why i QUIT zero waste | what i'm doing instead

if you care about climate change, striving to be plastic-free is maybe not the best use of your time, money, or efforts *slurps tea* there are so many myths to bust in the zero waste movement, so i picked my top three “favorites” to gently tear apart today lol AND which sustainable habits to double down on instead!

but do NOT let this discourage you from givin a darn! our actions matter, and luckily there are infinity research-backed positive eco habits we can refocus our energy to!! who’s ready to start romanticizing tried and true evidence-based earth wins?

↓ DISCOUNTS for brands we love to support [affiliate links help us keep the wifi on!] ↓

◦  DROPPS | zero waste laundry + dishwasher pods

◦  ETSY | support small makers + shop my favorites!

◦ A SIMPLE PLANET | refillable hair care

◦  FOODCYCLER by vitamix | countertop food recycler

◦ REEL TOILET PAPER | tree-free tp delivered to your door

◦  EARTHHERO | zero waste personal care, etc.

◦ MOUNTAIN ROSE HERBS | shop ethical, sustainable herbs in bulk

◦ BACKMARKET | fight e-waste with expertly refurbished tech
[use referral code 13529b6e830500dc for $10 off your purchase]

◦  PACT | earth-conscious basics

◦ SKILLSHARE | learn new creative skills

◖ TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 - the sustainability movement has a misinformation problem
1:18 - how i learned the plastic-free movement is a sham
5:16 - myth #1
14:19 - myth #2
21:02 - myth #3
25:25 - let’s normalize changing our minds??
26:55 - research-backed positive eco habits

◖ SOURCES:

all music in this video was written + recorded by my band, the mites

[damonbaghi]

from a health perspective avoiding plastic in food and drink products is major, as well as other areas like hygiene and clothing products.
this is science based too as micro plastics are detrimental to our health.

[anastasiya]

It’s funny that sustainability is mostly doing less. It’s about consuming less material goods, driving less, using up what you already have, and when absolutely necessary just buying tools and household items that will hold up to be reused for a long time. That’s why I think frugal minimalism goes hand in hand with sustainability. I’m a stay at home mom and food waste is something I work on avoiding on a daily basis by cooking our food, meal planning, having leftover days and using up all ingredients. (Currently making croutons and pita chips from the bread I had baked earlier).

[Nah-]

I only worry that plastic never actually goes away, it just breaks down smaller and smaller into the environment. The damage that plastics do to the environment is so much more than just its carbon footprint

[blaklena]

Maybe the problem Lismore the consumerism... My mother has been mostly plastic free for over 30 years now, but first and foremost it is about buying less! And about recycling! My mother keeps plastic boxes that are not dangerous for health, she keeps jars, and dosent trow out all of her plastic to buy all brand new glass! Plastic free dosent mean have 0 plastic at home it is about making better choices with what we buy and already have! Obviously if you have to drive around town to get to a plastic free store, you better buy local, or go to a farmer's market... I believe that this is a very good movement if you use common sense!But clearly if it is to hide consumerism in pretty natural packages, then it won't help...

[stellaz]

Reminds me of the 1950's - when we used to return our soda bottles, which went back to the manufacturer for refilling.

[envsgirl]

What worries me about plastic is NOT carbon footprint - I've never been under any illusion that a lighter, lower-production-energy option like plastic is bad in that respect. But I'm deeply concerned about microplastics and the effects they are beginning to habe on human and ecosystem health...and the effects we don't even know about yet. Where I live, glass is crushed and used as road fill, so it's a very low end use value...but at least I know it has no risk of escaping into nature and becoming a toxin-magnet microplastic.

It IS complex, and I'm super glad you looked at primary sources to discover that!

[pierson_zane]

I love that you take the stance of “does it make sense in your situation” and also “which one of these is actually more resource intensive or wasteful” because I don’t think many people think about that. I love that you also point out the re-usability of items you’re buying, like the organic cotton totes. This is definitely something that called me out and I now know that I need to do more research on this type of stuff. Thank you!

[TurissChin]

It was so refreshing to see someone acknowledge that some "eco-friendly" alternatives are just not accessible to some people. Thank you.

[apmanda]

7:51 I would like to add that there are scientists advocating for less plastic or plastic recycling, but they are typically ocean/water scientists. This is because the areas in which plastic actually causes the most detriment is in the oceans and our own water and also the plants and creatures in the waters which we consume. But I think most of them are not advocating for plastic-free, and more often than not it’s usually about responsible waste and making sure we hold irresponsible companies responsible for their contributions to water and ocean pollution in general. Microplastics in the ocean is a HUGE longterm issue and has already manifested in drastic changes in oceanic ecosystems as well as toxicity in seafood and other water-consumption-related matters.

[mommyingBetchay]

Zero waste is unattainable but I am very grateful for all the lessons that I have learned along the way.e and my family might not be able to do most “zero waste ways” but it is always good to be reminded to be conscious of our spending and consumption.

[irenegildonoso]

Thanks for bringing light about this issue! Being zero waste shouldn't be merely an aesthetic to follow blindly. People should inform themselves about what makes sense to them in order to reduce their own CO2 emisions. You can be the most eco-friendly with your grocery purchase, but if you are going to travel by plane every month for pleasure, you defo got the idea wrong. There are online calculators that can help people be more aware as to in which areas they can do better to take care of the planet 😊 Nice video!

[alexandraw]

There are a lot of (legitimate, scientifically backed) health issues associated with plastic use. I liked the video, just think that’s an important thing to mention when discussing plastic use.

[lucycliburn]

When I was in grad school in the early 80s, what you were talking about called Family Ecology. And one of our most eye-opening assignments was to give a rough estimate of the energy involved in everything we owned, from manufacture to maintenance. The most shocking thing for us was that our professor owned a Steinway piano, and she actually used more energy than the rest of the class combined. That really was my introduction to thinking long-term and total product. Congratulations on joining the non-fad based crowd.

[DebiGoldben]

Thank you for the information about wax wraps and plastic bags. I have fibromyalgia and using plastic bags instead of doing extra dishes, etc. means that I have more energy for my family and friends. I was feeling guilty about using plastic bags. I don’t have to anymore.

[kcnurse]

I have 3 cotton totes I have been using since 1976. I have others as well but it is always fun to use the oldest ones shopping, haha

[rbancal]

True, we also attach zero waste with an aesthetic too.

[lucycliburn]

It is so encouraging to see a young person, opening their eyes to the need to see a bigger picture. I’m 67 and I’ve been trying to tell people about this kind of long-term, reduce the number of unintended consequences, lifestyle.

[cjr]

I do want to mention that you said only about 40% of glass gets recycled as if that’s a really low amount (of course we should do better! And it is better to reuse glass than recycle) but only about 5-10% of plastic actually gets recycled in the US! Plastic has a way lower recycling rate than the 30-40% for glass. What you say about using more resources to make glass is true but that does not mean that choosing glass over plastic is worse option. From a purely environmental standpoint, decreasing emissions by choosing plastic seems to be the better option but it is corporations, not individual consumers that contribute the most to emissions and truly have the power to make a difference. From an ethical standpoint, I would prefer to use materials that have a higher chance of getting recycled so they are not put in the landfill and shipped to other countries to rot

[nicolablom]

Best advice is LESS consumption, less buying and use what you have! Don't through away, donate or recycle(where possible).

[EthoGrove]

For the reusable bags vs plastic bags I would say that as long as you're taking good care of them and using them almost every trip to the store then it will be better than plastic. I usually use 2-3 bags for my weekly shopping, but the amount of food in those bags would equate to about 8-9 plastic bags, or 3-4 paper bags. So without having looked at the exact numbers, I think reusable bags beat out plastic, especially cause they're cute.