Check out the Green Dreamer Planner here, greendreamer.com/shop/planner-light-linen If you're looking for a sustainably made planner that also gives back this is a great one!
Shelbizleee I’ve been trying to binge ALL your videos the past couple days, and I’m realizing how many subscribers you’ve been gaining in just a couple weeks! Last I checked it was 188K, and now it’s 190K?? Congrats Shelbi, you’re my favorite TH-camr!
I’m one of the co-creators at GoClimateNeutral, big thanks for mentioning us! I just wanted to pop in and say how amazed I am to see such an optimistic, friendly and inspiring community here on TH-cam. It’s definitely a light of hope in contrast to so many other communities. Keep it up Shelbi & everyone reading this! And of course, I’d be happy to answer any questions about carbon offsetting. Put them as a reply to this comment and I’ll do my best to answer them!
Thank you for what you do! I dont offest all my carbon, I use go carbon neutral but it was just too much for my budget (I'm trying to save for colledge) so I went back in and said I drive less than I do to make it more affordable I offset about 80% of my carbon now :)
Thanks, @@avacurtis2729! We definitely have the use case of offsetting for a lower amount than one's own footprint in mind. So far we've just not landed on a really easy way to do it (things tend to always get more complicated when you set out to actually do it! :) ). For the time being what you did is the workaround we have. You can also change the amount (to any amount, regardless of footprint result) in settings anytime after signing up. Thanks for the feedback and for joining!
You should check "Challenge 22+" on google, it's a free vegan challenge, I've been a mentor in these challenges a few years and they can really help you making it easier. Good luck!
I'm working towards cutting out meat too. A bonus I've found to eating more meatless meals is I can use the money I save to buy my animal products local, free range, and organic.
This sounds so lame...but I started keeping a couple of Pyrex containers in my car when I go out to dinner to take leftovers home in instead of the Styrofoam container they put the food in. I also started bringing my own cup to work for fountain drinks.
This 67 year old vegetarian retiree loves your channel. I have used my clothes dryer to damp dry my clothes then I hang them on a wooden clothes bar to finish drying. Now I’ll just hang them after washing. I’ll start commenting to companies that use plastics in packaging. That is crazy and needs to stop. I sold my coffee maker and now use a no plastic French Press. I have recycled, reused and reduced things for decades. 2 of my 3 adult kids with families now are also on board and we share ideas. My rural area now has places to recycle styrofoam and food wastes for future compost. Love this. 2 years ago I purchased a 1980’s mobile home which is fantastic. Can’t believe I was actually thinking of buying a new one! So glad I didn’t. Peace to you.
Mary Balantic as one of the young people your comment makes me really happy! I always see young people make changes and it’s so great to see older people doing it. We all need to stick together to make a big change! Bless you♥️
When my husband and I bought a house our neighbor was tossing a solid oak bedroom set, I asked if they minded if I took it for our spare room, that's when I started going to estate sales to buy whatever we needed. That was 3 years ago, I still go and get things like cutting boards when I need to replace what I have (I sand them and use lemon juice and salt to clean them). Tools are cheap there too, I'm the handy one so I'm always on the lookout. We also put in 4 large raised beds, a rain barrel, an apple tree, and 3 large flower beds to feed the bees. Plus a very large compost area, we mulch all our leaves. Love what you do, you've helped me be better to the earth than I had been. Thank you!!
I don't know what your end goal was with this channel but I can tell you after all these years of watching you I have certainly become more eco-conscious. I'm not perfect by any means but I certainly stop to think when I am making decisions and make the more eco-friendly ones.
same here! I feel more aware and like I'm slowly making more and more eco conscious decisions (esp while I still live with my parents I can't do every single thing)
6 refrigerators for 2 people! I'm feeling anxiety just imagining 6 fridges packed with expiring food! I get upset when veggies in my crisper start to turn!
My parents have I think 2 fridge freezers and 3-4 freezers but a lot of it is harvested veggies and meat because they have a farm and a really large garden
@@Zullala yeah! And even though they spend a bit on electricity, they're pretty much zero with the food transportation and play a very useful role in shopping local
My grandma was a hoarder and it included food. She had 4 deep freezers and 3 refrigerators for anywhere from 1 to 3 people depending on who was living with her at the time. 1 of them was for the chickens that she farmed.... The rest is a mystery best left alone.
I agree I'm switching all products I have once used up, but 2 main things i would love to keep buying, but I can't is the cerave pm facial moisturizer and a face sunscreen that has pa+++.
My daughter when working overtime, would use the pickup groceries...but she hated it because EVER SINGLE item was put into its own plastic bag!! I immediately told her to ALWAYS ASK for them to combine items, at least within a department, and to also complain to management!
I don’t like to hang dry, especially with three kids but I have started running my dryer for shorter times. I realized it really doesn’t take as long to dry my clothes as I thought and I can cut that down in half! I love having leftover/ pantry nights, and growing as much as I can. I’ve lived on second hand shopping my entire life lol. I need to be better about shopping more consciously.
I hate hang drying towels. They just get hard and crunchy 😣 I have 4 kids and I just hang dry the synthetic and it cuts down on drying time quite a bit. I can't believe how much synthetics the kids have 😬
Oh, Shelbi, THANK YOU! I have been wanting to offset my carbon, but thought it would be too expensive. I went right to GoClimateNeutral while still watching this, and found out I can offset my household for $10 a month, for myself and my husband. I am seriously crying right now, I'm so happy.
Coming from Latvia hang drying clothes, making pantry meals, repairing stuff and shopping second-hand seems like a no big thing at all. However, I personally really struggle with engaging with community, borrowing or swapping things with others. And my 2020 goal is to get my carbon offsets covered - thank you for this remindor. :)
In Croatia it's not usual to use dryers and I never used one because of that, but now I even don't want to, also I started planting my own garden and I hope it will get bigger each year! I love all your ideas not just because of ecological reason but also economical and we all should take that into consideration! 😁😁
I have gone vegan this year! I think it's one of the most sustainable things someone can do on an individual scale. Also definitely want to start growing some of my own food :)
Sabrina Horan good on you! My husband and I have went vegan as well, and we're loving it! Such a great choice to make for the environment, the animals, and your health. ❤️
I wanted to share a tip that might help your viewers if an appliance breaks, many states including Maine where I live, have an Implies Warranty Law which states that if an appliance fails before it's natural expected life the company has to repair or replace it. This overrides a manufactures warranty. My 3-year-old refrigerator stopped cooling and the manufacturer was not going to fix it but when I told him about the implied warranty law he sent out a repairman free of charge. HP also replaced a photo printer with a refurbished one when it died just over a year after purchasing. If your state has this law and you purchased the product while living in the state (meaning the company sells in your state or delivers to your state) you are covered. I recommend calling the company and asking how long an appliance typically lasts before telling them yours is broken. I think there is a chart that says major appliances should last 10 years minimum, minor appliances might be less. Your mom may want to check with her state and save a costly repair bill because the company doesn't volunteer this info.
My goals this year are: - learn how to use my sewing machine so I can mend my clothes and sew some of my own produce bags and stuff like that - try to get a composting system in my apartment - reduce my food waste by using what I have P.S. Was that your Charlie Feist backpack that broke? :(
@@carolburnett8372 Yes, thank you, I just need to summon some time and patience :) I've watched some tutorials, but it keeps getting stuck for some reason; I think I just need to figure out my machine better :)
Same! I finally got a sewing machine after years of wanting one but bring broke. This was a treasure found in my local charity shop. Just had to buy the necessities to take care if it and find an adaptator for the part where you connect it to electricity (it's an old model). Now I have to find time and patience to learn to use it and it will make sewing do much easier :)
In the Uk I always air dry clothes when I can. It is rare I use the tumble dryer probably only in the winter for the thicker items and bedding. They cost too much to run all the time xx
I'm curious .. how many cloths do you own? I air dry and I feel like we have to much because it takes forever to get all the clothes done for a family of 4 including myself.
Amanda H I live in a house of 6/7 so we only are dry when we can. In summer it's a lot more but bigger things like duvets we use the tumble dryer. X It depends on the weather and what we are washing. Xx
@@clothyoriginal I'm only 1 person but one load of washing fits across 2 drying racks. This'll take about a day to dry so unless I'm doing more than 1 load of washing a day it works
I definitely like the "borrow" method you mentioned. I already buy secondhand where I can (except underwear), but borrowing might even get me talking to my neighbours...🤷♀️
this year i’m super excited about creating a capsule wardrobe! i’m working towards this to help ease my anxiety in the morning. My wife and i are also going to start a compost at my mom’s house!
I’m old, so I actually grew up with a lot of these practices. My mother dried our clothes on clotheslines, outdoors, for years. My father tried to fix everything. My mother painted the house, inside and out. My mother’s favorite story is about the time daddy had her make him a camouflage hunting suit out of a silk parachute. She made our Barbie furniture out of milk carton bases, and they were upholstered, wingback chairs, when she finished. They grew up having to”make do” with whatever they had, and grew their own veggies and fruit. I bet their carbon footprint was pretty small. You remind me of all of these things we used to do, and some I’ve returned to. You do good work, Shelbi!
So excited to see a fellow San Antonian promoting these practices. My resolution to take from the video - repair what you already have! I used to be embarrassed I couldn't even sew a button (my mom & nana are excellent sewers, but I never learned). It's so wasteful so finally watched some TH-cam videos and learned to sew shut a tear. Fixed two sweaters and a pair of jeans! My first efforts aren't pretty, but I'm feeling motivated. And there are so many courses/videos online to learn these skills. Thanks for the inspiration!
My goals for this year are to borrow more and line dry as much as possible! I already shop for my clothing pre-loved or local (and shop waaaay less than I used to), and I’ve started giving away items that I have old emotional attachments to (after I thank them for the joy they’ve given me). Thanks for being such a great inspiration 😊
I was just having a conversation with my husband about this. I was telling him that I wanted to start dehyrating fruit and was showing him all brands on Amazon. I was taken back when he said I should go to my moms and use hers. I told him that it would be easier to have my own. That was literally 2 hours ago, and here I am watching your video and learning a new way to be better to the environment. Thanks for your video and educating me 😊 My husband also appriecated the validation 😂
For the new year I’m trying to get better about food waste so I’d like to try out the pantry meal idea you suggested. I did a big fridge clean out just before Christmas and I was embarrassed when I realized just how much food I let go to waste. Another resolution of mine is to try to produce less waste in general. Last summer my girlfriend and I moved from a house to an apartment that wasn’t set up with recycling collection, so we were hoarding our recyclables until we finally got our council to get us recycling bins. There’s really nothing like having 2 months worth of recycling piling up in your tiny apartment to show you how essential it is to emphasize reducing 😓 To make things worse, we haven’t had a single pickup since the bins were delivered. We’ve tried to get in touch with the council about it but nothing has changed, so I’m gonna make an effort to reduce my waste - it negatively affects my mental health to be surrounded by waste all the time, and I really should be making it a habit anyway! Thanks for this helpful video 💛
I love what you said about fixing what you have instead of buying brand new. We’ve always thought “well if we have to spend the money why not upgrade” never really thinking about the waste. This puts it into such great perspective. Things I do off this list so far: Similar to many others who have commented line drying is the norm here in Australia. We have a dryer but it barely gets used, mostly just for nappies in winter when they can’t fully dry on the line during the day. Buying second hand where possible is one of my big goals for 2020, I’ve managed to get my sons school uniform all second hand in perfect condition and even convinced my husband to thrift a few new business shirts rather than buying new. Loving watching your videos, so inspirational!
I have a few sustainability-related resolutions. I'm currently checking my local thrift stores on a regular basis until I find a drying rack for my clothes. I also want to be totally free of single use plastics. At this point, I am making swaps as I run out of things in single use plastic. I also started doing something that might seem a bit weird... when I go to the trash room in my apartment, I often find perfectly good items that people are throwing away. After Christmas I found some dishes and silverware in excellent condition. (They were stacked off to the side as though someone knew these should not be trash but didn't want to deal with rehoming them.) I took them out of the trash room and donated them. There's NO REASON those items should be in a landfill. I plan on continuing to save things from the garbage in 2020. Thanks for inspiring me to make changes with your content. I've not only learned about some practical tips, but I also feel armed with information and inspired to research more.
Fellow "landfill diverter" here (I, too, go out of my way to repair/donate/rehome other people's "garbage")... I am also into "slow" 2nd hand shopping and patiently await the treasure I am seeking... That said, a tip: if you need a clothes drying device on the interim, I saw someone craft one out of bamboo! Being so strong and straight, bamboo is perfect just as a makeshift clothing rod as well... 😁
@@rachaelb2847 , I am in good company with landfill diverting, it seems! I LOVE the bamboo idea as well! I'm just crafty enough to make something like that happen. P.s. Best of luck finding the treasure you seek.
I was moving a few months ago so I found a drying rack on ebay which was being sold near a relative's hour so I collected it and visited my relative in one trip :) took a while to find one being sold in a convenient area but felt so much better not buying new, expecially because new metal clothes racks are wrapped in plastic... Absolute nonsense! I also go through the bins at home 😅 I regularly find whole or half full packets of food which I move to the food waste. Drives me nuts! There are reminders on all the bins about what goes where but people either forget or just don't make the effort.
For repairing, our couch is very old and has gotten multiple tears in the fabric that I have sewn up. We borrowed an upholstery cleaner from a grocery store to clean it up as it is quite stained. And now that it is starting to get more holes and still looks stained I recently bought a couch cover to help extend the life of the couch. Our kitchen chairs were falling apart so we bought wood glue and fixed them. I need to start doing the one in one out rule, and probably another declutter because I still have too much clothing/stuff. We moved to a smaller place so having less things is now a necessity. I haven't done the 30 day wait rule but I do have an ongoing wishlist so that I am constantly looking for stuff I need or want when thrifting but not buying until I find it sustainably whether that's from thrifting or local artisans or a more ecofriendly online store. Loved the video Shelbi, I definitely feel inspired by some of your suggestions.
2020 sustainability goals -Set up a system to get my whole household to utilize our compost -Not one you talked about but bringing my own to go containers to restaurants for leftovers since in my area going out to eat is one of the most common forms of entertainment
I love this! My New Years resolution is to eat no meat and less dairy. I’d consider myself past beginner at sustainability so I appreciate these intermediate tips.
We recently found your channel and are so enjoying your content. 😊 Who said “You can’t teach old dogs new tricks”? 🐶👨🏻🦳👵🏻 My husband and I are learning so much about sustainability and are implementing more changes every day. Need to work more on conscious purchases, and really making sure our purchases are necessary and sustainable. 2020 is the next step in our journey and we are so glad we have you to help us in that journey. The younger generations sure has more on us older folks when it comes to knowledge and practical implementation of sustainability, low waste, minimalism etc. Thank you Shelby!! 💜💚💙
I’ve noticed that now I live and work in the same town, I drive more often and drive short distances. I’m trying to actively walk to work as often as the weather allows. I am interested in growing my own food but have the thumbs of death so this will take a lot of work! Finally, I am trying to be more conscious when I shop of what I need. I’ve always been quite good at this because I’m on a budget but I can go the other way and deny myself things and feel such guilt when I do buy them that I end up returning them later. I’m trying to find a better balance between the two and now when I shop I look for more sustainable solutions so I don’t feel as bad when I do buy something. Your mantra about what the earth needs has honestly helped me so much and I say it to myself when I get a bit overwhelmed with everything that’s happening in the world and worry about how much I can or can’t help (guilt complex the size of Russia here!).
My ultimate goal is to homestead and live off of what I personally produce. So this year I am taking some gardening classes, implementing a garden and hopefully will feed my family mostly from what we grow. We already hang-dry most of our laundry, and try to do some of the other good habits you mentioned. Thank you for doing these videos, I *truly* enjoy them and have learned so much from you - THANK YOU!
I definitely want to try to start implementing the pantry habit and not immediately feel like I have to grocery shop... thank you Shelby for being so inspiring and committed to this lifestyle!!
I'm so excited to start growing some of my own food this year! I can't wait to have my own garden some day. Also, in addition to borrowing from friends and family, some libraries are starting to lend out materials like tools and sewing machines and stuff. Just an fyi! I'm trying to be more sustainable starting in 2020, especially only buying clothes second hand and interacting food more sustainably (composting, buying from local farmers, etc). It's great to see someone model how to actually live that lifestyle. Thanks for making this journey more accessible!
My biggest resolution is getting involved! I recently started an environmental health organization at my university in hopes to get others to join and learn more about what they can do to help the planet!!
My mom has always put her laundry in the dryer for about 5 minutes before taking it out to hang dry. I always thought it was strange, but she said it gets the hard wrinkles out without running the dryer for 40+ minutes. I’m going to try to start doing this! I’ve been trying to do better about buying second hand, but right now I’m doing really well with being choosy about where I spend my dollars. I very rarely (once or twice a year) buy anything from amazon or target and probably spend 90% of my spending money (not bills, gas, etc.) with small local businesses. I’ve found so many great businesses in my area and truly love being able to support them. I’ve had a small garden in the last, but in Phoenix, AZ, it’s hard to keep it going once it gets to be summer. For me the issue is keeping up with watering, but my cousin just told me that he has extra drip tape and extra supplies to set up a whole watering system, so I’m hoping this year is the year I keep the garden going more than a few months, plus it’s all second hand, bonus! One other thing, I just booked a flight to New York for my cousin’s graduation, I don’t want to miss out on a chance to see extended family and also travel somewhere I’ve never been before, but was feeling bad about the impact of the flight. Thanks for the info about carbon offsets! I will definitely be looking into that!!!
I love the first tip about hang drying. I grew up in Italy and nobody had a dryer there so it was natural for me to purchase a drying rack when I moved to the US. Still my favorite method, not only for the zero waste effect but also for the amazing way that makes my apartment smell. There's nothing like walking home and smelling freshly washed linen!
I currently hang dry laundry, grow my own herbs and vegetables, and thrift most of my clothes. I try my best to encourage my family to shop more sustainably and watch what they buy. In my household we have connected our washer to a rain barrel so that the water used to wash our clothes can be used to water our plants and catch rain at the same time. We use an eco friendly detergent so that the plants can use the water. My goal this year is to be carful with what I buy and restraining from impulse purchases. Thanks for you videos.
I do most of these, but i am excited to implement the others. My focus for this year is to just be an example instead of getting upset with others. Thank you!
I always tried to be more conscious about my impact. I started watching your videos recently and there is sooooo much i had no idea. In the past few weeks i started composting (my city does collect it but we never really did it), i stop using the plastic cups at work and carry my mason jar with me for my water, i have been more mindful about the packaging of what i buy. I have tried a few if the swap you suggested like the soap nuts(wich i love). I have never bought something second hand before but i did some research and there is a second hand toy store close to me to wich i will start buying my kids toys. I started teaching my kids what goes to recycle and compost. And i have donated their diapers to a daycare and switch them to cloth diapers. I have bought reusable pads after i watch your videos about it and i cant wait to try them. I want to thank you because i have learned a lot of things with your videos. You are amazing.
I do groceries for 2-2,5 weeks at once. And will make soup of the left overs and put what's left over in the freezer and cook with fresh ingredients and cook way more than I can eat on my own so I can eat from it 3-4 times
My new years resolution that has to do with sustainability is growing from seed at least 25 new trees and getting some of last year's saplings in the ground. I started this last spring, sprouting apple and maple tree seeds and ended up not killing 12 of them. So I want to keep going with it and more than double what I did last year. Plus I'm trying to expand my knowledge of species and will be attempting evergreen, butternut, black walnut, and chestnut trees. Wish me luck!
So, I am right there with ya on most of these... 2nd hand is KING! Hang dry preserves AND time in sun sterilizes (especially great for our cloth diapers!)... In terms of community, I already have existing trades/agreements with neighbors to share their waste bins, which provides REAL (i.e. physical space) accountability for minimizing my family's waste... working on getting more involved in online communities, so thanks for prompting that! Have been trying to get around to organizing a clothing swap again... With the exception of food, not really a shopper, so plenty of patience for a long vetting process... currently working on the pantry clearout... which brings me to my #1 goal for 2020 1. Embrace my already exisiting inner minimalist: I have 2 young kiddos and like most new parents, the amount of "necessary" stuff that gets shoveled in a kid's direction is astounding. My mother in law insisted on a baby shower that fell on the same day as her neighborhood yard sale, so I insisted on a "2nd-hand baby checklist scavenger hunt"... 😁 Nonetheless, over time and 2 kiddos later, we are still stuck with waaay too many hand-me-downs, unwanted gifts, etc... (I appreciate all and ANY of the tips you have on landfill diversion for purging unwanted belongings! LOVED the suggestions you have already provided and your additions to the conversation on the KonMari method, especially with regard to your concept of "eco-minimalism" as I, too, have concerns about how purging can be done irresponsibly/wastefully, or fuel more consumption longterm.) *Now for better planning/implementation for associated subtasks of said goal... hence the need for a new and (not-to-mention) fabulous planning calendar... Thanks either way... keep spreading the good stuff! 😉
I have been doing the 30 day wait period, because most of the time I am buying on impulse. I do have a wishlist and I think it's helpful to wait it out and to know that I actually need an item, or want it because I know I'll definitely use it a lot. This also helps me to cut down on my spending, when I am bored or feeling down I browse the internet for anything to buy to make me feel better, but the feeling doesn't last and then im stuck in a cycle. So with that the goal is to buy less, then buy quality, and secondhand if possible. Love you and this channel!
I started hanging my clothes to dry them because it’s much way better even for the clothes themselves which’s something I’m really happy about. Also I started to grow herbs in my room and they make my room smells lovely 🌿❤️. The best and most affordable environmental option is buying second hand items I became so obsessed especially with I buy stuff for my kitchen you can’t imagine how many beautiful things people will feel bored with! Thinking about what I’m buying is something I’m trying to implementing in my life nowadays to reduce the amount of unnecessary things I ‘think’ I need! Thank you for the great video ❤️
I had to pause the video to sign up For the carbon offset! I am so shocked to only see less than 4000 people signed up! I hope this can somehow gain more attention. What a wonderful thing we can do and keep in the background to help our future! Thank you for sharing!
I really love your ideas!!! There's a lot of items that we have done here including watching youtube videos to repair our appliances (and yes you can a lot of time fix them yourselves). I also love purchasing items from thrift stores and giving back as well what I no longer use :) I think the idea of getting better skills is awesome and something that we should all strive to do.
Thanks for this list! My resolution is to open up more to others about my efforts to live a more low waste lifestyle. When I first bought my reusable produce bags, my sisters gave me such a hard time about it! Since then, I have avoided discussing most of the changes/efforts I am making. But no more! If someone asks about my collection of empty pasta sauce jars, instead of making up an excuse, I am just going to be honest-I am using them to buy in bulk and store food to avoid plastic! Etc etc. Happy New Year, hope your dad is doing well!
I do most of these in one way or another. The only one I hadn’t even thought about was writing to companies. Thank you for placing suggestions in my mind. The last Sunday of the month I do a “pantry” inventory. This includes the refrigerator and freezer. I take stock of what I have and move anything that will be expiring soon to the front. My father is a big clearance food shopper and brings us dry goods often. I implemented this system so I wasn’t wasting those foods.
Thank you for sharing the carbon offset website. I’ve never heard of this, and it’s such an easy thing to set and forget. Public transportation is not a realistic option for me, so I’m interested in being able to offset all my driving.
I currently live at home with my family (until I graduate college this spring!) and I have always tried to be more sustainable (getting things like clothes, shoes, and decor second hand, properly recycling when I do create waste, avoiding plastic packaging, using public transportation, etc.). However, my family still doesn't see the importance of living this way. There actually seems to be a stigma surrounding people who try to be more sustainable, like that we are gross for buying items second hand. This year I am definitely going to try to offset my family's collective carbon footprint if possible with the website you mentioned. Even if I can't convince them to be more sustainable/ecofriendly, at least I can offset their footprint from the food and clothing they purchase as well as the amount of traveling they do. I'm also interested in learning how to compost/start a little herb garden at my family house. Thank you so much for all of the research you do!!! You are AMAZING and truly are a role model to me! :)
I started buying used electronics this year and it feels so great to be able to give that money back to the individual seller and to be able to keep that item from either wasting away or ending up in a landfill!
One of my New Years resolutions is to pack better lunches for myself during the work week instead of going and buying food from a restaurant and taking it to work. Another one is to get the people I love around me to understand why single use plastic is VERY unnecessary and try and help them work it out of their lives for the most part😊
I just graduated from college and I’m about to get my first apartment within the next month and I’m so excited to live on my own so I’m able to start implementing some of these strategies that’s are hard to implement while still at home with my family!
I'm planning on seriously instituting the 30-day waiting period for me and my family! I've already started easing into it, but I've noticed it not only cuts down on the impulse-buys (which I do a lot of...ugh) but it's helped us stick closer to a better budget so we can break away from the check-to-check living! Double win!
Yes to line drying!! I'm American, but I'm spending some time abroad, and everyone I've met here in Australia either uses outdoor clotheslines or drying racks. It's such an easy change to make and I definitely plan to keep with it after returning to the states.
I already do a lot of these and can say the 30 day rule is great for sustainability and my finances! One habit I'm going to try to implement is growing my own food. I recently moved into a house and now I have a yard where I can have a garden!
Thank you for your videos. I have been binge watching while doing house chores and organizing/purging. Without a doubt, you are making a difference through your videos by positively influencing the every day choices of your viewers. This year I will use the dryer much less often (zero is honestly not feasible now in our 4 member busy lifestyle). I also will make it a point to write letter to producers about more ecofriendly changes in packaging. Another big change, not mentioned here but still applicable, is eating out at restaurants less often. I have been getting annoyed at every day things that I hadn't even thought of before, such as the plastic straws and cutlery. Anyhow, thank you again from a sister Texan. ❤
This video has inspired me to get back to my allotment! I stopped going for multiple reasons, but I am SO lucky to have it so I'm going to work on getting over my anxiety surrounding it and head back there! (before they kick me off the plot!) Also the push I needed to get hold of a compost bin for our little apartment, I've wanted to get a big one just for our cat waste (we use natural litter and biodegradable bags but the only waste we have at home is the general waste) which can then be used in the little garden area that can't be used for planting food because it's right next to a main road/footpath. From your list the one I've been doing the longest is hang drying our clothes. When we moved, this rental didn't have a washer/dryer combo so although it takes a lot longer, and more planning but is definitely worth it. Definitely going to work on using the food we already have and meal planning around that, rather than making new shopping lists. And going to look into offsetting my carbon in general, I haven't flown in years (mostly down to lack of needing to) but would love to offset my general usage!
My sustainability resolution for the year is to definitely be mindful of where my produce and bulk items comes from. I already shop at local farmers markets and local grocery stores. I saw the video you made showing that even bulk bin items come from places like "vietnam" and that really opened my eyes. I wasn't even paying attention to that myself. Wow. So this year, I'm gonna be even more mindful. Thanks so much, Shelby.
I'm going to line dry my clothes more often. I air dry sheets and I love the fact that they smell great! Last year I implemented more vegetarian options for dinners and I no longer buy veg that are pre-wrapped in plastic.
As soon as you mentioned goclimatenuetral I was excited. Trading out my Spotify subscription for this. Also loving the reminder of community involvement. We're lucky to live in a very green part of California, but there's always something that can be improved! This year we must come together in support of the greater. Im also about to start my first school class in years, intro to sustainable environments. Thank you for your work and your inspiration!
My goal this year is to decrease my food waste by "shopping" my own pantry and freezer first and planning weekly meals based on things we already have.
Ooh yesss I love doing clothing swaps. I’ve done them a couple times with friends. It’s such a good way to get rid of clothing you no longer want and to get fun new items for yourself without spending! Then anything that isn’t claimed can just go to a thrift store.
My goals are to reduce waste by learning to make my own cleaners and make up removers, composting, and learning skills on how to repair my own clothes to make them last! (: Love your channel, it has me SO inspired!!
We do the pantry clear out once a month, saves us some money and it’s me be a little more creative with dinner! I have been trying to do the no Dyer thing!
One of my goals this year is to shop 2nd hand first. And to also go through my belongings to see what I can sell, donate or trade for other items before making a purchase 😊
I definitely do a pantry meal at least once a week. I hang dry the majority of our laundry. I have been getting better about my thrifting sprees...especially when it comes to fabric, I love to sew and my thrift store has a fabric bin 😁. But I have been using my stash instead of buying more. Btw you have really helped me to realize that I do not have to dive right into "zero waste"
I am the queen on pantry meals! I only go grocery shopping until there is literally no food left. Also I live in TX and hang dry all my clothes and my husband even prefers it. Goal - going to look into the offsets, I have heard of them slightly before but since you explained it, definitely going to look into it.
Thank you for the great tips! I love line-drying my clothes during spring through fall, but it's difficult to do in the winter while it's too cold and wet. Wool dryer balls help to cut down on machine drying time. My goals this year are to buy secondhand as much as possible, or repair what I already have (saved some clothes this way already and learned that I love to sew!), and have a bountiful garden so I can share food with others and help us all save money and reduce waste!
The thing with the packaging is so true, all berries are always packaged in plastic containers. The supermarket I go to changed the packaging of grapes from plastic to paperbags last week and I was soo happy to be able to buy the grapes without feeling horrible
I hang dry about half of my clothes now, so my goal is to start hang drying everything but towels. I would also like to take on the challenge that I reach out to companies to Express my wish for them to try more sustainable packaging. I really like that idea and I think that's a great way for me to start getting more involved and not just focusing on changes in my own life.
Love this! I don't understand why more people don't know that hang drying your clothes preserves them for waaaaay longer. Especially socks and underwear!
My goals for this year is to not have dinner delivered or get take out. I am so much more aware of the gas that is used to deliver the meals and all of the leftover wasteful containers. It really adds up! I completely defeat my other efforts at zero waste when I get take away.
Dryers: I dont have one since I moved to my new house. I didn't want one at all. I just put a 30c wash on then run a 10 minute water reducing cycle after. Then everything is usually close to being rung out and I hang it next to my chimney indoors because the air circulation from there dries everything super quick. I live in scotland.
I've started an eco tracker in my bullet journal focussed on making note of the little sustainable things I do, which is great for motivating me, as well as keeping myself accountable, and basically adjusting my overall thought process when it comes to becoming more sustainable. I struggle with hoarding tendencies and definitely want to try waiting 30 days before buying some of the things I want. I've been slowly improving becoming less of an impulse buyer!
my main change for 2020 is that i'm starting a bokashi-bucket. it's sort of an apartment compost, where you ferment your kitchen scraps. with those you can then fertilise your plants. i also want to grow tomatoes and garlic on my balcony on top of the herbs and the strawberry plant i already have
A good skill to learn during the pandemic is sewing or knitting. Don't hoard the supplies for these, though. Just buy what you need for each project. Making a quilt out of old concert T shirts, or souvenir T shirts, or old clothing from a cherished grandparent is also great for reusing things, since thrift stores will often just throw out a lot of clothing or turn it into rags. I want to bring back the use of aprons! They can be very creative and cute, even more so than your regular wardrobe. They are easy to make, and help your clothes to last longer.
Check out the Green Dreamer Planner here, greendreamer.com/shop/planner-light-linen
If you're looking for a sustainably made planner that also gives back this is a great one!
Shelbizleee I’ve been trying to binge ALL your videos the past couple days, and I’m realizing how many subscribers you’ve been gaining in just a couple weeks! Last I checked it was 188K, and now it’s 190K?? Congrats Shelbi, you’re my favorite TH-camr!
Shelbs, PLEASE do a gardening how to/vlog!! I need a visual, I'm so bad at growing stuff! lol
I’m one of the co-creators at GoClimateNeutral, big thanks for mentioning us! I just wanted to pop in and say how amazed I am to see such an optimistic, friendly and inspiring community here on TH-cam. It’s definitely a light of hope in contrast to so many other communities. Keep it up Shelbi & everyone reading this!
And of course, I’d be happy to answer any questions about carbon offsetting. Put them as a reply to this comment and I’ll do my best to answer them!
How is it so cheap with GoClimateNeutral? With other services it would cost me 20-30e, but with your service only 10e?
Thank you for what you do! I dont offest all my carbon, I use go carbon neutral but it was just too much for my budget (I'm trying to save for colledge) so I went back in and said I drive less than I do to make it more affordable I offset about 80% of my carbon now :)
Thanks, @@avacurtis2729! We definitely have the use case of offsetting for a lower amount than one's own footprint in mind. So far we've just not landed on a really easy way to do it (things tend to always get more complicated when you set out to actually do it! :) ). For the time being what you did is the workaround we have. You can also change the amount (to any amount, regardless of footprint result) in settings anytime after signing up. Thanks for the feedback and for joining!
In Italy we don't use dryers, we only hang dry clothes.
Laura Molteni 🙋🏼♀️🇵🇹
In fact, I laughed at that one🤣
Same in my country Bangladesh.
Same in the UK. X
Back home in the Caribbean we also hang dry our clothes...I miss that so much 💔
My goal is to eat less meat, eventually transition to being a vegan, and buy secondhand as much as possible!
You should check "Challenge 22+" on google, it's a free vegan challenge, I've been a mentor in these challenges a few years and they can really help you making it easier. Good luck!
I'm working towards cutting out meat too. A bonus I've found to eating more meatless meals is I can use the money I save to buy my animal products local, free range, and organic.
You're awesome for caring about the world!
More power to you, girl! ♥️ All the best and positive vibes sending your way
Just don’t buy secondhand meat, LOL just kidding. Those are great goals!
This sounds so lame...but I started keeping a couple of Pyrex containers in my car when I go out to dinner to take leftovers home in instead of the Styrofoam container they put the food in. I also started bringing my own cup to work for fountain drinks.
That's not lame at all! :)
Good job! 👏 more people should be doing that!!!
Why on earth would this be lame? This is what everyone should consider doing.
That's really cool.
Never thought about doing that I always hate those they spill or leak thanks for the idea.
This 67 year old vegetarian retiree loves your channel. I have used my clothes dryer to damp dry my clothes then I hang them on a wooden clothes bar to finish drying. Now I’ll just hang them after washing.
I’ll start commenting to companies that use plastics in packaging. That is crazy and needs to stop.
I sold my coffee maker and now use a no plastic French Press.
I have recycled, reused and reduced things for decades. 2 of my 3 adult kids with families now are also on board and we share ideas.
My rural area now has places to recycle styrofoam and food wastes for future compost. Love this.
2 years ago I purchased a 1980’s mobile home which is fantastic. Can’t believe I was actually thinking of buying a new one! So glad I didn’t.
Peace to you.
Mary Balantic as one of the young people your comment makes me really happy! I always see young people make changes and it’s so great to see older people doing it. We all need to stick together to make a big change! Bless you♥️
I recently implemented "Waste Not Wednesday" I use it to prepare a meal from the leftovers in the fridge and/or utilizing food already in my pantry.
Becky Griswold ooooh love this
🌿My resolutions are:
•A no spend challenge
•Eating veggies and fruits that are seasonal
•Walking to work and school more often
You can also rent tools from Home Depot so you don’t need to purchase it. It is a good option if you only need that tool once.
Whoa i didn't even know that!!! Thank you
When my husband and I bought a house our neighbor was tossing a solid oak bedroom set, I asked if they minded if I took it for our spare room, that's when I started going to estate sales to buy whatever we needed. That was 3 years ago, I still go and get things like cutting boards when I need to replace what I have (I sand them and use lemon juice and salt to clean them). Tools are cheap there too, I'm the handy one so I'm always on the lookout.
We also put in 4 large raised beds, a rain barrel, an apple tree, and 3 large flower beds to feed the bees. Plus a very large compost area, we mulch all our leaves.
Love what you do, you've helped me be better to the earth than I had been. Thank you!!
I don't know what your end goal was with this channel but I can tell you after all these years of watching you I have certainly become more eco-conscious. I'm not perfect by any means but I certainly stop to think when I am making decisions and make the more eco-friendly ones.
same here! I feel more aware and like I'm slowly making more and more eco conscious decisions (esp while I still live with my parents I can't do every single thing)
Using pantry items! We call this "Chopped: Home Edition."
Lauren Bailey yes yes yes I love doing this!
6 refrigerators for 2 people! I'm feeling anxiety just imagining 6 fridges packed with expiring food! I get upset when veggies in my crisper start to turn!
same!
My parents have I think 2 fridge freezers and 3-4 freezers but a lot of it is harvested veggies and meat because they have a farm and a really large garden
@@Lemonyjean that makes sense. Don't want the garden or the hunt to go to waste.
@@Zullala yeah! And even though they spend a bit on electricity, they're pretty much zero with the food transportation and play a very useful role in shopping local
My grandma was a hoarder and it included food. She had 4 deep freezers and 3 refrigerators for anywhere from 1 to 3 people depending on who was living with her at the time.
1 of them was for the chickens that she farmed.... The rest is a mystery best left alone.
I’d like to write to companies more this year. There are many things I love that I no longer purchase because their packaging isn’t sustainable.
I agree I'm switching all products I have once used up, but 2 main things i would love to keep buying, but I can't is the cerave pm facial moisturizer and a face sunscreen that has pa+++.
My daughter when working overtime, would use the pickup groceries...but she hated it because EVER SINGLE item was put into its own plastic bag!! I immediately told her to ALWAYS ASK for them to combine items, at least within a department, and to also complain to management!
Stefanie D Yes! I’d love tips on this. I don’t know why, but sometimes I get anxious and it helps to watch a video or something of tips first.
I don’t like to hang dry, especially with three kids but I have started running my dryer for shorter times. I realized it really doesn’t take as long to dry my clothes as I thought and I can cut that down in half!
I love having leftover/ pantry nights, and growing as much as I can. I’ve lived on second hand shopping my entire life lol. I need to be better about shopping more consciously.
I hate hang drying towels. They just get hard and crunchy 😣 I have 4 kids and I just hang dry the synthetic and it cuts down on drying time quite a bit. I can't believe how much synthetics the kids have 😬
Oh, Shelbi, THANK YOU! I have been wanting to offset my carbon, but thought it would be too expensive. I went right to GoClimateNeutral while still watching this, and found out I can offset my household for $10 a month, for myself and my husband. I am seriously crying right now, I'm so happy.
🌿 My New Years resolution:
- Learn more about being sustainable
- Implement it more into my life slowly but surely
- Plan ahead more often 📒
Coming from Latvia hang drying clothes, making pantry meals, repairing stuff and shopping second-hand seems like a no big thing at all. However, I personally really struggle with engaging with community, borrowing or swapping things with others. And my 2020 goal is to get my carbon offsets covered - thank you for this remindor. :)
In Croatia it's not usual to use dryers and I never used one because of that, but now I even don't want to, also I started planting my own garden and I hope it will get bigger each year! I love all your ideas not just because of ecological reason but also economical and we all should take that into consideration! 😁😁
I have gone vegan this year! I think it's one of the most sustainable things someone can do on an individual scale. Also definitely want to start growing some of my own food :)
Sabrina Horan good on you! My husband and I have went vegan as well, and we're loving it! Such a great choice to make for the environment, the animals, and your health. ❤️
Always plant mint in a small pot separate from other plants! It's a very invasive plant it can very easily take over your entire garden.
sionv2009 Good advise. I just ripped a bunch out of my herb garden for this reason.
I wanted to share a tip that might help your viewers if an appliance breaks, many states including Maine where I live, have an Implies Warranty Law which states that if an appliance fails before it's natural expected life the company has to repair or replace it. This overrides a manufactures warranty. My 3-year-old refrigerator stopped cooling and the manufacturer was not going to fix it but when I told him about the implied warranty law he sent out a repairman free of charge. HP also replaced a photo printer with a refurbished one when it died just over a year after purchasing. If your state has this law and you purchased the product while living in the state (meaning the company sells in your state or delivers to your state) you are covered. I recommend calling the company and asking how long an appliance typically lasts before telling them yours is broken. I think there is a chart that says major appliances should last 10 years minimum, minor appliances might be less. Your mom may want to check with her state and save a costly repair bill because the company doesn't volunteer this info.
What a great bit of information to know about! Thank you for commenting this.
My goals this year are:
- learn how to use my sewing machine so I can mend my clothes and sew some of my own produce bags and stuff like that
- try to get a composting system in my apartment
- reduce my food waste by using what I have
P.S. Was that your Charlie Feist backpack that broke? :(
Caramelushca, you can get lots of free sewing tips and lessons right here on U-tube, but I bet you know.....
@@carolburnett8372 Yes, thank you, I just need to summon some time and patience :) I've watched some tutorials, but it keeps getting stuck for some reason; I think I just need to figure out my machine better :)
Same! I finally got a sewing machine after years of wanting one but bring broke. This was a treasure found in my local charity shop. Just had to buy the necessities to take care if it and find an adaptator for the part where you connect it to electricity (it's an old model).
Now I have to find time and patience to learn to use it and it will make sewing do much easier :)
In the Uk I always air dry clothes when I can. It is rare I use the tumble dryer probably only in the winter for the thicker items and bedding. They cost too much to run all the time xx
1jackieworcs yes that so true. I live in the UK too. X
Same
I'm curious .. how many cloths do you own? I air dry and I feel like we have to much because it takes forever to get all the clothes done for a family of 4 including myself.
Amanda H
I live in a house of 6/7 so we only are dry when we can.
In summer it's a lot more but bigger things like duvets we use the tumble dryer. X
It depends on the weather and what we are washing. Xx
@@clothyoriginal I'm only 1 person but one load of washing fits across 2 drying racks. This'll take about a day to dry so unless I'm doing more than 1 load of washing a day it works
I definitely like the "borrow" method you mentioned. I already buy secondhand where I can (except underwear), but borrowing might even get me talking to my neighbours...🤷♀️
This will always be my go to channel for all things zero waste! You are amazing Shelby! ❤️
I'm planning to try and grow my own food indoors and then maybe start a garden too! Thanks for the great tips, Shelbi! You inspire me all the time.
this year i’m super excited about creating a capsule wardrobe! i’m working towards this to help ease my anxiety in the morning. My wife and i are also going to start a compost at my mom’s house!
I’m old, so I actually grew up with a lot of these practices. My mother dried our clothes on clotheslines, outdoors, for years. My father tried to fix everything. My mother painted the house, inside and out. My mother’s favorite story is about the time daddy had her make him a camouflage hunting suit out of a silk parachute. She made our Barbie furniture out of milk carton bases, and they were upholstered, wingback chairs, when she finished. They grew up having to”make do” with whatever they had, and grew their own veggies and fruit. I bet their carbon footprint was pretty small. You remind me of all of these things we used to do, and some I’ve returned to. You do good work, Shelbi!
So excited to see a fellow San Antonian promoting these practices. My resolution to take from the video - repair what you already have! I used to be embarrassed I couldn't even sew a button (my mom & nana are excellent sewers, but I never learned). It's so wasteful so finally watched some TH-cam videos and learned to sew shut a tear. Fixed two sweaters and a pair of jeans! My first efforts aren't pretty, but I'm feeling motivated. And there are so many courses/videos online to learn these skills. Thanks for the inspiration!
My goals for this year are to borrow more and line dry as much as possible! I already shop for my clothing pre-loved or local (and shop waaaay less than I used to), and I’ve started giving away items that I have old emotional attachments to (after I thank them for the joy they’ve given me). Thanks for being such a great inspiration 😊
I was just having a conversation with my husband about this. I was telling him that I wanted to start dehyrating fruit and was showing him all brands on Amazon. I was taken back when he said I should go to my moms and use hers. I told him that it would be easier to have my own. That was literally 2 hours ago, and here I am watching your video and learning a new way to be better to the environment. Thanks for your video and educating me 😊 My husband also appriecated the validation 😂
For the new year I’m trying to get better about food waste so I’d like to try out the pantry meal idea you suggested. I did a big fridge clean out just before Christmas and I was embarrassed when I realized just how much food I let go to waste.
Another resolution of mine is to try to produce less waste in general. Last summer my girlfriend and I moved from a house to an apartment that wasn’t set up with recycling collection, so we were hoarding our recyclables until we finally got our council to get us recycling bins. There’s really nothing like having 2 months worth of recycling piling up in your tiny apartment to show you how essential it is to emphasize reducing 😓 To make things worse, we haven’t had a single pickup since the bins were delivered. We’ve tried to get in touch with the council about it but nothing has changed, so I’m gonna make an effort to reduce my waste - it negatively affects my mental health to be surrounded by waste all the time, and I really should be making it a habit anyway! Thanks for this helpful video 💛
I love what you said about fixing what you have instead of buying brand new. We’ve always thought “well if we have to spend the money why not upgrade” never really thinking about the waste. This puts it into such great perspective.
Things I do off this list so far:
Similar to many others who have commented line drying is the norm here in Australia. We have a dryer but it barely gets used, mostly just for nappies in winter when they can’t fully dry on the line during the day.
Buying second hand where possible is one of my big goals for 2020, I’ve managed to get my sons school uniform all second hand in perfect condition and even convinced my husband to thrift a few new business shirts rather than buying new.
Loving watching your videos, so inspirational!
I have a few sustainability-related resolutions. I'm currently checking my local thrift stores on a regular basis until I find a drying rack for my clothes. I also want to be totally free of single use plastics. At this point, I am making swaps as I run out of things in single use plastic. I also started doing something that might seem a bit weird... when I go to the trash room in my apartment, I often find perfectly good items that people are throwing away. After Christmas I found some dishes and silverware in excellent condition. (They were stacked off to the side as though someone knew these should not be trash but didn't want to deal with rehoming them.) I took them out of the trash room and donated them. There's NO REASON those items should be in a landfill. I plan on continuing to save things from the garbage in 2020.
Thanks for inspiring me to make changes with your content. I've not only learned about some practical tips, but I also feel armed with information and inspired to research more.
Fellow "landfill diverter" here (I, too, go out of my way to repair/donate/rehome other people's "garbage")... I am also into "slow" 2nd hand shopping and patiently await the treasure I am seeking... That said, a tip: if you need a clothes drying device on the interim, I saw someone craft one out of bamboo! Being so strong and straight, bamboo is perfect just as a makeshift clothing rod as well... 😁
@@rachaelb2847 , I am in good company with landfill diverting, it seems! I LOVE the bamboo idea as well! I'm just crafty enough to make something like that happen. P.s. Best of luck finding the treasure you seek.
I was moving a few months ago so I found a drying rack on ebay which was being sold near a relative's hour so I collected it and visited my relative in one trip :) took a while to find one being sold in a convenient area but felt so much better not buying new, expecially because new metal clothes racks are wrapped in plastic... Absolute nonsense!
I also go through the bins at home 😅 I regularly find whole or half full packets of food which I move to the food waste. Drives me nuts! There are reminders on all the bins about what goes where but people either forget or just don't make the effort.
@@tabithahastie7353 I, too, scavenge needed items based on locality/proximity to relatives I might want to visit anyway!
Air drying my clothing is definitely something I would like to take up!
be ready to iron clothes they get wrinkly if you dont have breeze
Amanda H how so? I don’t own a dryer OR an iron and my clothes aren’t wrinkly? Are you actually hanging your clothes?
@@ah5721 I'd say you're more likely to have to iron the clothes that dried in a dryer than those that hung up
Carbon off setting is goal for me! We do fly and don’t plan to stop at the moment. So it’s a big one for us!
For repairing, our couch is very old and has gotten multiple tears in the fabric that I have sewn up. We borrowed an upholstery cleaner from a grocery store to clean it up as it is quite stained. And now that it is starting to get more holes and still looks stained I recently bought a couch cover to help extend the life of the couch.
Our kitchen chairs were falling apart so we bought wood glue and fixed them.
I need to start doing the one in one out rule, and probably another declutter because I still have too much clothing/stuff. We moved to a smaller place so having less things is now a necessity.
I haven't done the 30 day wait rule but I do have an ongoing wishlist so that I am constantly looking for stuff I need or want when thrifting but not buying until I find it sustainably whether that's from thrifting or local artisans or a more ecofriendly online store.
Loved the video Shelbi, I definitely feel inspired by some of your suggestions.
2020 sustainability goals
-Set up a system to get my whole household to utilize our compost
-Not one you talked about but bringing my own to go containers to restaurants for leftovers since in my area going out to eat is one of the most common forms of entertainment
I love this! My New Years resolution is to eat no meat and less dairy. I’d consider myself past beginner at sustainability so I appreciate these intermediate tips.
We recently found your channel and are so enjoying your content. 😊
Who said “You can’t teach old dogs new tricks”? 🐶👨🏻🦳👵🏻
My husband and I are learning so much about sustainability and are implementing more changes every day. Need to work more on conscious purchases, and really making sure our purchases are necessary and sustainable. 2020 is the next step in our journey and we are so glad we have you to help us in that journey. The younger generations sure has more on us older folks when it comes to knowledge and practical implementation of sustainability, low waste, minimalism etc. Thank you Shelby!! 💜💚💙
My goal thia year is to work on better consistency with my habits! I do a lot of these ideas already as it is, just need to stay consiatent with them!
yay i cant wait to incorporate all these habits into my life. im trying to live more sustainabily and trying to influence my family to do the same
I’ve noticed that now I live and work in the same town, I drive more often and drive short distances. I’m trying to actively walk to work as often as the weather allows. I am interested in growing my own food but have the thumbs of death so this will take a lot of work! Finally, I am trying to be more conscious when I shop of what I need. I’ve always been quite good at this because I’m on a budget but I can go the other way and deny myself things and feel such guilt when I do buy them that I end up returning them later. I’m trying to find a better balance between the two and now when I shop I look for more sustainable solutions so I don’t feel as bad when I do buy something. Your mantra about what the earth needs has honestly helped me so much and I say it to myself when I get a bit overwhelmed with everything that’s happening in the world and worry about how much I can or can’t help (guilt complex the size of Russia here!).
My ultimate goal is to homestead and live off of what I personally produce. So this year I am taking some gardening classes, implementing a garden and hopefully will feed my family mostly from what we grow. We already hang-dry most of our laundry, and try to do some of the other good habits you mentioned. Thank you for doing these videos, I *truly* enjoy them and have learned so much from you - THANK YOU!
I definitely want to try to start implementing the pantry habit and not immediately feel like I have to grocery shop... thank you Shelby for being so inspiring and committed to this lifestyle!!
I’m starting a garden this year! I’m even more excited that I’ll be starting it with compost I started January 1st
I'm so excited to start growing some of my own food this year! I can't wait to have my own garden some day.
Also, in addition to borrowing from friends and family, some libraries are starting to lend out materials like tools and sewing machines and stuff. Just an fyi!
I'm trying to be more sustainable starting in 2020, especially only buying clothes second hand and interacting food more sustainably (composting, buying from local farmers, etc). It's great to see someone model how to actually live that lifestyle. Thanks for making this journey more accessible!
My biggest resolution is getting involved! I recently started an environmental health organization at my university in hopes to get others to join and learn more about what they can do to help the planet!!
My mom has always put her laundry in the dryer for about 5 minutes before taking it out to hang dry. I always thought it was strange, but she said it gets the hard wrinkles out without running the dryer for 40+ minutes. I’m going to try to start doing this! I’ve been trying to do better about buying second hand, but right now I’m doing really well with being choosy about where I spend my dollars. I very rarely (once or twice a year) buy anything from amazon or target and probably spend 90% of my spending money (not bills, gas, etc.) with small local businesses. I’ve found so many great businesses in my area and truly love being able to support them. I’ve had a small garden in the last, but in Phoenix, AZ, it’s hard to keep it going once it gets to be summer. For me the issue is keeping up with watering, but my cousin just told me that he has extra drip tape and extra supplies to set up a whole watering system, so I’m hoping this year is the year I keep the garden going more than a few months, plus it’s all second hand, bonus! One other thing, I just booked a flight to New York for my cousin’s graduation, I don’t want to miss out on a chance to see extended family and also travel somewhere I’ve never been before, but was feeling bad about the impact of the flight. Thanks for the info about carbon offsets! I will definitely be looking into that!!!
I was literally taking clothes out of the dry just as she was saying that. I’ll definitely have to think about be more eco friendly
I love the first tip about hang drying. I grew up in Italy and nobody had a dryer there so it was natural for me to purchase a drying rack when I moved to the US. Still my favorite method, not only for the zero waste effect but also for the amazing way that makes my apartment smell. There's nothing like walking home and smelling freshly washed linen!
I currently hang dry laundry, grow my own herbs and vegetables, and thrift most of my clothes. I try my best to encourage my family to shop more sustainably and watch what they buy. In my household we have connected our washer to a rain barrel so that the water used to wash our clothes can be used to water our plants and catch rain at the same time. We use an eco friendly detergent so that the plants can use the water. My goal this year is to be carful with what I buy and restraining from impulse purchases. Thanks for you videos.
I do most of these, but i am excited to implement the others. My focus for this year is to just be an example instead of getting upset with others. Thank you!
One of my goals this year is to grow my own vegetables and make a meal with them all. 😁 xx
I always tried to be more conscious about my impact. I started watching your videos recently and there is sooooo much i had no idea. In the past few weeks i started composting (my city does collect it but we never really did it), i stop using the plastic cups at work and carry my mason jar with me for my water, i have been more mindful about the packaging of what i buy. I have tried a few if the swap you suggested like the soap nuts(wich i love). I have never bought something second hand before but i did some research and there is a second hand toy store close to me to wich i will start buying my kids toys. I started teaching my kids what goes to recycle and compost. And i have donated their diapers to a daycare and switch them to cloth diapers. I have bought reusable pads after i watch your videos about it and i cant wait to try them.
I want to thank you because i have learned a lot of things with your videos. You are amazing.
I do groceries for 2-2,5 weeks at once. And will make soup of the left overs and put what's left over in the freezer and cook with fresh ingredients and cook way more than I can eat on my own so I can eat from it 3-4 times
Currently eating a soup that's made out of stuff that was still left over in my fridge
I like that definition of minimalism (15:50) - To have the smallest footprint we can on the resources it takes to make the things that we buy
My new years resolution that has to do with sustainability is growing from seed at least 25 new trees and getting some of last year's saplings in the ground. I started this last spring, sprouting apple and maple tree seeds and ended up not killing 12 of them. So I want to keep going with it and more than double what I did last year. Plus I'm trying to expand my knowledge of species and will be attempting evergreen, butternut, black walnut, and chestnut trees. Wish me luck!
So, I am right there with ya on most of these... 2nd hand is KING! Hang dry preserves AND time in sun sterilizes (especially great for our cloth diapers!)... In terms of community, I already have existing trades/agreements with neighbors to share their waste bins, which provides REAL (i.e. physical space) accountability for minimizing my family's waste... working on getting more involved in online communities, so thanks for prompting that! Have been trying to get around to organizing a clothing swap again... With the exception of food, not really a shopper, so plenty of patience for a long vetting process... currently working on the pantry clearout... which brings me to my #1 goal for 2020
1. Embrace my already exisiting inner minimalist: I have 2 young kiddos and like most new parents, the amount of "necessary" stuff that gets shoveled in a kid's direction is astounding. My mother in law insisted on a baby shower that fell on the same day as her neighborhood yard sale, so I insisted on a "2nd-hand baby checklist scavenger hunt"... 😁 Nonetheless, over time and 2 kiddos later, we are still stuck with waaay too many hand-me-downs, unwanted gifts, etc... (I appreciate all and ANY of the tips you have on landfill diversion for purging unwanted belongings! LOVED the suggestions you have already provided and your additions to the conversation on the KonMari method, especially with regard to your concept of "eco-minimalism" as I, too, have concerns about how purging can be done irresponsibly/wastefully, or fuel more consumption longterm.)
*Now for better planning/implementation for associated subtasks of said goal... hence the need for a new and (not-to-mention) fabulous planning calendar... Thanks either way... keep spreading the good stuff! 😉
I have been doing the 30 day wait period, because most of the time I am buying on impulse. I do have a wishlist and I think it's helpful to wait it out and to know that I actually need an item, or want it because I know I'll definitely use it a lot. This also helps me to cut down on my spending, when I am bored or feeling down I browse the internet for anything to buy to make me feel better, but the feeling doesn't last and then im stuck in a cycle. So with that the goal is to buy less, then buy quality, and secondhand if possible. Love you and this channel!
I started hanging my clothes to dry them because it’s much way better even for the clothes themselves which’s something I’m really happy about. Also I started to grow herbs in my room and they make my room smells lovely 🌿❤️. The best and most affordable environmental option is buying second hand items I became so obsessed especially with I buy stuff for my kitchen you can’t imagine how many beautiful things people will feel bored with! Thinking about what I’m buying is something I’m trying to implementing in my life nowadays to reduce the amount of unnecessary things I ‘think’ I need! Thank you for the great video ❤️
I had to pause the video to sign up For the carbon offset! I am so shocked to only see less than 4000 people signed up! I hope this can somehow gain more attention. What a wonderful thing we can do and keep in the background to help our future! Thank you for sharing!
I really love your ideas!!! There's a lot of items that we have done here including watching youtube videos to repair our appliances (and yes you can a lot of time fix them yourselves). I also love purchasing items from thrift stores and giving back as well what I no longer use :) I think the idea of getting better skills is awesome and something that we should all strive to do.
Thanks for this list! My resolution is to open up more to others about my efforts to live a more low waste lifestyle. When I first bought my reusable produce bags, my sisters gave me such a hard time about it! Since then, I have avoided discussing most of the changes/efforts I am making. But no more! If someone asks about my collection of empty pasta sauce jars, instead of making up an excuse, I am just going to be honest-I am using them to buy in bulk and store food to avoid plastic! Etc etc. Happy New Year, hope your dad is doing well!
I do most of these in one way or another. The only one I hadn’t even thought about was writing to companies. Thank you for placing suggestions in my mind.
The last Sunday of the month I do a “pantry” inventory. This includes the refrigerator and freezer. I take stock of what I have and move anything that will be expiring soon to the front. My father is a big clearance food shopper and brings us dry goods often. I implemented this system so I wasn’t wasting those foods.
Thank you for sharing the carbon offset website. I’ve never heard of this, and it’s such an easy thing to set and forget. Public transportation is not a realistic option for me, so I’m interested in being able to offset all my driving.
I currently live at home with my family (until I graduate college this spring!) and I have always tried to be more sustainable (getting things like clothes, shoes, and decor second hand, properly recycling when I do create waste, avoiding plastic packaging, using public transportation, etc.). However, my family still doesn't see the importance of living this way. There actually seems to be a stigma surrounding people who try to be more sustainable, like that we are gross for buying items second hand.
This year I am definitely going to try to offset my family's collective carbon footprint if possible with the website you mentioned. Even if I can't convince them to be more sustainable/ecofriendly, at least I can offset their footprint from the food and clothing they purchase as well as the amount of traveling they do. I'm also interested in learning how to compost/start a little herb garden at my family house. Thank you so much for all of the research you do!!! You are AMAZING and truly are a role model to me! :)
I started buying used electronics this year and it feels so great to be able to give that money back to the individual seller and to be able to keep that item from either wasting away or ending up in a landfill!
One of my New Years resolutions is to pack better lunches for myself during the work week instead of going and buying food from a restaurant and taking it to work. Another one is to get the people I love around me to understand why single use plastic is VERY unnecessary and try and help them work it out of their lives for the most part😊
I just graduated from college and I’m about to get my first apartment within the next month and I’m so excited to live on my own so I’m able to start implementing some of these strategies that’s are hard to implement while still at home with my family!
I'm planning on seriously instituting the 30-day waiting period for me and my family! I've already started easing into it, but I've noticed it not only cuts down on the impulse-buys (which I do a lot of...ugh) but it's helped us stick closer to a better budget so we can break away from the check-to-check living! Double win!
Yes to line drying!! I'm American, but I'm spending some time abroad, and everyone I've met here in Australia either uses outdoor clotheslines or drying racks. It's such an easy change to make and I definitely plan to keep with it after returning to the states.
I already do a lot of these and can say the 30 day rule is great for sustainability and my finances! One habit I'm going to try to implement is growing my own food. I recently moved into a house and now I have a yard where I can have a garden!
Thank you for your videos. I have been binge watching while doing house chores and organizing/purging.
Without a doubt, you are making a difference through your videos by positively influencing the every day choices of your viewers. This year I will use the dryer much less often (zero is honestly not feasible now in our 4 member busy lifestyle). I also will make it a point to write letter to producers about more ecofriendly changes in packaging. Another big change, not mentioned here but still applicable, is eating out at restaurants less often. I have been getting annoyed at every day things that I hadn't even thought of before, such as the plastic straws and cutlery.
Anyhow, thank you again from a sister Texan. ❤
I'm thinking of implementing the "one in one out" rule for a lot of things, especially my wardrobe!
This video has inspired me to get back to my allotment! I stopped going for multiple reasons, but I am SO lucky to have it so I'm going to work on getting over my anxiety surrounding it and head back there! (before they kick me off the plot!) Also the push I needed to get hold of a compost bin for our little apartment, I've wanted to get a big one just for our cat waste (we use natural litter and biodegradable bags but the only waste we have at home is the general waste) which can then be used in the little garden area that can't be used for planting food because it's right next to a main road/footpath.
From your list the one I've been doing the longest is hang drying our clothes. When we moved, this rental didn't have a washer/dryer combo so although it takes a lot longer, and more planning but is definitely worth it.
Definitely going to work on using the food we already have and meal planning around that, rather than making new shopping lists. And going to look into offsetting my carbon in general, I haven't flown in years (mostly down to lack of needing to) but would love to offset my general usage!
My sustainability resolution for the year is to definitely be mindful of where my produce and bulk items comes from. I already shop at local farmers markets and local grocery stores. I saw the video you made showing that even bulk bin items come from places like "vietnam" and that really opened my eyes. I wasn't even paying attention to that myself. Wow. So this year, I'm gonna be even more mindful. Thanks so much, Shelby.
I'm going to line dry my clothes more often. I air dry sheets and I love the fact that they smell great! Last year I implemented more vegetarian options for dinners and I no longer buy veg that are pre-wrapped in plastic.
As soon as you mentioned goclimatenuetral I was excited. Trading out my Spotify subscription for this. Also loving the reminder of community involvement. We're lucky to live in a very green part of California, but there's always something that can be improved! This year we must come together in support of the greater.
Im also about to start my first school class in years, intro to sustainable environments.
Thank you for your work and your inspiration!
My goal this year is to decrease my food waste by "shopping" my own pantry and freezer first and planning weekly meals based on things we already have.
My daughter keeps telling me......over and over....."Shop at home"
We are totally going to offset our carbon footprint!!! Thanks for the video I learned so much from their site!!
Ooh yesss I love doing clothing swaps. I’ve done them a couple times with friends. It’s such a good way to get rid of clothing you no longer want and to get fun new items for yourself without spending! Then anything that isn’t claimed can just go to a thrift store.
My goals are to reduce waste by learning to make my own cleaners and make up removers, composting, and learning skills on how to repair my own clothes to make them last! (:
Love your channel, it has me SO inspired!!
We do the pantry clear out once a month, saves us some money and it’s me be a little more creative with dinner!
I have been trying to do the no Dyer thing!
One of my goals this year is to shop 2nd hand first. And to also go through my belongings to see what I can sell, donate or trade for other items before making a purchase 😊
I just wanted to say that I really enjoy your videos and the lights and plants are very soothing to see.
I definitely do a pantry meal at least once a week. I hang dry the majority of our laundry. I have been getting better about my thrifting sprees...especially when it comes to fabric, I love to sew and my thrift store has a fabric bin 😁. But I have been using my stash instead of buying more. Btw you have really helped me to realize that I do not have to dive right into "zero waste"
I am the queen on pantry meals! I only go grocery shopping until there is literally no food left. Also I live in TX and hang dry all my clothes and my husband even prefers it. Goal - going to look into the offsets, I have heard of them slightly before but since you explained it, definitely going to look into it.
Great list! I started growing my own food last year and it was amazing! I had so many vegetables, and I can’t wait to do it again this summer
Thank you for the great tips! I love line-drying my clothes during spring through fall, but it's difficult to do in the winter while it's too cold and wet. Wool dryer balls help to cut down on machine drying time. My goals this year are to buy secondhand as much as possible, or repair what I already have (saved some clothes this way already and learned that I love to sew!), and have a bountiful garden so I can share food with others and help us all save money and reduce waste!
The thing with the packaging is so true, all berries are always packaged in plastic containers. The supermarket I go to changed the packaging of grapes from plastic to paperbags last week and I was soo happy to be able to buy the grapes without feeling horrible
I hang dry about half of my clothes now, so my goal is to start hang drying everything but towels. I would also like to take on the challenge that I reach out to companies to Express my wish for them to try more sustainable packaging. I really like that idea and I think that's a great way for me to start getting more involved and not just focusing on changes in my own life.
This year I'm planning on building a rain barrel and installing gutters, and getting perennial food plants to start my permaculture garden.
Love this! I don't understand why more people don't know that hang drying your clothes preserves them for waaaaay longer. Especially socks and underwear!
My goals for this year is to not have dinner delivered or get take out. I am so much more aware of the gas that is used to deliver the meals and all of the leftover wasteful containers. It really adds up! I completely defeat my other efforts at zero waste when I get take away.
Dryers: I dont have one since I moved to my new house. I didn't want one at all. I just put a 30c wash on then run a 10 minute water reducing cycle after. Then everything is usually close to being rung out and I hang it next to my chimney indoors because the air circulation from there dries everything super quick. I live in scotland.
I've started an eco tracker in my bullet journal focussed on making note of the little sustainable things I do, which is great for motivating me, as well as keeping myself accountable, and basically adjusting my overall thought process when it comes to becoming more sustainable.
I struggle with hoarding tendencies and definitely want to try waiting 30 days before buying some of the things I want. I've been slowly improving becoming less of an impulse buyer!
my main change for 2020 is that i'm starting a bokashi-bucket. it's sort of an apartment compost, where you ferment your kitchen scraps. with those you can then fertilise your plants. i also want to grow tomatoes and garlic on my balcony on top of the herbs and the strawberry plant i already have
A good skill to learn during the pandemic is sewing or knitting. Don't hoard the supplies for these, though. Just buy what you need for each project. Making a quilt out of old concert T shirts, or souvenir T shirts, or old clothing from a cherished grandparent is also great for reusing things, since thrift stores will often just throw out a lot of clothing or turn it into rags.
I want to bring back the use of aprons! They can be very creative and cute, even more so than your regular wardrobe. They are easy to make, and help your clothes to last longer.