zero waste swaps for EVERYONE // Swaps for Beginners & Advanced (no. 2) 

Not me crying at the end and when I was watching this back... THANK YOU SO MUCH! If want more beginner & advanced sustainability/ eco-friendly/ zero waste tips you can find me on IG I N S T A G R A M » Shelbizleee (instagram.com/shelbizleee)

I’m honestly surprised that you’re not at 3 million. The quality and knowledge in your videos are why I’m hooked! I’ve been on this journey for about 2 years and I’m even getting my husband to make some changes!! Thank you for what you do!

You have inspired and educated me in so many ways. I don’t eat meat, I compost, I second hand shop for everything I possibly can, I buy less, my partner and I have one car instead of two, I think about everything I buy and it’s life cycle, I have reusable bags, and so much more! Thank you for all you do.

I’ve found that my journey is at this point dictated by what I can afford to do. I’ve had to learn to be patient with myself if I can’t afford to support a brand at that very moment, but I keep them in mind and encourage other people to support if they can. (For example, I finally got a leaf razor after eyeing it for a year!!) That being said, I appreciate the emphasis that the most sustainable thing to do is to make due with what you have. It’s such a game changer to value your current belongings, and it changes your mindset for future purchases (asking yourself if it’s something you really need, how much use you would get out of it, and if you will continue to value it longterm) and it has saved me sooo much money, helped me be more mindful, and honestly affected the people around me in a positive way too! I’m constantly recommending this channel, thank you for all that you do to help educate people at all levels!

One thing that has really helped me when shopping is thinking, "I don't buy trash." It's getting me out of the habit of buying things like paper towel, disposable plates and cutlery, napkins, etc. that my family uses. Now I'm branching out to, "I don't buy things that make trash," (like deodorant) and changing products as things run out. It's a slow process but it means that I understand the products that I buy and I feel empowered with each shift. I'm fairly new to sustainability as a habit and I really appreciate these tips.

I'm a beginner. I'm using up the stuff I have and then will be buying sustainably. Most of my clothes are second hand and I pretty much only buy something new when I need to replace something I already have. Your channel has really inspired me. Thank you.

You and your cool tumbling composter inspired me to begin composting on my apartment balcony! It's reduced our household waste by a lot. I'm also learning to sew so that I can give thrifted clothes a new life ,and so that I don't have to support fast fashion!

I just got a new phone and decided to get a refurbished phone instead of a new one because of you! Thank you!

I love the use of using scraps in a new recipe. I remember growing up my mom would weekly make a blended, creamy veggie soup with all the leftover veggies in the fridge. It was delicious paired with some bread and no veggies went to waste.

Is it weird that the beginning almost made me cry? It feels so good to think we are making a difference. Go Team Shelbizlee! Thank you for everything you do for us Shelbi! You are a gem and put out content more important than anything else on the internet. ❤️

Potatoes are fairly easy to grow at home! Once a potato (from the store, etc) has eyes on it, you can plant it in a bucket of soil. It takes a couple months depending on the type of potato but it's very simple and doesn't need much space!

I would consider myself in the middle of my journey. I attribute many of my decisions due to what I have learned from you. I still am struggling to pass the message on to others (the people who are around me value instant convenience over sustainability no matter grrr).

You literally ARE THAT, you keep me fighting for sustainability, you partially inspired me to go back to college for environmental science, you make me feel like I'm not alone in feeling this way considering everyone around me acts like theres nothing that just "one person" can do.

Your videos inspired me to create a compost in my backyard and I have the happiest community of worms now. Side benefit, my kids love worms.

You've helped me do so many things more sustainable! My mom recently needed a new phone and I showed her how to do it more sustainably (my old phone) and I got my new phone used (with a new pela case) but honestly there's so much that you've helped show me how to live my life in a way that actually alignes with my values and what I care about!

I like the shift you have taken lately regards the bigger picture and try to make the producers or government change the way they act towards the planet.

Love this video so much! I also love the format of the first little bit with the stats of 'if we did this, we would reduce xyz amounts' - it's incredibly sharable for people who aren't as familiar with the YT format, plus it's aesthetic goals as hell so if you wanted to do more like that, I wouldn't be mad! haha

Thank you for all that you do! I am a relative newbie. We are getting better at recycling, and moved to a place that has curbside compost. We rarely eat red meat. And our newest swap is the earth hero laundry detergent sheets.

Shelbie you’ve impacted so many of us here on RU-vid! I believe you were the first “zero waste” content creators I saw and it kept that fire in me to continue this sustainability journey. There’s times were we all get a bit beaten down by things people do and things we see, but you kept that passion I’ve had since I was young alive. Means the world, and I’m so happy I’ve been able to share this and get some of my closest friends and family on board. Thank you from all of us! ❤️

Wow, those statistics really put your actions into perspective! Thanks for sharing that, it makes me want to do as much as I can to live sustainably

You've given me so many resources to move forward in my journey, and I always appreciate how real you are about it. I love that you acknowledge that everyone is on a different level and everyone has different needs.

Love your motto Shelby and thank you for reminding me how 1 person can really make a difference!

Just starting out. Still using up my old stuff, and just bought a home with land with the hopes of starting a homestead. 🥰

I’m new to sustainability and living a low waste lifestyle. I have a local refillery that just opened that I have been frequenting. I also have been going to my local farmers market weekly and I am just getting into composting. I would love to help others live a more low-waste sustainable lifestyle and hope that my friends and family adopt some of the changes I’ve made. Thank you for your videos, they have helped me so much on my journey thus far.

I love you so much! I love how you are both an eco-warrior, but you don't make newbies feel guilty that they are not there yet. You make the community better! You make the world better!

Shelbizlee, you are totally awesome. I’ve learned so much from you and I seem to be always telling others about your ideas every time I talk with my family and friends. Thank you so much for giving me/us this info. 💕

I’m a beginner-just found you this year!-and slowly using up what I have and trying to replace items with sustainable options. I won’t be able to be perfect at everything due to my partner, availability, and sometimes personal preference, but I do what I can. That’s why I love your tag line because it reminds me that every effort counts! 💜 I’d love to hear more about making your home sustainable-things like water heaters, choosing efficient large appliances, insulation, and maybe solar panel options or similar.

I love your channel. It's been educational for me in HELLA many ways. I've been reducing my meet intake for several years now and I've given it up completely just 7 months ago, it's like a few moments after I discovered this channel. It's educational and motivating. The infos might be basic some of the time, but the advanced ones normally blow my mind. I'm happy to be a subscriber!!

I’ve been subscribed to you for a couple years now, and I always tell people that you’re my favorite RU-vidr/influencer! You’re honestly doing such a great job, and you’re INCREDIBLY inspiring. 💚

I just found your channel last week and you have really shifted my frame of thought around climate doom. Thanks for your work!!

I just love your overall approach to trying to live more sustainably. You seem to meet people where they are on their journey, and offer a no BS approach.

I’m definitely in the middle! I’ve been all in with sustainability for a few years and I definitely fell victim to the beginner stress of thinking I have to give everything up. But after doing my own research and binging all of your videos I’ve created my own sustainable lifestyle and I’m getting better every year. 💚💙 thanks for being awesome!

Just commenting for the algorithm:)

You did such a great job on this video! Loved the ideas for taking sustainable choices a step farther

Nomadic movement has some great small farm sustainable coffee.

The tip about replacing things one by one has been the best tip for me. I'm currently on a tight budget but I've been slowly replacing items like toothpaste, shampoo, razor etc one by one as I can afford them. My most recent swap has been deodorant since I finally used up my dove stick and now I'm using wild

I love this video! It’s so good that you’re promoting how individuals can make small changes that add up to a big change! Also Your editing is soo good🤍

I’ve been watching your videos for years after my first search for eco friendly swaps on RU-vid. Your videos have always been a source of light and inspiration, congrats on 300k you truly deserve it! ❤️

You are such a badass! I love how informative your videos are. I am a beginner, and am embracing the process step by step. Thank you for all you do on this channel!!

13:10 For a broader level like a workplace, a deposit-system for cups and other dishes could be a great idea. You get a reusable cup/ bowl with your drink/ meal, pay a deposit and you get the deposit back when you return it. My universities have those and I prefer it over a reusable cup. As I don‘t have a dishwasher I appreciate one less thing to clean.

We need more channels like yours. You are an expert and you take your time to really be accurate with info and reviews, you make it look fun and beautiful and practical, and you are so informative. seriously idk what i'd do without these videos! Right now, I've accomplished a lot. I'm pescatarian, only eating fish for health reasons and only on special rare occasions (but i plan to stop completely if i can just get myself to resist!). I don't EVER use paper plates, plastic bottles, plastic wrap, plastic phone cases, plastic headphones, or pleather. I buy less clothing (still working on that tho!), I pay attention to harmful brands and family companies. I make sure what I buy is ethically sourced. And I never plan on stopping the little changes I make every day, even if they seem insanely insignificant. My next goals are to stop buying plastic packaged groceries, to buy less unnecessary items like clothes or plastic knickknacks, & to stop eating fish, cheese, and milk (already made a bit of progress with oat milk!). I also have recently started an eco instagram encouraging people in my state to help in different ways. I also have a petition for the US government, lawmakers, and corporations that has 128 signatures so far, from places as far away as South Africa, Sweden, and Indonesia. I can't wait to see what my life will be like in just a year or two, all because of channels like this!

Don't feel discouraged if you fail at growing tomatoes! They're a picky plant. I have 5 plants out of the dozens I started from seed. Gardening is definitely a healing activity. This channel has encouraged me to make so many sustainable changes. I've always been thrifty, but owning an older home and watching these swaps and the Madelbi lifestyle vlog has really made me a hardcore diy-er and second hand enthusiast to maintain my home's time period. I think I would classify myself as intermediate in this journey because of my location and resources available to me. I do the best I can with what is available.

I’m at the beginning of my zero waste journey. I won’t enter the competition mainly coz I’m from the uk and the air miles that would be used for this giveaway though I know you would be very conscious of this. We have just done our garden and are planning to grow our own veg in our raised beds and pots, when we get soil in them. Then I plan to also have a composter rather than use the food waste bin our council provide but it will be a slow process x

Related to repairing clothes, even if you don’t know how to sew well you can always turn old clothes into reusable cloths or rags for cleaning or even removing makeup by cutting them up and hemming them. This would also be a good way to start learning how to sew

I'm still quite early into my journey, but as someone who grew up with little money and is still on a low income it's surprising how many things I do as standard just because I grew up being aware of saving money and not wasting things. I'm also learning to pick my battles - I always said I'd never shop somewhere like Primark because of their dubious ethics and because I could find better quality clothing cheaper in charity shops, but then they released their own line of period pants which were affordable, so I shopped there for those because I figure in the long term it was the better choice (there is no way I'd have the money to buy them from ethical brands).

Beginner: Reusable coffee cup Advanced: More sustainable coffee Me : Dont drink coffee at all 😎

Shelby you're just amazing

192 Plastic Bottles a month we are not putting in the trash/recycle bin each month by switching to Brita Filtered Water and using steel water bottles ( bought at the thrift store of course both the bottles and the Brita Water Pitchers). 3 months and counting. Anna In Ohio.

I was already doing a few things to try to be more zero waste and feeling really alone in doing so. Thanks to you I have been inspired to do so much more and do it confidently and proudly.

You are very inspiring ! I've changed a lot in my daily routine thanks to you and other zero waste influencers, and I've also recently chosen a meaningful job in a company fighting overfishing. I have a lot of work left but thank you for your work inspiring people ! From Paris with love.

You’re making a difference, Shelbi😊

i have been trying to have my family to be more eco friendly so hopefully the beginner tips and tricks will work better for my family

I would consider myself an intermediate at zero waste/sustainability. Also, congrats on 300K, you deserve it! You & a few others have been literally teaching me how to go more low waste. 💖

I'm past the beginner stage, except I don't compost (don't have a yard and need to figure out what to do with the compost), I'll look into sharewaste. Due to the pandemic, we're still doing grocery pickup, which means plastic bags (we are reusing and recycling them). ☹ I've stopped going to coffee shops while they're aren't allowing reusable cups. My phone is 4 years old, use a Pela case, shop second hand, shower once a week (😯😄), don't use menstrual products (thanks birth control!), and haven't eaten meat in 29 years.

NOPE NOT ME CRYING ?? 😭💖 I am so proud of your (and all of our!) journey Shelbi! Found your channel during the pandemic and wow, the fact that I have started to change my lifestyle for the better, and have spread awareness to those closest to me is incredible. Still working on using up ALLL of my products and afterwards, staying with a minimal collection. Only purchasing what’s really needed, that’s good for us and the planet. I would say I’m a newb, there is so much I want to do. Broke college student on a budget and trying to buy a pre-existing home at the same time lmao. Would love to see an eco-friendly homebuyer tips vid? 🤔 from organic mattresses to home gardening, compost/worm box to led lighting, faucets that save water to dimmable lights and reusable air filters and whatever you can think of! My boyfriends Cuban family says “poco a poco” (little by little)! 🥰 cheers to 300k and many more to come!

Fragrance free and sustainable ❤. I am going to buy that when I run out of my current stuff.

I'm asking my friends and family to take part in eco-friendly actions for my 25th birthday, instead of gifts, this year and this is such a great resource for me to share to give them some ideas!

You and Alli (Cherry) have been such an inspiration to me, I’ve changed my habits so much. I wish I could’ve made these changes earlier

Thank you for all your hard work educating us! I’ve found your vids and channel so helpful especially in transitioning to a more sustainable lifestyle ☺️ you’ve inspired me to minimize red meat (8 months now 💪🏽) consumption, shop secondhand and local, refill, 4Rs basically!!, and be mindful of what i consume. 300K well deserved! Gonna be here for the 1M+!! 💯🌱 🌱 you cannot do all the good that world needs, but the world needs all the good that you can do! 😉🌱🌱

I love your channel! Thank you so much for helping us and educating us. I’ve always cared about the environment but your channel has really helped me reframe my thinking and make more substantial and sustainable changes. Thank you!

I'm definetly a beginner, but because of the way I was raised and the country I live in, it has been easier. I rarely buy things anyway so the changes haven't been that drastic, but your advice always challenges to be better (without shaming etc.). So thank you for what you do. Hope the channel grows because your content is not just important, but very easy to follow (for beginners such as myself :D)

You remind me so much Kendall Rae

you are definitely the main inspo that motivated me to turn to a more sustainable lifestyle. it really began with your dumpster diving videos that also changed my mindset of trying to diverge good products out of landfills. i kept up with your videos which were the basis to my knowledge on zero-waste. thank you so much!!

Thank u sm for this video! And all of them in general... I have learned sm from u, and it has helped me sm not just be a better environmentalist, but a better person in general. Ur passion shows, and I love it.

Hey shelbie! My mom really likes using method brand cleaners and soaps and she doesn't want to move something that she can't get outside of the grocery store. What are your options on the brand?

i think i am about medium in sustainability! i am a college student so some things are more difficult to do. i recycle, purchasing from more sustainable brands, compost, don't eat meat, eat mostly plant based and i thrift. also since i live with 3 other roommates they also compost too and recycle! there is so much more i could still do but where i am in my life i think i am doing very good!

My dad had his iphone 4 for like 7 years and wanted to keep it longer but they shut down the 3G towers so he was forced to upgrade.

Thank you so much for all that you do. ❤

1) Thank you so much for your continued content, you have inspired me (and everyone I share it with) so much and changed my life for the better! 2) Shelbi STOP, your intro is so freaking pretty omg !! 🤍🌱

I totally love your channel! I watch you and Gettimary (not sure I'm spelling her name right lol) the most on zero waste. I'm in some ways a Newbie because there are so many products out there that I didn't know about but some things I've been doing a long time and really didn't think about them being zero waste like my cloth dinner napkins. Thank you. I can't think of anything I could ask for so I'll pass and let someone who really needs it sign up but thank you. Anna In Ohio.

Great video and great ideas!!!

Love this and all of the work you do Shelbi! I do a lot of the things you mentioned, and I also run a small cottage food bakery (certified home baker, essentially) so I thought I would write down some of the things I do from my business’s perspective! These are kind of basic things but maybe this can help some small business owners or avid bakers 💕 I compost my food scraps (obvs) or freeze chopped fruits/carrots etc. when they aren’t being used by my family (can use in muffins, carrot cake, or puréed to use as an egg replacer in many recipes!) I try to buy things in bulk (flour and powdered sugar especially from online sources, although it’s hard to find an affordable and vegan cane sugar in bulk, so I usually get mine at Sprouts bulk bins) I recycle (clean and dry first!) any cans and the aforementioned flour and powdered sugar bags (remove the plastic lining from the paper bag and rinse and dry the bags!) I reuse bread bags and other plastic bags to store my baked cakes and other finished goods in the freezer (I wash and dry them between use of course!!) I use reusable silicone baking mats, cut up my old ones to use in place of parchment paper, pipe with reusable silicone or cloth piping bags, and buy or receive a lot of my equipment secondhand (I’m lucky that my dad had a huge stockpile of cutters, baking rounds, tins, and even my Kitchenaid! But you can find a lot on Poshmark actually) If you’re making baked goods as a gift you can get creative with your packaging! Put cookies in a mason jar, make mason jar cakes, or thrift some old cookie tins (my idea for Christmas cookie boxes 😌) I try to buy fair trade ingredients like vanilla and chocolate or B-Corp certified like Miyoko’s (her butter and cream cheese is the absolute best imo) but I know this is expensive and also a privilege so this isn’t the most important one! I donate 10% of my profits from either the month or an event/pop-up to local or ethically- or sustainably-minded organizations (my next pop-up I’ll be donating to organizations that benefit the efforts against Line 3!) I make big batches of jam out of in-season fruits and freeze them so I can use them whenever someone requests them for a cake (and I try to avoid using out-of-season fruits in general so I make seasonal menus) Also all of my items are vegan lol. If you made it this far, thanks for listening to my info dump about my little business 💕

Wish-cycling!! Love that term! I was definitely guilty of doing that before your video awhile ago talking about contaminating recycling with nonrecyclables. People feel good putting things in the recycling bin instead of the garbage - we give ourselves a pat on the back for "doing the right thing", not realizing we're doing the complete opposite of what we thought!! Love that you gave it a name, so hopefully people will become more aware. :)

I am still in the beginning stages. I have always cared about the environment, but I haven't really known just how much everything affects...everything lol. But your channel has really helped me become more aware. I have started to do more research on how things are produced, and now buy from sustainable coffee brands.

I was so glad i found you because i never knew zerowaste could be my coping mechanism to my depression and anxiety and im so glad i could make a change to help the earth

Hi Shelby, I would love a video on how to address some of the shame when you start a zero waste journey. Not only your shame over what you've done but also the shame from others. Composting, thrift shops, I get a lot of negative feedback from friends.. I'd love to know what to say in the moment.

You have given so much already. I wont be entering the giveaway I dont need anything. I just want to say thank you to both of you. Hugs

Thanks for all that you do. I super appreciate all that you've helped me learn and the curiosity you've sparked in me to educate myself further on sustainability. 💕🧡

count me in! Shelbizlee sustainable army!

Thank you so much for making these videos! I'm always left inspired after watching your videos. This fall I'm going to study environmental science and I'm super excited!! You are a big inspiration for me and hope I one day can join you in spreading this important knowledge. Love from Sweden!!

Lively video! So often I hear that I cannot change anything and I am only one person, but I don’t care because I am not the only one and because this is the attitude of losers

Thank you so much for being an educator to my partner and I. We have made so many changes thanks to your guidance and we are more sustainable than ever before! We compost, have a rain collecting barrel, we have pela cases on our phones and so much more. However, our favorite swap by far is a bidet. We don't know how we ever lived without one lol. Thank you so much and we wish you the best!

Just got my first Pela case! And got a new (used) phone from trademore about two months ago! Both per your recommendation! Really appreciate the good you’re doing to help us all do good ourselves.

You’re helping me so much in my sustainability journey! I’ve switched over to reusable bags and produce bags, sustainable cleaning supplies for around the house like reusable paper towel and glass spray bottles! I’m going to start composting soon because of you constantly saying it (you finally got me about to do it!!) as well as so many other things!!

Shelbi we love you! Personally, you helped me the most to change my life to more sustainable life 💚💚

Is absolutely believe that we collectively drive change and when you show how much we can change and reduce waste if did all the things to share here. Great work!!!!

I do not consider myself an environmentalist, but I do like using something I wouldn’t need to re-buy, because stuff lying around stresses me out. My zero-stress swap of this year was a menstrual cup and menstrual panties, and I could not be happier. The amount of money wasted on tampons and pads + the messiness of it all appalls me to this day. Yesterday, I ordered a cutthroat razor, that requires you to buy a pack of blades to use before every new shave (which comes in a little cupboard packaging), as a swap for disposable plastic brow razors I used for dermaplaning, and regular Gillette’s for my body, we will see how its goes.

1 person just did make a difference. Shelbi, it was you! Anyone can do anything with the power of the internet. TerraCycle bin is technically at the top of my wishlist, but I don't have a bank card, so I won't be getting one...yet. you, shelbi, are awe-inspiring and your videos are very informative. So I want to let everyone here know- it's not to late. Our planet is very, very resilient. Mother earth is the best recycler. Has anyone heard of recycle bank? It's a recycling incentive that pays you for recycling! I read about it on page 19 of green careers. I think it's cool that you can actually get recyclebank points that you can spend later!

You are so inspiring, thank you for all that you do!

SHELBI I ABSOLUTELY ADORE YOUR CONTENT, i feel like i am bale to connect with the earth better and i feel so educated in something i am so passionate about, and i thank you for being my favorite teacher!

I LOVED THIS VIDEO ❤️ I flat laughed when you said "I don't give a shit". I appreciate your honesty so much and love how much effort you put into each video. Can't wait until the next 300,000!!!!

Sorry!! To answer your question I am in the middle swapped toothpaste/toothbrush’s. Gave up all plastic bags for reusable. Use bar soaps, shampoos and conditioners. All reusable cups, flatware, dishes, etc. Buy local.. recycle by checking with WillCountyGreen so I do it properly. Cut down drastically on makeup, skin care and nail care. Buy second hand. Cut down on cleaning products by a lot. Walk, bike instead of driving. 👍🏻😄❤️

You… I need people like you. I’m still learning so much and I recently found out that what I was eating was literally killing me. Out of curiosity, I researched to find out what else I used that could be making me sick… I was devastated. We have been programmed from birth to live as consumers with no regard to where anything we use comes from, what’s it’s made of, etc. With that said, I have been panicking because I have no idea what to do to change or how to transition. THANK YOU SO MUCH ❤️❤️❤️ new subscriber. Day by day I’m doing what I can to change!

I'm so thankful for this channel. You're the reason I'm going "zero waste". I've started swapping out product and thinking about electricity and water consumption. But the biggest swap I have made, is my closet cleanout. I'm selling 50+ items of clothing, and started shop-stop. Boycutting fast fashion, plastic bags and eating less meat. Period has been awesome, and cheap! haha Keep posting! People, like me, need video's like yours to know where to start. Lots of love from here! :)

I think i'm beginner to medium. I've been in the low/zero waste community (and the punk community which has a bunch of overlap) for almost ten years now, but since i'm just moving out it's like i'm just starting my journey

Thank you for you channel 💖 I watched for the dumpster diving videos but stayed for the eco-teaching Texas LGBT interracial couple! You are the reason I double check packaging for recycle labels, save food scraps, and buy eco cleaning/ hygiene products.

I'm always been pretty frugal but in the last few years I've become mindful of everything I use or buy. My biggest shift has been to quit buying much stuff in the first place! I make my own laundry and cleaning supplies, room scents, and cook almost all my meals from scratch. Got rid of subscriptions, cable t.v. and rarely buy anything but basic cosmetics/personal items. The only new clothing I buy are underwear and footwear. I'm regularly save about $400 a month and I haven't deprived myself. And I feel proud of myself!! 🤗👍😘

Not me tearing up at the intro... Amazing video! You really should be proud of yourself for the work you do and how many people you’ve reached out to. You’re making a huge difference!

Shout-out from Australia!! Shelbie, you are the only one keeping me sane in my journey to reduce waste, save our planet & become a better human! When you suggested a call to people, I was like; "THAT is a gift in itself!" You are so inspiring and so worthy of this channel! Thank you for keeping my focus up front and current, and for your ever evolving content! My own journey sees me doing most of the beginner options & some of the more advanced too.....some of that, based on yours and your friends platforms.....so please never give up "teaching"! 😍🥰😘

Hey Shelbi. I love this video. Particularly with the compost point. Here in Australia the government have launch 'FOGO' bins where the waste management pick up composted items which is almost everything and provide free compost bags and information on how to properly compost. Its incredible how by lobbying bigger companies and people with power makes such change. Stay amazing!!