control of my home life. Your content truly amazes me, and I wish more people watched your videos. All this information will go in my bullet journal :) 💗🌱
PG Tips converted to non-plastic tea bags in 2018. Stash doesn't use plastic, nor Harney & Sons, Teapigs, nor Bigelow. Twinings does (except their pyramid shape), Tetley uses plastic, Co-op has been promising to go plastic-free for awhile, but.
Me, a flamboyant gay: There's plastic everywhere! How do we solve this problem?! Gittemary: Dont ever use confetti-glitter, Dont ever use glitter in craft and DIY projects, because glitter is the absolute worst! Me: *slides makeup-tray full of every kind of glitter out of sight* well then...
There is so much controversial data out there and some state that the liner in ALL aluminum cans is not plastic, it's a food grade lacquer that is sprayed into the can and then baked on during the forming. Personally, I almost never buy cans anyway, but just saying that Iam not 100% sure
I work at a drug store (shoppers drug mart) and they have the option to email or refuse a reciept so anytime im on cash i make sure to ask the customers if they want the reciept or not and a lottt of people will say they dont need it if u just ask! Whether or not they r trying to be environmentally conscious or not i always feel happy when they dont need it or ask for it to be emailed ☺ ALSO I just found out yesterday that my store does this (and i assume others) but u can reload gift cards??? I had no idea! So if someone has given u a gift card for somewhere, instead of tossing it after uve used it up maybe u can reload it to give to someone else?
I recently figured out that my tattoos have plastic in the ink. I get bumps on them when the weather changes. I looked it up and found out it's because of the plastic reacting under my skin! Does anyone know of a plastic free tattoo ink? I have to finish my sleeve😭
Regarding teabags. The water consumption to make a tea bag et much higher then loos tea. Funny I have a similar experience with my nails. Thank you a informative channel. It is inspiring 🍀
You can also recycle tetrapack here in Holland. Although I feel like we can throw so much "other" material into the plastic bins that I'm not really sure any of it can be recycled properly anymore.
My teabags from a smaller local organic brand really look like they’re made of just... ehm... paper? Some kind of “good-looking” brown fibre, and I’d be surprised if there was plastic in those ones. And I’m wondering the same about the different high quality salts I have (not so optimistic about the salts, though)... My point is: yes, but maybe not always, if you buy from more eco-responsible brands. Still, emitting microplastics after buying a recycled synthetic Patagonia “eco-friendly” piece of clothing is pretty crazy! (I’m thinking about making the jump to “slow fashion”/eco/blabla clothes.)
things mentioned in the videos and their alternatives: -gum / licorice root -synthetic clothes / non synthetic clothes (or thrift clothes, this won't dissolve the problem, just lessen the amount manufactured) -paper cups / bamboo cups -receipts / just say no to one or buy small and local - tetra-tak / buy bulk or bring ur own jars to local farmer markets (or make your own plant milk) -bio plastic / just try to stay away from these types of things -silicone / stay away or use in smaller amounts -teabags / get a reusable tea egg and put your own herbs in! -aluminum cans / again, buy in bulk, and stay away -lids / try to get glass or Tupperware, stay away OR reuse! -glitter / DEGRADABLE GLITTER or crushed crystals! (confetti - degradable confetti or regular paper) -table salt / can't really avoid this unless you want unsalted food -water / again, can't really avoid this unless you want to d!e of dehydration -cigarette butts / don't smoke cigs, but if you do want to smoke, smoke 🍃 -wet wipes / for makeup- micellar water, for hands- soap -exfoliators and scrubs / make homemade ones with natural, homemade (or ethnically bought) ingredients -whitening toothpaste / buy non whitening toothpastes (or ones with no plastic) -stay-on products (sun screen, lipstick) / do your research about products made naturally and without plastics -nail polish / MAKE YOUR OWN!! you can use rocks! or just paint them with sharpies or markers LOL -tampons / buy reusable pads you can wash, diva cups, period underwear!! these might sound gross since they are reusable, but you are washing them! it's just like a bloody nose, except for the fact it's much cleaner. also: the stuff they put in tampons make you BLEED MORE!!
Whaaat?! 😱 Teabags, my dear high quality salt, my rather eco stuff being nasty and sending microplastics into the wild, and, of course, the very water we have to drink all the time... We’re fucked! 😂😭 (Not sure which emoji to use here...) Anyway, thanks for educating us about this, and I think it’s more than time to see what we can possibly do to revert that craziness!
Any updates about recycling pastic and carboard boxes? I've seen a Finnish milk carton video, where they explain how they're recycled, and it's quite good. Wondering just if the method has gone more "viral" or what the sophisticated word is 😅 Also I love that Vuokkoset has made biodegradable onetime use period products.
"at what price?" how about looking like you're 50 when you're 40. there's no way i'm not using sunscreen, even if there's plastic in it. i say good luck to those who think they can diy their own sunscreens. you do you.
not sure if youve done this in latter video/s.. but if not .. itd be good to list a couple of the most common names for microbeads in product ingredients to look for. (and names for GOOD alternatives - walnut husk I thnk is a good one).. i have 3 suspect items - and none of them list "microbeads"... one of them might use a chemical/acid exfoilator - not sure ...
Actually Rayon (on your list of synthetic fibers) is more biodegradable than cotton! It is synthetic because it is man-made but it is made from wood or other biodegradable materials so it is still basically just cellulose! Just thought I would mention :)
huh? In Finland receipt goes to paper recycling, it does not contain plastics. Could not find any information about plastics in xylitol chewing gum sold in Finland. Help!
Cigarette butt pollution kills dugongs a marine mammal as they vacuum them up as they feed on sea grass. It got so bad here in Australia we had a dugong mascot trying to educate people on their consequences of littering ciggy butts.
i’m swedish and i’m really surprised that we’re one of the only countries where you can recycle tetra pak’s. if it can be done why isn’t it more widespread?
