Hey everyone! Hope you enjoyed the video - to keep up with LIM news and to hear about the ebook follow this link: lowimpactmovement.org/ebooknews Immy xxxx
On taking care of yourself, it's super important when you're first starting the journey to a more low impact lifestyle is to realize what your limits are, and that some plastic is okay and there is a benefit for it. Especially in medicine. I take anti-depressants now, and they improved my life dramatically and i am able to function as a human person for the first time in my life, and having plastic is a con, but I'm able to help myself and others better. Things like sunscreen, helmets (which is an item you should not buy second hand), and other medical items are examples of things you shouldn't diy or buy second hand and that's okay! Health is so important and so individual that it shouldn't be something you worry about. My mom for example uses a hearing aid, and she needs to buy special batteries that you can't really get reusable, but she's so on board with living a lower impact life that the only waste she has is compost and she's finding places that can accept it in her city. Low impact is to tailor to your own needs rather than being so diligent with no plastic that you suffer.
You can donate your pill bottles! My parents donate theirs to their local church. Lots of animal hospitals accept pill bottle donations to reuse for pet prescriptions and Matthew 25 Ministries accepts pill bottle donations to send them to developing countries where pharmacies just hand out loose pills.
Your work is so inspirational. I teach 8th grade in the US and during our nonfiction unit we read The Omnivore's Dilemma and in the past we have focused on where our food comes from and the importance of shopping locally and delving into what it means to live sustainably. I definitely plan on showing this video to them when we do this unit because I would love to assign them a project where they choose an item from home that they love or feel they can't live without, have them ask themselves the questions you posed in the video, and then have them research the answers to find out the ethics behind the product/brand. The work you do is so important and it has a chain reaction! My students think I'm a little weird because I use old socks as white board erasers instead of buying the throw away white board erasers, but I'll just keep modeling to them anyway! :)
Me too! I am such a sucker for the aesthetics! I want one of those hipster coffe thingies. I have wanted one for months. Now my French press broke just last week and I thought, I can finally buy one! Then I realised it's so much better to buy a used French press again and for just a few euro's, instead of buying that pretty thing, which is a new, manufactered item and break the bank. Sigh, so much to learn!
I slowly started my change. I bought my first eco-friendly toothbrush and gave one to each of my family members. I’m moving out in 4 weeks so I have my own kitchen kit. Like the wooden scrubbie, the recipes for my own cleaning supplies, and I already thrift shop so I have a lot of decor/ equipment second hand. So even tho I can’t 100% be vegan or low waste while I’m at home with my parents. I’m excited for how far I can go in 2019. Thank you for enlightening me this year. You’re one of the first youtubers to motivate me to start this journey. 😊🧡 Also congrats on the ebook!! 😍
So many zero waste intro videos make all the same suggestions, but mindset is probably one of the most helpful but least covered topics of low waste. The trash audit is a great idea. I look forward to the ebook. I hope there will be a further reading list as well. And maybe a list of other Instagram and RU-vid accounts to follow. When I make recommendations for others to learn about low waste, I make sure they have other resources to check out.
The hardest thing for me is probably change my consumption habit. I tend to eat & shop when I'm feeling emotional. The biggest change probably buy most of my food shop online as the company is buying directly from the farmer & the produce are seasonal & local. They also have option to use less plastic even though not all of the things they sell can be plastic free.
It would be really great if you could put your videos into playlists e.g low waste living in ... this would mean we could easily find videos of the same theme xxx
I totally agree with focusing on one thing at a time 🙌🏼 I have found that I am more likely to stick with something if I slowly incorporate it into my life. I started with buying coffee in bulk package free & being consistent and disciplined with bringing my reusable plates, water bottle, and cutlery to work. It was an easy habit to form and now I feel like I can easily add more changes into my life. Love your videos, they are so helpful!
since this is a series, does that mean you will move from beginners tips to more intermediate tips? side note: i love your natural hair in this video, it looks super soft and the curls are gorgeous
Thanks Immy. I'm hooked on your videos right now. One of the simplest ways I've began my low waste or eco-conscious journey is for sure turning my lights off. I am turning into a night owl and I find that my lights are constantly on...But they don't need to be when I'm at the computer or using my phone. The other thing I've started doing is saying no to plastic bags. Today I needed a few things and I forgot my bags in my car...But I ended up carrying the things I needed and put them in my bags once I got into my car. Also not giving in to the ease of getting food when I'm out. I was so tempted today to get a fish sandwich while I was out because I was craving it (weird period cravings, you know?). I've also started making reminders on my phone and computer (apps and such) to be more eco-conscious. Reminding myself why I'm doing this and explaining to others (my boyfriend especially) why it's important, without being pushy. Making an example of myself, and hopefully it will rub off on my friends and family. Just remember y'all that it's a journey....Especially because a lot of us have grown up super wasteful, myself included (minus the coffee cups and water bottles, which I've owned for soooooo long.) Again, thanks. I love your channel.
Great video! I’m currently writing a research paper on plastic waste and sustainable living, such as a zero waste lifestyle, and I’m finding this video really helpful! Once again, great video! :)
I love what you do! You have inspired me to make a few steps in the right direction 😊 I have made my own beeswax wraps for food; made my own snack bags; replaced old plastic (responsibly recycled) and; stopped using plastic bags for loose fruit and veggies. Thank you!
Congratulations on the e-book!!! I'm so happy to see how you are constantly growing in your work and also in your confidence to get the message out there, it's amazing and I'm really grateful and proud to be part of your community. Keep it up, and thank you so much for what you do!
Honestly it can be overwhelming to think about all of the things I should improve or projects I should take on. Thanks for including some notes about taking things one at a time and self care.
I've been learning so much and every time I discover something new and it's so much fun! Your videos are amazing,seriously! I've been slowly changing my habits,try to do my best,you know.. I live in Italy,in a very small town,here we don't use disposable coffe cups,we just go to be bar and drink it. Same goes for the straws,here no one gives them,you have to ask them,excluding fast food of course.. however I feel very difficult try to buy food without plastic,not the fresh food,but I don't have any kind of bulk stores around me.. no rice,no pasta,no cereals..so I don't have choice.. I hope that things will improve,I'm positive. Thank you for your extremely informative videos ❤
I like the tips you covered in this video and you touched on new ones that I haven’t heard in other beginners videos. I’d love to see you do a video on low waste living in more rural areas like Montana or North/South Dakota....or anywhere that doesn’t have a health food store! ;)
wonderful video! you give very direct and introspective advice which is more valuable than the little actions we can take every day. you help viewers focus on the WHY instead of the WHAT. by far my favorite thing is to take care of yourself to avoid compassion depletion - i went through that myself and didnt know why i was so frustrated and how to deal with it. thank you so so much for the amazing content!
Your videos are really inspiring, and you're among my biggest influences for getting interested in low impact living. Although I'm nowhere near big changes, I'm trying to change some habits already: I started switching to rumps and reducing the amount of meat I eat - as a teen still living at home, becoming a vegetarian is not an option yet due to my family, but I want to at least try it when I move out! My sister is a spoonie and her medication as well as special nutrition and care products produce a ton of waste, so maybe I can work on establishing a bit more of a balance in our family :) Seeing that there are actually people who want to educate others about the benefits of this lifestyle instead of only criminalizing everyone who doesn't participate in it really gave me the motivation to try. And I'm definitely gonna check that eBook out!
you are goals! can't wait to see the ebook! listening to you and other similar low impact/zero waste youtubers helps keep me inspired and on track to do what I can.
So helpful thank you!!! ♥️ There are so many things I'm striving to accomplish, like going zero waste and vegan. I'm hoping that next year I can buy my own land and build an earthship!
Thank you for this video. By analysing my "waste habits", I found out that most of my favorite vegan food comes in plastic (e.g. basil tofu, bread spreads, vegan sausages , vegan cheese...) To replace them by my own "creations" seems very time consuming...hmm.
Rememer, a packaged vegan thing is still way better than a non-packaged non-vegan thing. The envoiremental impact is still way better because it's vegan. I'm vegan too, but don't have the time too make all that vegan stuff myself, so I just do what I can and only buy my vegetables without the pastic bags. Zero waste is great, but it should still be do-able.
I carry a reusable shopping bag all the time now and it's awesome. In South Africa we have to pay for plastic bags so it's doubly helpful. Just wished we had easier access for plastic recycling here. I reuse all the plastic we do buy as much as possible and that's about it for now. Congrats on your ebook and thanks for an excellent and motivating video!
Is having a woodstove low wast? For example cardboard and paper is very helpful when starting fires in the woodstove. This woodstove is used for heat. Thank you for all your help and options. Love you're videos!!
Hi, this is such a good video. Thank you! I've been following you for a while and I must say, I have been learning so much and have come realise that sustainable living is doable + a must. Thanks once again! Looking forward to your e-book xx
Very helpful video! I have been on a low-waste journey for years but I still find it hard to kick the takeout habit. Good reminder to analyze habits and see where I'm going wrong :D
I am actually starting to leave consciously low waste. What I mean by that is that I was pretty caucious about traveling far, using my bike on a daily basis and avoid food waste. Now I actually am trying to take steps to reduce my buys and useless packaging, buy more ethical and fair, as well as eating less to no animal products. My biggest problem on how to start is I have a family and my waste is linked to the waste my family produces as well as our habits. Im quite determined to change it all, step by step. But my partner isn't that enthusiastic and finds I'm too extreme. How do I get my family to slowly transition to a low impact/ waste life, without getting too much on their nerves? ^^
A very helpful video and many thanks. When you do your U.K. tour, will you come to Manchester? Unicorn grocery in Chorlton is the place to go, if you do. Plus so many community projects like the community gardens in Hulme.
Inspired by your video’s i e-mailed the biggest supermarket in the Netherlands why all the fruit and vegetables are offered in plastic. Their answer was extensive but quite standard (food safety, food preservation etc). I still hope iT helps that customers question wastefull practices.
plantbased sim Het lukt mij om de meeste boodschappen te doen zonder niet-recyclebare aan te hoeven schaffen. Bij de Lidl (die is het dichtstbij) koop ik groente en fruit zonder verpakking. En pindakaas in glas. En bij de Turkse supermarkt krijg ik groente, fruit, couscous (in karton), noten, verse kruiden, brood (kan ook bij de bakker) en rijst (in stoffen zakken). Bij duurdere supermarkten als Plus of Jumbo krijg je ook sap, jam, olie, sausjes en koffie in glas; havermout in papier. Er zijn natuurlijk ook geblikte groenten en drinkpakken (voor bij PMD-afval) maar ik weet niet tot in hoeverre dat daadwerkelijk gerecycled wordt. Voor sommige dingen heb ik nog geen alternatief: boter (om te bakken), houmous (ik hergebruik de plastic potjes wel), gedroogde kruiden, pasta, gedroogde groenten (bonen, linzen, erwten...), chips en chocolade (die kan ik niet laten).
My waste includes mostly tofu packages and almond milk tetra packs. But I can't make both myself since I don't have the kitchen utensils for that.. Not using both would be a huge limitation because there's so many things like cornflakes, coffee or simply baked goods that I wouldn't be able to have then.. :/
I would love to hear about your experience with low impact and work. I think I remember you mentioning before your RU-vid was sustainable (see what I did there?) and you were able to leave your job you weren’t totally happy with the message of marketing and advertising. I am a bartender and have been on a break but now I’m struggling to go back to the restaurant industry which is so incredibly wasteful.
It's the temptation of convenience and caffeine addiction. Sometimes you just gotta be prepared and take it with you. I live and work in an urban areas so there are coffee shops on almost EVERY corner!!!
@@Lithostoic I had ants 3 times in my life. Somehow it never stops me from making my own coffee, cooking meals and living everyday life. I just put everything in containers with a lid. Even dirty dishes if I didn't have time to clean them in the morning. Also the very first thing ants where interested in was always sugar and bread, they never touched coffee.
Everyone should check their bills to see how much gas, electricity and water they use. Also how much driving they do and how much petrol they use for that car. It's not all about physical waste.
I always feel really bad for wasting plastic coffee cups. I can't make coffee at home and while I have a reusable coffee cup, I can't use it when I order ahead online which I almost always do :c
Hi Immy, if you are ever looking to do another city video, I would love to invite you to Lille and show you what zero waste living looks like here. It is just an hour away from London by train!
I don't know if this would be a good topic since it doesn't look like you have any kids... But could you do like a "parent edition" for zero waste swaps? I cloth diaper and things like that, so I feel like it might bring more traffic to your channel!... Just a thought. :3
Hey! I love your videos, they’re really helpfully 😊 Do you know about ShareWaste? It’s a free worldwide app that connects people who want to donate food scraps to people that have a compost and/or chooks. I started using it over a month ago and donate all my veggie and fruits scraps to a neighbor 💪 Though you might want to mention it in one of your next videos 😊
I have some issues with the definition of "buying locally". Of course, living in Germany it would be best to buy food grown in Germany but that's not as much variety as food grown in Australia. To what extend can we use the term locally? I wouldn't call lemons from Spain locally but it's something that will never grow in Germany and it's still closer to buy within Europe than from another continent. Those are just some thoughts I had while living in Australia. That dimensions and comparisons make a big difference when talking about e.g. "locally" and something that I feel could be addressed :)
I'm on a Facebook group for Zero Waste in the UK, and in the group people generally consider food grown in the UK to be the best solution, but also accept crops grown in mainland Europe as a good alternative for crops that won't grow in the UK. By that argument, I would say yes, crops from other European countries should be fine :) and definitely better than shipping from elsewhere!
