8 Dutch habits that have made me more sustainable - American in the Netherlands

Since moving to Europe, in my case, the Netherlands from the United States, I have noticed a change in some of my habits that have led me to living more sustainably (by accident!). In this video, I share some of those Dutch habits with you and parts of society in the Netherlands that have helped bring about this change.

--
I like to share my experiences of an American expat in the Netherlands. I describe both the unique and everyday aspects of Dutch culture, and life in Holland while enjoying every bit of it!

Instagram: DutchAmericano

Suggested videos:

[vanessaheesen]

On the clothes thing. When I first entered the office world in the US, I actually started at a company that required "business formal." Now, being just starting out and on a pretty tight budget, I got myself a pair of nice suites (that I'd switch out weekely) and 5-7 blouses (that I'd switch out daily). I was actually pulled assid by my manager after a few weeks and told I needed to get more clothes because "the same suit even 2 days in a row was inappropriate, " so there is DEFINITELY pressure in the US to wear something different all the time. (This is one of the many reasons I'm MUCH happier here in the Netherlands!)

[weeardguy]

3:35: the best sign that you have been Netherlandised: Complaining about trains and delays ;)

[edwinschaap]

Hoi Eva, ook je batterijtjes, medicijnen en andere chemische resten (zoals verf) kan je apart inleveren.

[eddys.]

What a shocker... The sun breaking through and Ava not storming outside to enjoy... LOL.

Thanks for the video!

[thomasr]

I have my summer coat for about 17 years, I only got the zipper replaced once and for the rest it still loks perfect. I feel it's ridiculous to have a coat this long... but I'm not getting it replaced while it's still perfectly fine!

[MrAronymous]

None of it ends up in the landfill as we don't have landfills anymore. It's incinerated and used to heat homes or generate electricity

[dimitridoes]

Despite whatever the responses are - the Dutch are easily persuaded to comment / criticise - great to see your video on 1) your efforts and 2) showing how easy-going recycling can be in NL.
Love your down-to-earth observations (and "spreading the word")!

[Tacko]

Just in by seconds, but that shop window struck me. ‘Buy books buy local’.
I have pledged to myself to never, ever go amazon. The ones we already had are bad enough, but Bezos takes the serious biscuit. Whenever I get the chance I circumvent corporate business. But those chances evaporate. Guitar strings? Simple thing, right? My very local musicshop has just shut down. Again. There’s none left now, there used to be five. This one used to be big enough to give starting bands a breakthrough and be praised by bands that made it big. They were where people went to write books about MIDI, once upon a time. Yeah, they were a willing library with the personnel to match.
And now they’re… gone. Just, gone. It’s depressing for me, desastrous for them. They were a treasure trove of passionate advice, I only had to ask. Rockpalace. You will be remembered.

[margreetanceaux]

Said it to Americans before: if you live here, without a car, find yourself a ride to the milieu-park or milieu-street for a little outing ;-) Now and then even I am still amazed… how ‘flat glass’ (window-like stuff) is separated from jars and bottles. How your glass ovenware is a categorie on its own, because for recycling it needs a much higher melting temperature than other glass. Etcetera.

[damouze]

"I complain about delays and I complain about cancellations..." It's a fact. You've officially become Dutch ;-).

Loved your video, as always.

[UltimateSeduction]

... Stiekem zijn wij best wel "goedkoop" hoor, dat mag je best rustig zeggen 😂😘

[EricvanDorp]

Follow you since the start, and you are now official, a Dutch woman born somewhere else across the ocean who found this tinny place called the Netherlands.

[gordonwallin]

Recycling is pretty common, here too. More videos, I grew up working on Dutch farms and miss the culture. Love your videos. Cheers from the Pacific West Coast of Canada.

[fionaalgera]

You forget a few categories: clothing, chemical waste, drugs (medicines). And the waste you have to drive to a ‘brengstation’ like: construction waste (which also has categories), big plastic items waste, electronic waste…. I’m probably forgetting a few. If you take your waste to the ‘brengstation’ you have to find out the different categories there by yourself (sometimes you’re lucky and you find an employee who can help you).

[captainchaos]

The recycling thing is a reflection of how much cheaper labour is in the US. It still gets separated into the same streams, but in the US you can just pay some cheap labourers to do that, while in the Netherlands that would not be cost effective and you need people to do it themselves.

[mavadelo]

If you have a garden, compost is awesome. Provided you have space left besides those bins to actually grow something. But even a small garden can yield you your own herbs. And with the compost you don't need to buy special soil... money savers right there.

Statiegeld: in the end you have paid for the bottle/can/cup and you can get that money back so why not return. With bottles and now cans, I simply save the bottles for when I am low on money. And I am certainly not the only one. I see often enough people hauling 3 or 4 big shopper bags full of bottles to the store cashing in 15 or 20 euros for a day of "free" shopping.

Clothing: I am like Lambik fro "Suske and Wiske", my closet is a few pair of the same jeans, a few pair of similar shirts and a few sweaters. I basically always look the same... who cares. as long as youdon't go around naked or stinking.

[ronaldderooij]

Imagine that the Netherlands is not even meeting its EU goals on

[MusicJunky]

And as a addition to the 'Recycle area'' for your glass, paper etc. there is the second hand clothes and shoes bank, usually run by the Salvation Army

[IAMCHIDERA]

Have you ever done a tour of Utrecht? Love your videos on the Netherlands 🇳🇱 😊so if you ever can make a video it would be great to see what you see!

[Universeofka]

Did you know that if you bring your reusable cup to starbucks they give you a discount? You're saving quite a bit especially now that you otherwise have to pay 'the plastic tax'