MY NON AESTHETIC ZERO WASTE LIFE (what I buy in plastic, upcycling, & more)  

Yay! This video is a collab! Watch Kirsten's video (from Strolling Through Life) after this to see how her zero waste life has changed since the pandemic :) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-GN8JygPOFD4.html

YESSS BREAK THE AESTHETIC "ZERO-WASTE" STIGMA!!

This house looks like so many Asian houses I've been in. My house looks like this. Hahaha, but I don't think in my culture, people think of it as "Oooh, I'm recycling and helping the environment", but more like, "I'm recycling because it saves money."

Most of us that have had a large family, living on a budget have been doing these things for years, not because of wanting to live "zero waste" or anything else, but out of necessity.

This is so realistic and very relatable! This is what sustainable living actually looks like! Loved collabing with you, Emma!!

your videos really help my eco-anxiety. Progress not perfection

I personally am motivated by "aesthetics". It keeps me going. But instead of for example buying new glass jars I strategically opt for ones with plain golden lids, when buying food that only comes in glass. That way it's free, cute, and recycled :)

None of the things you are showing are ugly. It's very relatable, realistic and more accessible. All those people on social media who buy brand new "zero waste" items just to show off they are living a new lifestyle which isn't the main purpose. You use what you already have. Be mindful what you're throwing away, using and contributing to landfills. AWESOME VIDEO.

Personally I love seeing the "ugly" side of zero waste because it's not easy at all to have absolutely no plastic in our homes. Even if we try, a large amount of what we all purchase as far as food, is in plastic. I mean unless you have a bulk store but they are so dang expensive you'll spend $100 on produce alone, before you ever hit the grains and nuts. I love seeing this and knowing the efforts I'm making are having a positive impact. I have my kids learning too and my husband has been making some surprising strides as well. You're doing awesome and you're an inspiration.

This is the most realistic zero-waste video I've ever seen. I don't think I could ever go completely zero waste (largely because my husband refuses. I can't even get him to use the recycling bin and we don't even have to sort ours) but I'm a huge fan of re-using as much as possible. All of our "tuppewear" is re-used plastic containers.

My mom uses old cereal bags in the freezer and for her lunches for work. This is the first time I’ve ever seen anyone else reuse them before!

Yes! Never realized until now how all these aestetic videos on yt put me under pressure and how I lost my focus for REAL and functional zero/less waste! Exactly the kind of content I needed! Thank you! 🙏

Hands down best zero waste I ever watched. Insta subscribed! I am so sick of people enforcing pretty over zero waste..

I think this way of approaching zero waste is so much more realistic for the general population. Love this video.

This is how I was raised and live still. I think anyone who has a parent not from the U.S. was raised like this. Great video! Just subscribed🌈

This is what I needed for my OCD. Im learning from you that it's okay to have all of these items, even if they don't match, don't look cute, or done fit in. It's good to do what you do because it's Better for the World.

Regardless of how it looks, mending and reusing items always makes me feel super aesthetic. Its so much more personal and individualized than the "copy-paste" zero waste on instagram. Also, fun book recommendation: Waste and Want by Susan Trasser. Its about the history of trash in America, but it has a ton of fun ideas for reusing and repairing. I ended up doing a ton of research on how to do a lot of things in the book, just because it was so interesting and still pretty applicable!

Wow this was so refreshing! This is the kind of eco-friendly life that is realistic and accessible for many. Watching this also made me so thankful for the recycling system in my country. In Finland, we hardly have any landfills in use today. Instead, we have a massive, country-wide recycling system that is state-funded. I can recycle biowaste, plastic packaging, carton packaging, paper, burnable waste, glass and metal at like 10 meters from my front door. Most Finns tend to have quite a sorting station in their kitchens - it's so common that often it's partly built-in.

It is good to have things that are practical and not continue consuming just for aesthetics

Saving bags, using up everything etc. is how I grew up. Before the Internet, nobody thought their pantry had to look great, it just had to be practical.

YES! I've been thinking this for ages! Also, beware the greenwashing! It's so easy to buy - for example - muesli in a pretty cardboard box because it looks more 'rustic', but there's a plastic bag inside. Better to just buy the muesli that's in the plastic bag and *only* in a plastic bag.

This is actually inspiring🙂 I really enjoy your realistic, "everything isn't perfect" approach. Also, your enthusiastic, but not overly cheerful narrating style is anazing. Will watch more videos🙂

I think we need to rethink as a society what we think looks good vs what works. If clothes have stains, if curtains or rugs or blankets have holes or stains etc or something doesn't look new but still works we should keep them.

We strarted hardcore composting and I was shocked how much didnt even need to be recycled now. The films that cant be recycled now get turned into ecobricks and there's a dropoff about an hr from my house. I just store them in boxes until I visit my parents and drop them off on the way. We reuse a lot and have had a few people question why we have plastic still, so thats been fun explaining. Only been doing this about 6 months so we're newbies, but this video made me feel better bc Im not aesthetically pleasing with it. 🙃 You gave me lots of good ideas. Thanks!

Getting labels off glass jars: when you have a greasy pan (we're talking really greasy, like something you deep fried food in), soak it in super hot water and put your jars with stuck on labels in the water with it. The oil will loosen the labels while the water cools. Then just wash everything with a grease cutting soap.

In Germany we have one brand, that sells oatmilk in a reusable Glassbottle which is really nice. And it tastes good, too.

I had a teacher in high school who was also a fast talker, when students complained it was too fast said “then listen faster” lol

I live in the U.S. in an area where our recycling is not currently being picked up due to Covid and there is almost nowhere to take it. It’s very frustrating. I find zero waste/low waste to be very difficult as I have an OCD problem where I cannot have lots of extra stuff, be it containers, plastic bags, anything just laying around in case I need it. My brain registers it as something to be done and then I will go into this obsessive cycle of cleaning and organizing continuously. It is VERY frustrating as I don’t want to just throw stuff away. I have become a super minimalist and only buy exactly what we need in trying to cut down on waste. Props to you for finding all these ways to reuse stuff.

Use it up Wear it out Make it do Or do without 😊👍 ☮️

As a family of 6, our minimal, low waste life is a little different. We donate any and all used items, buy few items of clothing to get all the use out of them, buy few toys for all our kids to share, reuse coloring pages, use ugly old cloths for most cleaning jobs and reuse all the plastic and glass items either in the home or in the garden. I was raised this way and never really thought of it as making an impact, just the way we live. I am happy to know it will make a difference in our world also!

Thank you for this. As someone who's fairly new to zero/low waste living, a lot of the aesthetic-oriented vlogs made me feel that I wasn't doing it right if I had no remaining plastic or cabinets filled with only glass/bulk jars. YES. Reuse what you have before replacing items with sustainable items.

This is the most realistic sustainable YT video I've watched so far. Thank you for sharing what you do. I also reuse plastic containers since most products here in the city are packed in plastic jars. Instead of buying glass ones, I also make sure to first use the plastic ones I already got. ☺️

Love this video. I'm not zero waste by any means (hard to be when you are living with people that don't care) but try to be environmentally conscious as much as I can be, so a lot of this was very relatable. But also this really goes to show how beauty is in the eye of the beholder, because I really thought some of the things you showed where really beautiful. Especially that cat tree with the colourful fabric on the platforms! I absolutely loved that. All the cat trees I see in stores are brown, beige or grey colour, which I find absolutely boring and ugly even. (So is the one we have at home, but we've had it for years and as is the spirit of the video, why buy something new when the old one works even if it's ugly and just needs to be repaired every now and then.)

Thank you for this reminder that zero-waste is NOT about being aesthetically pleasing. ❤️❤️

This is so nice to hear! By choosing this lifestyle, our homes don't look like the ones we see on Instagram. But this is the house of someone who is actually making a difference for our planet, not just pretending to because it's fashion. Thank you for your video!

Thank you for this ! When I started the aesthetics brought me in, however when I was flat broke I felt resentment that I couldn't afford to buy everything in glass or plastic free. What kept me trying is people like you , the Fairly Local Family and Shelbi. I have to say my menstrual cup is ugly , and I made my own pads and cloth wipes out of flannel receiving blankets my kids outgrew . I also use old kitchen towels as cleaning rags when they get to stained or worn out. I use cloth scraps from my sewing to stuff items. I turn old sheets into rugs or dresses for myself or daughter .I am part of a buy nothing group so we make sure it get second life and I buy second hand furniture solid oak that too golden that no one wants for cheap and rehab it with sanding paper and stain to make it look new,

This is how I was raised by my eco conscious mom (except she’s very extreme in a bout always healthy way). Glad to see content about reusing with purpose and minimizing when you can.

Great video! Just one little addition: be careful when you buy a big bulk of something that it's an amount that you will use before it goes off. That's especially important for nuts and seeds. Of course, some things like salt and flour basically don't ever go off, then it's fine.

I use kitchen scissors (clean ones :P ) to cut my pizza when I use silicon mats. It works very well :)

I'm glad I finally found someone with enough sense to go sustainable and eco friendly by not chucking everything they already own to replace their items with say glass or metal. It kills me to see others being so wasteful with perfectly good and useful items. I wish more people had the consideration you do to make the effort to live as waste free and environmentally friendly as much as possible.

so refreshing to see a realistic aspect of sustainable living. I don't call myself a 'zero waster' as I'm just fed up with the aesthetic zero waste that is now 'normalised' on social media, instead I rather myself a low waster. I still buy things in plastic cause it's more affordable than the local zero waste shops. I only get very specific things in bulk, and even then, I tend to opt for the more local wet markets and local chinese shops (for reference, I live in hong kong) instead but politely ask them if I could use my own produce bag or container. More than often, they're happy to accept them. A lot of the local shop owners are elderly people who runs them and are just surprised seeing a young millennial being so different in their approach to food shopping I suppose. To see their smiles and gratitude honestly makes me feel more motivated. :') And yesssss, to re-using plastic bags / bread bags / freezer produce bags (let's face it, sometimes it's cheaper to buy things in bulk from the freezer aisles than from the zero shop's freezer bin. or at least it's here!) for doggo poopies!

A good method is to plan what you'll do with the container before buying the product. If you're like "oh I need to get more Tupperware" you can justify buying margarine or a product in a plastic tub because you're not really producing any waste. You need that tub.

i love this so much it makes me feel so much better about not having an "aesthetically pleasing" sustainable lifestyle

I rinse or wash heavy plastic bags that junk food comes in. You can also use kids drink pouches, rinse through the little hole. Select the ones you want for your project, cut off the zipper top and make them one length. Use the widest zigzag stich in a short stitch length and butt the edges together, and make storage bins, tote bags, etc. I cut strips from the bags and stitch the cut edge to make handles. People love them.

I love the sentiment behind this video. Nothing needs to be beautiful to be useful. I never thought to wash my tinfoil but you can bet I will be doing it moving forward.

This makes me so happy. So much more practical and less wasteful than trying to fit a certain look or label. I try to fix and mend as much as I can and I’m trying to incorporate some trash into art and craft projects. Thanks for this video!

I have four cats and I take good care of their things, they like my old clothes in their bed, I wash them every week, my cat made holes in her fabric carrier, Cobbler patched it up and it works fine

I think it is great you do these videos more people need to see them. Our planet is drowning in garbage and consumerism is the culprit that keeps it mounting every day.

Thank you for the realism. I hate seeing so many other zerowaster who say a don't buy new disclaimer, but then proceed to show 20 items to replace.

I know I’m a month late on this video but it was in my recommended and I just wanted to say DO NOT USE CUT silicone BAKING MATS they have fiberglass in them!

I love this! My household uses a combination of mason jars and salvaged tomato sauce jars as our drinking glasses and it's funny because we use those more than our aesthetic cups. Plus I feel less guilty if one of the sauce jars breaks than one of the fancy ones.

I re use containers. I find that buying big containers is not good because food goes stale. Not too much room to freeze. I have not used the air conditioner at all. As far as algae my fish love it. I bring scraps to a recycling center. I think that good foot wear is needed for healthy feet! I tried to convince the coffee shop to recycle egg shells they won’t. The important thing is for us to share amongst ourselves. That goes a long way. I do soak my labels off and do like beautiful things. I appreciate seeing people who take effort in maintaining a nice appearance. I have clothes from 30 years ago which I do wear. I was recently in Central Park and am seeing such a variety of what people put on to go out that it’s better than paying to see a show! Walking in a bra is not that cute. It’s up to the manufacturers to do what they have to because it just has to happen. Other countries are setting the example for us. Your video is appreciated. Bye

totally Agree.. Zero waste lifestyle does not mean immediately throwing away plastic and switching to glass, but reusing the existing plastic containers/ bags.

Normalize ugliness!! Love this video & collab.

You are fantastic! Thank you for helping to break the stigma of cute glass jars every where and no plastic in sight! Thank you for being real about the zero waste lifestyle and not being like those people who do it for the anesthetic photos ❤❤❤ I tell all my friends about your channel and how informative it is. I hope your doing well and have a fantastic week ❤

Love that you shared not only this message but also you shared examples in your own home! I have a few things that I've upcycled that aren't the prettiest, but I definitely could do a better job of finding things secondhand versus buying new. For me, I think the ugliest things I have are old shirts that I wear to bed or for working in the garden. Some of them are almost 20 years old and in rough shape, and I care more about function than how it looks. Another thing I have is my mom's childhood desk and chair. It's about 40 years old and in great shape, but definitely isn't up with the trends.

We got a local dairy cooperative to work with the university to come up traditional looking milk cartons made out of plant based material (but not plastic or wax linings) that quickly decompose when put in compost. The other dairy distributes milk in glass bottles. They both distribute their products in small groceries & produce markets. Back in the early 1970s when we started recycling bottles & cans (Boy Scouts picked up newspapers once a month back then) first you had to removing labels from bottles or they couldn’t be recycled (we came up with a soaking method. Then you had to drive them 15 miles to the recycling center behind a community college. It was exciting when ten figured out how to pick up recycling on trash day. Just wanted to say I reuse glass spice jars by having a friend who buys bigger quantities at the bulk section get a little more extra for me. Also, sometimes I walk a neighbor’s dog for exercise & use their disposable dog poo bags. After watching another of your videos (had a crocheted pouch with plastic bags stuffed in it) it occurred to me I could reuse the long skinny bags we sometimes get green onions in when I take their dog out. I was having trouble finding something to reuse them on.

Don't those silicone mats have a weave of fiberglass inside of them? Fiberglass encased in silicone. Once you cut them, then the fiberglass can get out and in your food.

Thanks! New subscriber. Finally a reality check to the zero waste movement. There's never going to be zero waste, even our own bodies produce waste. Thank you for bringing back the balance. Small steps lead to big changes. 👍🌟☮️

This is right up my street. Using old plastic containers, spread tubs, ice cream tubs, jam jars etc is how I help the environment. I don’t have a drier, I make my own soap and washing powder. I’ve subscribed. 👍😃

Super agree on the repairing. I have these black shorts I got at a second hand store that I have been repairing for over 3 years as they still are usable. Super proud of them!

Thank you! This is how I live my low waste life.

This honestly to me is just being frugal or doing things like my parents did growing up. I thought everyone reused their ziplock bags until I was at a friend's house and saw them throw it straight out. And I also feel like in any given southern household you will find anything but butter in the butter containers, haha. It was always a running joke. But yeah, it looks trashy or whatever, but who am I trying to impress with having "asthetic" tubberwear?

Love this. I reuse plastic takeaway containers for food until they start to degrade. This is great for meal prep because they stack really well in my freezer. Then use them for organising small items in cupboards. Only recycle if completely broken. Also, I've switched to bar soaps and conditioners but some old neighbours left the country and left behind all there shampoo and conditioner, I used it up and didn't have to restock for over a year. Saved a lot of money. I keep one set in the cupboard for guests.

Just discovered your channel! It's so refreshing to see this side of sustainable living. While their isn't anything wrong with zero waste with a minimalist aesthetic, it's become a trademark of what minimalism and zero-waste is supposed to look like. Your approach to a zero-waste lifestyle is very humble, effective and most importantly REALISTIC for those who probably don't have the money to replace the things in their home to fit sleek minimalist look, but want to do good for the planet.

Thank you for making this video! Tbh the aesthetic is the thing that made me very uncomfortable because I like having all my jars look the same and etc. I bought all my ‘new’ jars second hand though so I allow myself that 😂

If you're crafty, use your cut up silicone mat for a table protector during craft projects 😊

This is what environmentally sustainable living looks like! I'm still somewhat mediocre but improving day by day, and I do like aesthetically pleasing... but my idea of what is aesthetically pleasing has changed. When I was younger I thought I wanted jars that were all identical, but now I actually prefer the variety of jars. I do take the labels off... it's a pain in the butt but worth it for me. I use oil and baking soda.

This is what I was looking for! So many people glamorize zero waste and make it aesthetically pleasing. Which isn't bad but it's also not very realistic for some of us. Plus, if you throw things out because they're not eco friendly you're just wasting things you could have used for a lot longer.

Yes finally someone who thinks like me. I don’t call myself zero waste. Because I don’t do the whole jar thing. But my family dose know me as if it can be reused give it to me 😂

This was very helpful! I'm just getting into trying to live "less waste" vs "zero waste" in an effort to make less trash but not become obsessed or stressed by it. Being reasonable while doing the best we can seems to be the more realistic way to help. Thank you!

So refreshing to see a realisitc approach to this. The whole Instagram-aesthetic to everything in life needs to go!

Great video! A lot of these things remind of my childhood since my mom does a lot of the things you listed lol. The reusing old plastic bottles/glass jars, the bag of plastic bags, watering house plants with water used to clean veggies, repurposing things from garage sales in the garden etc. My dad used to always be like “why are you keeping trash in the house” and as a child, I saw it as “being cheap”... but as an adult I find that I’m starting to become more like my mom haha. Definitely have a lot more appreciation for that mindset now. Love seeing these more practical things that are easy to incorporate into daily living and aren’t just about the aesthetic. Thanks for sharing!!

Annnnnnd I LOVE how you made the cat tree! Thats such a great idea!

I applaud you for being so up front and practical about living sustainably and minimizing waste. My lifestyle is very much like yours and I love to repurpose "broken" things after mending them a couple times. I don't have any small kitchen appliances either - I do everything manually.

Aaaaah, so happy that I found your channel. Finally somebody shows not the "pretty" zero waste objects to use.😃💗

This is so realistic. I wish more people knew it was really like this and not the aesthetic looking that's for rich people. That you can buy second hand zero waste. I've bought so much reusable things second hand. I bought food huggers for $1. Bought wooden utensils too. Got a nice coconut bowl and wooden fork ware second hand. And more for like nearly $40 in 2 trips to the reuse store near me, mind you several different things reuse store

Great ideas.

Also currently using a second hand shampoo lol! Our neighbor was gonna throw away this whoooole huge bottle of this rly nice coconut shampoo when he was moving and i took it off his hands and i'm still going through it 6 months later aha!

I’ve heard that The Mennonites crochet strips of plastic grocery bags and make mats ; shopping bags etc. I try to wash my dishes in a pan and use that water for my roses- the detergents keeps aphids away; never thought about saving dehumidifier water.Thanks for sharing!

Hahahaha “I’ll either use for banana bread OR DOG POOP” that part was so funny to me because of the drastic change between something delicious and something gross. ;) I like your humor!

I loved this video, thank you! This is what zero waste should look like. I am so inspired. 🌻🇿🇦

This is so relatable, I'm so happy I'm not the only one who is not aesthetic all the time.💕

This video makes me so happy! I feel the perfect, aesthetically pleasing zero-waste videos can actually make people feel they have to buy more ("prettier" things) BEFORE they can start going zero-waste, which is so counterproductive.

First. I absolutely LOVE the cat tree! Very "aesthetically pleasing" to me and obviously to your kitty (who lives there with you!) Honestly, most people who had lived through the depression knew the value of resourcefulness in repair and reuse. And to consider cost vs the value in quality or quantity. Resourcefulness means being careful when bringing something into your life. Consider: After using it up, can it was repaired, or reused it in another manner or will it just be tossed away? We have so many "disposable" things around us today, especially those involving plastics, we have reached a conservation problem that those in earlier generations didn't see often. I wish there were courses taught on being consumer savvy in basic high school education. It's so important for the kids for their future budgeting, their health and the safety of our planet. Eye catching, cheap, easy and/or enticing, isn't really reason enough to impulse buy it. Being informed and mindful before spending your money can make a huge difference all round. Not only the purchased item but what is left after including the packaging. I grew up in my grandmother's house. (1899 - 2002 102 years, So it was an extremely healthy lifestyle!) And she was an expert in resourcefulness. We produced very little trash, but never lacked for anything. Wise buying. She never looked for just cheapest but most useful. Bulk or second hand, perfect for some things. A cracked/repaired dish was normal in a set. Her "aesthetic" felt comfortable, stable and "homey" because small imperfections were okay for daily use. This didn't make a cluttered home, but a full complete one. Organization was key. If you needed anything, it was probably there and you knew where to find it. We never thought them as recyclables, but that's what they were! A thing was used, used up and whatever was leftover usually had some other purpose. Food scraps-compost, tin cans and wax milk cartons-containers to start plants in. Glass jars-for everything. Old clothing-mended, patched or cut into quilting squares or rag rugs. Non shiny junk mail or used up paper - fire starters for the wood stove. Very little ever went to waste. When you're raised with it, it is a natural habit. What is this still good for? If making the home "attractive" when using recycled materials is really important, there are heaps of inexpensive ways to hide, or decorate them. Simple investments in the presentation of your necessary items, that bring the space up to where you want it to be is worth the trouble of time or a little expense that it takes to make it feel right. (Remember to keep often needed things handy! Like the storage areas/containers ) If you like the space where you're working and what you are working with, you'll find you will do it more often. Recycling/reusing becomes easier as you will find yourself less carelessly wasteful as a habit. It doesn't have to feel like a burden. Thanks for the great ideas in this video. Much appreciated!

I LOVE THIS SO MUCH! This is what sustainable living actually looks like.

Love. This.!!

I love the emphasis on using up what you already have or what would otherwise be thrown away instead of buying new "sustainable" consumer goods!

I think what doesn't get talked about enough is using what you already have. It's wasteful to totally abandon something that's still perfectly working for something new. If it works and you can extend the longevity of that item, then keep using it!

I REALLY like your worldview and points you're making in this video. Completely changed my view on zero waste

bag of bags classic :D I have many similar things (I'll try post photos of my bottle and jar collection in your fb group) As for other things I store screws and nuts in old str8 tins and when I recive bubble mailer I tear the outside paper and use inside bubble wrap when I need it.

Yes!!!!! I LOVE this. I'm so glad I found your channel

Absolutely love this, so true!

Loooove the video Emma, so inspiring! You cannot even imagine how much I can relate especially with the bag of bags! I'm so guilty of this omg haha!! Sometimes, I have too many and what I'll do is I'll take the ones that are in the worse condition and use them as trash bags. That way, I do not have to use a brand new trash bag. Because, inherently, trash bags and normal plastic bags are equal :)

Also, I would love to see a part 2 ;)

Love love love this!

Thank you for this video! ❤️

Also trying to be ZW has turned me into a plastic bag hoarder lol. I have sooooo many plastic bags for cat and dog poop bags that i 100% get from WORK that disposable cups come in and i take them before anyone can throw them in the trash. It's also Freeee

Yessss!! You're just like meeeee! (or I'm just like you). I'm so so happy to see another person who has similar view regarding zero waste. I hate mason jar! I hate when they ask us to replace plastic containers we already have with glass containers, thing that makes me feel like to give up zero waste.

Now this is the 'word'. Perfectly said.... So much buy buy buy and not enough use use use. Well done.