When I was young grownups used handkerchiefs, cloth napkins, kitchen towels, and there were always old towels kept for spills on the floor, etc. My generation replaced all of those items with disposables. To reduce waste I returned to using cloth again: handkerchiefs, cloth napkins, kitchen towels, etc. I also switched to eco laundry strips to wash my laundry.
Me too. It’s weird cause my dad grew up this way in a very poor village in the 70’s. Living in “rich” America you spend more money just to throw out the stuff you bought! So I went old school I even have washable butt wipes. I really want to move back to his village in a few years and I’ll be all prepared to do so.
Have you used the pods before? Idr the name but they come in a cardboard box and boast they are eco friendly. I didn't really like those. They didn't clean well and they left my towels feeling very stiff. If you have used them, would you say they are comparable to the strips? I hear good things about the strips.
Yes, we changed those habits. But ut was mainly because the industry and commercials pushed this single use society on us. We were told it was a luxury and more hygienic. Using cloth was dirty and poor. Nobody wanted to be considered dirty and poor. So our parents switched to single use en masse. I remember the discussion about plastic bags or poper bags. We were told in school that plastic was much better, because it saved trees. That was 45 years ago. I remember it. And suddenly all the shops were using plastic bags. The industry just decided that this was going to be the future, and cobsumers just went along. Because poor and dirty and saving the trees. It was all a scam.
I'm glad you mentioned the water depending on where you live. I feel we need to make a petition for the entire country, especially in reservations like in the SW, to have access to drinkable safe water with updated infrastructure, septic, plumbing, and piping, and processing. That would cut the water bottle industry in half.
Yes, I live in the country in the US and we have unfiltered well water for our tap which is not safe for drinking. Most people never consider that this is still an issue for much of the country.
Also instead of buying single serve bottles you should have the option of buying it in a large quantity in large containers such as 20 litres. It is quite common where I live and it is quite surprising that people in the USA buy single serve bottles for regular use in homes, etc.
@@samaitadas9772 yeah I'm from NY so I'm use to processed water but now I live in FL and I can't stand it. So I bought a dispenser and two 5 gallon jugs that I refill at a walmart or other supermarket. My parents bought a house so they have a softener and filtration system since they are also from NY now living in FL. I rent so cant do that yet.
If you don’t already have reusable bags, you can always find bags at thrift stores. They are cheap, already exist, and could end up in a land fill if not purchased. Thrift stores throwaway things they can’t sell.
Yes, that’s what I was going to say. So many people think they have to buy a special set to take with them which isn’t zero waste, if they had flatware and/or chopsticks at home that they could keep with them.
I love how you included the facts on how much we consume on average and the resources it takes to produce those items. Very informative and inspiring. Great video! 👍
The biggest swap I have made is switching out single use menstrual products. I no longer use pads or tampons, only a menstrual cup. It’s great for on the go because it lasts so long you’ll only really need to change it twice a day (depending on your comfort level).
Omg yes! I work in the medical field and have almost no time in between surgeries or running around the hospital to worry about leaking or smells or changing when the pad/tampon is soaked. I am so upset with myself for not using a cup sooner! They help me to go all day not needing to change and I have no worries! You get used to the feeling and after a while, there's no "weird" feeling. I feel great that I'm helping the environment and my wallet also.
Thank you so much for this video, it was so uplifting to watch, and I'm always grateful when I see others who are trying the best to live a more ethical lifestyle... watching this brought a quote to mind from Marshall Vian Summers, "But that does not mean that you should follow the standards of the group. For the question, “How could you ethically live in the world?” is a question for the individual. What everyone else chooses to do should not represent your standard, or you will associate through error. Do not think that a life of compromise is justified because everyone else is doing it." How to live
I have saved my rectangular take out containers and keep them in my bag to use for leftovers when dining out. They also come in handy to use as a breading station when I want to make chicken parmesan etc.
Metal straw: mine is attached to the keys. Cloth bags are always in the car now. Reusable bowl for restaurant leftovers....will definitely be doing this. Cloth napkins: yes!!
How smart you are! I usually carry my Yeti cup everywhere I go and I have a reusable straw in it, but how handy to keep a straw attached to your keys. Thanks!
Stojo's WATER BOTTLE for travel is terrific! I had to make two trips by plane in August and decided on one of these over a coffee cup style one, and it was just great. The way it closes allows you to loop it around the outside of luggage with any straps etc, collapsed, then fill at a water fill station (and reattach to bags when full to board the plane etc, or carry with one finger, etc). It's fiddlier to collapse than the food bowl you show - Finally figured out that more brute force was the way to go with this one!
No new ideas but a really polished video :) sharing to inspire! ... though besides physical difficulties i will never understand why people use straws.
I bring handkerchiefs everyday. . I feel incomplete without it. I think when I was in preschool, our parents pin it on our uniforms. It's like part of our outfit already. So even as an adult, I still bring it every day.
I do some you mentioned already! I keep 2 small towels at work for drying hands to avoid using paper towels. I use extra reusable bags I acquire to donate food to charity.
Re: food and drink containers and utensils, the big hurdle for me is cleaning them. Carrying them home, when they are all crusty, hoping they don’t leak in your bag. Yuck! I do use a reusable water bottle. But I use my shopping bags to throw my trash, rather than buy trash bags.
What is your suggestion for kitchen garbage pail liners? The plastic grocery bags were the perfect size for the pail we have. Now, we have to BUY liners for the pail, which will be thicker, meaning more plastic. When is MORE plastic better?
So there are some produce bags that have the tare weight on the label so you can tell the cashier to deduct that weight so you aren’t paying for the weight of the bag. If you can’t find it, I’ve contacted the manufacturer for help on the ones I have. Or I just take the produce out of the bag and weigh it, then I put it back in.
Why American restaurants serve so much food that is almost impossible to finish the whole portion and you need to pack this food home? Sorry, I am talking from my European perspective, but I see this "trend", which is contributing to this growing problem of one-use packaging, and I am shocked.
Does it even dawn on these people that the amount of energy and resources needed for these "reusable item" is way more that the disposable items and that 99% of people won't use the reusable items enough for it actually be better for the planet?
For me buying a reusable straw is wasteful as I won't use it. And I rather use a paper straw for the times I need to use a straw. I can count how many strwas I have used in the past 3 or 4 years on like both my hands and maybe only 1 hand. If I go out and want something to drink I hate using straws unless it's given to me when I ordered a drink and that almost never happens (only in fast food shops mostly but I mostly don't go there) So for the people who want to be more conscious of what we consume and the waste we make look at your current life and how many waste you make. Replace that (especially after using a product up) with a more eco friendly option and don't buy stuff you don't need even if it's seen as a zero waste thing to do as that is very wasteful and defeats the purpose of going zero waste
This is all great, but do you stop and think of the chemicals used to make those reusable items? Those wooden utensils have chemicals. That reusable bag has chemicals and they eventually disintegrate. You have to worry about cross contamination with food. I'm glad for you but I don't think you should be telling us what to do. Are you sponsored by these companies? Just wondering.
Reusable cutlery is such a nuisance that it is so small to recycle... On the other hand it is so tiny of a thing ... That everyone can carry alongwith your mugs ... Only if... Your government... Considers... Steel utensils... A necessity against reducing plastic pollution!!! Wait a minute, you said preparedness.... Are you serious... The American Youth is learning... How to be prepared for the increased pollution... When you have to make the governments responsive over metal cans... And question the need of disposables... When you are prepared... Isn't it... A thought worth thinking!!! Just because you don't study at the right age... You don't work with the government at the right time, you don't grow responsible and then you have ro make youtube videos... Your means are incorrect... Every time... You achieve absolutely nothing at the end!!
