Salvation Army employee here! PLEASE sell your items, give them to friends, or repurpose them. Donating them is not a sustainable option. We have to throw away SOOOOO many articles of clothing each day. And eventually many donated clothing items just end up polluting smaller, less wealthy countries. We value what we PAY for- so please try selling things first. Even if you only charge a few cents for them.
I also utilize Facebook giveaway groups. I still give away the item for free, but I know it is going to someone who has taken an active choice to come get that specific item so I believe there is a greater chance that people will actually use it. And people with fewer means often use these groups so you are still supporting your community.
@@lyndabethcave3835 from philippines, we dont have that problem since we're the ones that receive those neglected garments from all around the world, that is why ppl don't accept donations in their thrift store. (Except one city)
This "climate change will not affect our lives" stance honestly has me up in arms. I work in Malawi where literally the effects of climate change are being felt RIGHT NOW! Erratic rainfall (either drought or floods, changes in the timing of the rainy season) are effecting people's ability to grow food TODAY. And this is not just economic hardship when harvest fail, some of these people will literally starve if they are not able to grow enough food to feed their families! In a recent survey a collaborator in our project found that 90% of poor farmers cited climate change as their number 1 worry for the future... Despite these people literally not contributing to the problem AT ALL. It's just so bitter and honestly makes me a bit angry.
In my state we are seeing it now, but it's a red state, so people still deny it even as it's right in front of our faces. Our droughts and smog get worse and worse every year. We're losing animals and insects, while having infestations of other bugs.
Yeah, I dont get these people. We are from California and my partner has had to evactuate pretty much every year because of fires. I dont get fires where I am from but we do get the smoke and it is definatively different than when I was a kid or even how it was 10 years ago.
Washington state here and we see it here but people want to believe that’s the normal changing of the seasons. There’s been major rain on the PNW this week with flooding like people have never seen before in their lifetime and people are still saying “it’s the rainy season it rains every year”
Yeah, I have phases sometimes of doomerism with eco-anxiety, but it comes and goes...and doomerism at least has some validity behind it (idk if validity is the right word)?? Denial has no actual merit or validity - it's just people refusing to accept science.
I think I speak for the community when I say, you don't EVER talk too much. We come for your honest, scientific, experienced, educated perspective, and it's so much more necessary than 95% of the 'opinoions' online
We are in our 70's. We keep everything for years and years. We buy maybe 10 new items in a year. Many people we know have converted a bedroom into a closet. I get clothes given to me or buy second hand. If I can't use an item, it goes to the homeless shelter. We got stainless steel and Corelle for our wedding in 1972. We still use it. Tina
Tina, I am in my 70s as well and I have given away all the excessive things in my life. I've cleaned out 3 hoarders houses for deceased family members in recent years and it was awful. I washed and sanitized a lot of the gently used casual and sleep wear and gave them to a nursing home clothes closet for their elderly patients who needed them so badly!
I’m in my 20s but when I very first moved out I got white Corelle dishes because they match everything and last forever! I got the idea because the corelle dishes at my great grandmas house is older than my mom and lasted this long!
In regards to clothing, I actually think keeping clothes for the longest time possible is most sustainable. As someone whose body and lifestyle changes constantly, I find myself going back to clothes I haven‘t touched in Years!!! All the time!!! And it saved me so much money and resources. But when I do get rid of my clothes, I try giving them away to people I know and trust and/or sell them.
Agreed! I don't think there is any argument about whether buying things secondhand is more sustainable than buying new. But (Personal opinion alert) buying things secondhand still contributes to the problem of demand (New clothes are created and get bought, donated of which a lot end up in landfill as Shelbi hit on, some get sold to thrift stores, sold, shipping/travelling to also eats up resources), and so the more sustainable approach would be to buy as little as possible in the first place to minimize your consumerism. Blanket statement of buying secondhand is sustainable isn't really true.
As someone who is currently pregnant and has bought all my maternity wear second hand it is infuriating how much is out there that is either brand new and was never worn or is barely used. The idea that I would need a whole new wardrobe for just 6 months that I won’t be able to wear soon after the baby is born is ridiculous. And since I have done a pretty good job of getting my regular wardrobe down to pieces that I replace as they wear out it is equally infuriating to watch how these clothes are falling apart as I wear them. I have worn these clothes for 3 1/2 months so far and I am constantly repairing them, and I will probably have to replace a lot them before I have the baby in March…
People that argue about thrift shopping taking from the poor or thrifting being gentrified literally makes my brain explode. Go to a Goodwill outlet, there are hundreds of thousands of pounds that rotate through those stores everyday. Then multiply that by all the locations in the country. These items are going to landfill or being sold off to other countries THAT ARE ALREADY OVERLOADED WITH TEXTILES. They do not want any more of our textiles. This damn country is so wasteful.
1. Sometimes I find myself feeling hopeless like the "as long as billionaires exist" comment, and your fire and hope about how essential individual actions are always gives me more energy and hope. Thank you. 2. YOUR HAIR IS SO SHINY AND PRETTY.
It is 100% the fault of thrift stores who over price the crap out of their clothes that they get for free making it less accessible to lower income folks. Especially the corporate stores (Goodwill, Salvation Army). More people shopping secondhand is always better! And you're right, there is plenty to go around and still massive amounts being dumped in landfills.
There are times when you can find the brand new clothing item on sale for cheaper than the same item used at a thrift store. Frustrating. At the same time those thrift store have to sift through so much garbage that people donate. Thats where the higher prices can come in. Double frustrating.
Omg I went to a thrift store this summer that had too much stuff to accept donations. But their shoes were THIRTY DOLLARS. I was like....thats the problem!
We have noticed that in our area as well.. just more recently. The prices just get higher and higher. It’s weird when you can buy something for dollars less new. For sure want to be sustainable and buy second hand, but with today’s rate of inflation it’s very hard.
I agree with this! I recently went shopping with my elderly father and he was looking for some winter items. We found coats that were £40, £60, and winter boots £30! I said to the manager that they have a store elsewhere that we shop at and nothing is over £5! These are second hand items at new prices! She just said they want the maximum amount for these items and I should shop at the other store! Needless to say they can't take in donations because they aren't selling as much as they could!
Please don't lump in all thrift stores together. Salvation Army and Goodwill are one thing, but your local thrift store probably cannot afford their rent, business taxes, and paying their employees if they sell everything for $5. And this is just my personal experience, but the people who told me they could "get the same thing" I had priced for $30-$50 for the same price brand new at Target...didn't know what they were talking about. If we were pricing something for that much, the original price was somewhere in the $300-$500 ballpark, made of much sturdier and longer-lasting materials, and unlike Target crap would continue to last for years if taken care of properly.
I hate when people say "there is no ethical consumption under capitalism." It just feels like an excuse. Obviously there are people who really don't have options, like in food deserts etc.
It also kind of sounds like capitalism is the only institution we have. Giving items to friends and repairing old are not capitalism. Co-ops are not capitalism. Making or growing your own, foraging, or helping friends are not capitalism. Volunteering is not capitalism. I get so tired of people saying "there's no ethical consumption under capitalism" and not doing any of the other things. It sounds defeated. I'm not perfect, and sometimes I buy things, but I try. I repair my stuff, I try to learn how to look after plants, and learn how to make jam or vegetarian food. I volunteer and try to teach young people how to be healthy and active citizens. My friends who say this passive stuff, sometimes I want to slap them. The world is not gonna change for you if you do nothing about it. You don't have to wait for it before you can start doing things besides capitalism.
The good thing about capitalism is that they only make money off of what they can sell. So if everybody only accepted sustainable, ethical goods that’s what we would have. We still need a total revamp of our jobs/economy etc. if people really only bought what they needed, but I also find it a poor excuse to use capitalism as a reason not to do anything.
It's that old, "the perfect is the enemy of the good." You might think there is nothing that is TRULY ethical, but don't lie, you know that there are options that are more ethical than others.
I try my best to sell my stuff but after a while I just want it out of my house. My aunt told me she donates to churches because they give them directly to people in need. Also I think people forget that you can donate to places other than resale shops like schools, churches, or directly to people in need!
All good advice! I'm also obsessed with my Buy Nothing Group lately. I live in a group house and went through the whole place top to bottom to clean out what past renters have left behind and got rid of a TON of it on BN. (Unfortunately, we did still have to call a junk hauler - things had been left in the house from probably the late 90s/early 00s but I found one that according to their website does their best to fix and re-sell or donate before anything goes to landfill. Hopefully they figured out what to do with most of that junk!
I've recently been looking into donating to women's shelter's because of the same reason. Sometimes things aren't selling as fast as you'd like and shelters are always willing to take things and it'll go to folks who need it.
Shelbi, I’m writing to you as an 18 year old in 2021, and want to say thank you for the content you provide. It continues to motivate me when I feel that people in power will never listen to me. Let’s use our voices!
Im 18 as well and feel the exact same way. Honestly, I just get jokes from my family about trying to live more sustainable, but its because they don't understand or want to give up easy things like plastic water bottles, plastic bags, etc.
I have to assume that anyone who says that thrifting isn’t ethical doesn’t frequent thrift stores very often. My local goodwill gets TONS of stuff DAILY. They restock throughout the day. I go to thrift stores all the time and there is plenty of beautiful, quality brand name clothes for everyone. Anytime I go to any thrift store it’s just jammed packed with beautiful things! I also frequent the Goodwill outlet, where they sell clothes by the pound. It’s where they sell clothes that didn’t sell at the regular goodwills/ they are overrun with donations and can’t sell everything. They sell the clothes in these massive bins that they change out EVERY 20 MINUTES! I find beautiful, brand name clothes there, often with the original tags still on! I have literally found J. Crew, Aritzia, Lululemon, etc with the tags on. I have found designer purses here (I found a Chloe bag there once!!) Maybe it’s different in other places, but in Canada, there is more than enough clothes at the thrift store for everyone.
I hope the people with whom you disagree will actually listen to your “hot take” and take an intentional moment to reconsider/reconstruct their ideas! I’m an optimist when it comes to baby steps, because the big picture can look very bleak sometimes. 💚 Your individual actions have inspired my individual actions and so on, one can hope!
Only about 5% of the French population during WW2 comprised the French resistance when the Nazis invaded. They were a small group of people who we now see as hero’s. It takes courage and commitment to do the right thing.
I'd also say, if you can't find anyone who can buy your clothes, try giving them away on Buy Nothing groups next before donating. People love free things, and it's unlikely to clog a landfill any time soon this way.
10000% agree with you on the power of individual action. My favorite analogy on this comes from Jonathan Safran Foer's We Are the Weather. He writes that when there is a car crash and the ambulance comes to save the people who have been injured, obviously the EMS professionals are the people who are having the biggest direct impact....but they wouldn't even have been able to get to the scene of the accident if all the other cars on the road didn't pull over to the side and let them through. We all need to do our individual parts SO THAT the people who are most responsible for making big changes CAN do their part.
In the year I have been making changes to be more sustainable the most common comment I get from people is “your barely making a dent” or something like that. While I agree my small changes are not amounting to much I don’t get the idea that it’s useless. Small changes make big changes! I was asking through my neighborhood and noticing the amount of compost bins (not included in our town) and who gives a crap boxes and it mead me feel good to see I am not alone is making small steps!!
so, here's my hot take regarding global warming / climate change / etc.- whether or not it exists, who cares? There is only benefit to putting less trash on the earth, spitting less pollution into the air, and designing better systems for power and food production. Litter's ugly and collects in places where it harms animals. Pollution reeks and clogs the air. Sustainable systems mean efficient systems that produce higher quality goods for a longer period of time. It's human nature to keep improving and do better.
I saw a comment the other day that I’ve started using. Even if climate change isn’t real why would you not want to take care of the planet. Trash everywhere looks gross and breathing in the pollution is bad for health so why not just take care of the planet for the sake of our planet not looking gross
I agree. I honestly think global warming/climate change specifically is already beyond stopping at this point, its actually already here and probably still getting worse. And the very radical changes that could maybe reverse/stop it wont happen anytime soon. We will have to do our best to adapt instead. It will cause big problems for many, but not necessarily world ending problems. But there are a lot of issues where we could at least reduce and maybe reverse the damage. Like with excess waste and air pollution
Amazing points made - 9:20 was my favorite LOL a lot of people think their personal actions just don’t make a difference. But they are one person added to however many people in the entire world trying to be more sustainable / earth friendly. It actually all adds up!
GO OFF SHELBI! Great video, especially loved your response about climate change not affecting us. Such a ridiculous privileged position to take... tell that to all the people whose houses just burned down on the west coast...
Hot take: Owning more items of a certain kind can be more sustainable in some cases. For instance: If I had a minimalist capsule wardrobe, I would have to use my washing machine a lot more often (obviously I still wear my clothes more than once, air them out rather than washing after every use, etc. But I wait until a lot of dirty laundry has accumulated before I run my washer). Likewise, it's better to own at least as many plates, glasses, etc as my dishwasher can take, rather than only owning the bare minimum and running a mostly empty dishwasher daily.
I work at hobby lobby, it's my first retail job I've had and I've been SHOCKED by the amount of trash and waste and IMMENSE amount of overpriced junk flys out the door everyday. I feel awful everytime I have to help unbox because of how much styrophome and plastic I have to just trash. It makes me sick.
I think as someone who grows fruit and vegetables, the little changes of climate change are more visible. Ive had people say to me there's no climate change happening in my country and meanwhile I've been able to grow sweet corn outside only in the last few years and my potato growing is going worse and worse. I live in northern ireland, normally the only thing that grows well is potatoes and cabbage 😭
people forget that we are all part of the system, individual actions contribute to systemic change. like you said, as a citizen, your small support and small choices contribute to the large choices made by corporations and governments. saying "individual actions don't do anything" is such a cop out, and a way of getting out of doing anything. it's like everybody wants to be an activist until they actually have to take ACTION. do what u can!
I personally don’t buy things often, but the definition of “donating” made me comment. I usually donate things I no longer use (because my mother bought me things many many years ago that are enough for 3 other people) I usually donate them to people I know need them. So not to charity shops, but actual people in need. This way I know they will actually use them. I think donating this way makes sure it doesn’t get thrown out.
I'll absolutely comment too that thrifting nice clothes to then resale is not sustainable through an economical/social equity lens because as stated, it makes clothes that would've been free or cheap to low income people now unavailable.
Buying gifts second hand is okay! I heard so often people only buy new stuff but I actually love to go on a hunt for the perfect gift in secondhand shops.
My understanding is that nothing really breaks down in modern landfills because the trash is compacted so much there isn't air for decomposition. But it could be different in your area.
I love these videos! Peoples hot takes are interesting and really shows the privilege and ignorance that exists around climate change. Thanks for making these videos and always dishing out good information.
Thinking that my individual actions have less power than corporate actions helps with shame, that comes around sustainability and individual actions. It takes the stress out.
Shelbi your outlook on sustainability and individual action keeps me motivated in a world where we are constantly faced with seemingly impossible challenges. Keep doing what you do 🌎
Hot take: I’m a farmer in Canada, and have a diploma in Agriculture. I’ve never heard of wheat straw being a waste product. This crop residue is often tilled back into the soil as it will be broken down by beneficial bacteria back into macro and micronutrients that the next crop uptakes. If a farm is mixed (livestock and grain), often the swathed wheat will be combined and the wheat straw is then baled to provide bedding for the animals.
My aunt is a hoarder (and I am talking only two rooms in her 3 story home are accessible hoarding) and it is all from second-hand stores. I would hate to think what impact it would have if she were getting everything new. And I do think she would be getting it new if she didn’t buy second-hand.
That hot take about thrifting had me sweating but I use Poshmark and Threadup so I think I avoid that ethical issue. My husband still thinks owning 150 dresses, second hand or not, is excessive though haha. I do wear dresses every day though!
My cousin organized a clothes swap with all of her friends last month and oh my gosh, I got the cutest clothes for free!! I love how my friends dress and so it was the best to be able to take what they didn't like anymore and vise-versa. Plus it was super fun, sustainable and money-saving. So many friends left the house feeling excited about their new clothes and satisfied that their old clothes was going to a good home.
Hurricane Ida really messed up my hometown and my own personal basement. If we didn’t have a sump pump the water probably would have been up the basement stairs. We have only lived here a few years and it’s crazy how much had even changed. It’s only going to get worse.
Just to add to the 'climate change doesn't affect me' ridiculousness. EVEN if it literally never has any impact on you, you should still care about the impact it has on others? Like, other people feel things? Urgh, it makes me so mad when people only care about something because it impacts them or someone they know. Be a decent human being and care about something more than yourself. Urgh.
I really want to use poshmark more but I can't understand why they only allow expedited shipping. I'd much rather pay less for shipping and get the clothes a few days later.
Thank you for your videos! Could you please make an Amazon storefront (for those who only have that available unless they want to shop at Dollar General or Walmart) specifically filled with essentials (things that people often have to repurchase on weekly grocery trips)? And also a a video on best options/brands for home essentials that we end up having to repurchase constantly (like toilet paper, paper towels, cooking oil, toiletries, coffee, etc.)? Just the things that people buy every week on a trip to the grocery store and what the best options are?
Climate change is so real. I live like an hour from the coast. When I was 10 (am 25 now) it use to rain at least 3 times a week or more. Now it rains only about 1 a week and we have longer periods with out rain. I can see how we will no longer be able to produce food if we don’t take care of this.
One of the things I've observed, even in eco-conscious communities, is this entitlement to a certain lifestyle, one of individualism and excess. one of the problems I see cropping up often is this idea that you can still live in excess sustainably by purchasing secondhand or from eco-friendly brands. Too much of anything is not sustainable. Thrifting is not a golden ticket to treat clothes as disposable.
Depends on where you are donating and if you're actually donating good quality items. Donating is a broad term and to discourage donating bc most places that resell items from donations don't sell or use most donated things is probably not good advice. Trying to sell stuff yourself is making back some $, but could also be a long process or sometimes not *that* profitable or worthwhile. It would be cool to see you encourage your viewers to look into donating to a women's shelter, church, family/houseless shelters, foster homes/CPS homes, or to people in the community that could use certain items like on buy nothing groups or at the community center(s). -- Instead of not donating bc most goes to landfill. Donating can be very helpful for those in need and the statistics about stores throwing out a majority of donated things (that could very well be junk, bc some people don't give away good condition things among the things they give) really steers people from trying. Edit: after my rant and playing the video again, you did mention that donating to a shelter is a good option. It just didn't have its own segment or montage like the discouraging to donate donation landfill cutscene of a garbage dump pile. Just a small punch in line. Sorry I seem salty, I just grew up poor. I greatly benefitted from the neighbor's spring cleaning, food drives, and church, free from school, or clinic personal hygiene kits.
Just your wording about donating leads to being resold or not being resold is not sustainable.. donating can be given to someone for free who needs that item. It's not always about reselling the item. Sure it shows that the item is ~wanted~ but giving it to someone because they *need* it is what should be kind of pointed out. A lot of people in need while others have excess.
question for anyone: my family is very anti sustainability and for the holiday season i would love to buy second hand gifts but they would literally hate me, be offended, and throw them away. any advice? (yes, i can buy from sustainable brands but that’s expensive for a teenager and also takes resources to make)
It's absolutely disgusting how people will use the "well my actions don't have a big ecological impact compared to billionaires and corporations" excuse to be wasteful. I know so many people who will use that excuse to justify why they only drink bottled water (the drinking water here is very safe) and toss all those bottles in the trash (we have curbside recycling and bottle returns THAT GIVE YOU MONEY BACK) or do massive shopping hauls every other week only for 90% of the things they bought to end up in the trash by next month.
My ex said to me (talking about recycling and buying less plastic) "you know, your individual actions don't matter." And I just thought, I couldn't disagree more, and we couldn't be more philosophically distanced than this example. Kind of helped with the breakup although I still left the conversation so sad.
I live in the Midwest. When I was young we would get beautiful thunderstorms. Now it just gets gloomy and rains...we've had maybe 2 thunderstorms in the last 5 years where I live.
I was able to get all my gifts purchased already!! I mostly purchased like new items (Mercari is a godsend) or customized specific To the person (I love Etsy)
I'm one of those people who because of my xtra plus size, I'm not able nor do I like to buy clothes often. I have to buy new clothes, simply because I'm not able to find items in 5xxl to 6xl. I'm not complaining at all mind u. I just keep my clothes that it's not worth donating except to turn into something else. After watching you & a few others I've finally figured out fast fashion & I've come to realize that the clothes I do buy are for the long haul. In other words I buy only when I absolutely need to. I've just finished updating my closet, after about 5 or so years. The only things I'm not updating r my pants, since I'm able to fix the elastic in the waist band by putting & sewing a new one in.
I'm so thankful you're addressing these comments because I felt so strongly about them as well but wasn't sure how to express my opinions on these 💓 Love your content, as always. You're awesome!
I would like to say, i am soooo exited this year because almost everything on my Christmas list is thrifted (online thrift stores) also i have an 8 year old phone that is finally giving out, so i put a "new" one from trademore on my list! I even found some of the things people asked for on their lists from online or in person thrift stores! I feel so good knowing i am doing good for the planet! I have even started thrifting almost my entire wardrobe and downsizing (i was already the type of person who wore everything for a long time anyway (Example: i am 13 and i have had one of my pairs of shorts for 4 years now(i bought them oversized)))
Your video inspired me to develop this idea of sustainable shopping in a next-level question. Lets imagine in theory that almost all people in developed contries with a proper income per family start shopping in secondhand stores. Sooner or later there will be a moment of asking: who would stock this s/h shops with "new" items if people in general would choose secondhand as the only option for them and only a very small amount of consumer would still prefer shopping everything brand new? I guess it is interesting moment to cosider and to think about it even just in theory. It will bring us probably to a very new system of economics and producing new stuff. (I completly support second-hand shopping, and iama great fan of your channel♥️)
I think tailoring will re-emerge. First as formal wear and repairs/alters to old clothes. Probably also there will be new fibers. I've seen hemp and nettle raise their heads. The latter is a soft, slightly shiny fiber that feels luxurious. It grows wild in the taiga and sub-taiga region, as well as grown. It's a common nuisance in strawberry farms. Multi-crops and ecological farming will emerge. There has already been experimenting with different kinds of environments, like bog crop growing, constantly-covered field growing, meadow herb growing, and forest agricoulture.
Doomers are worse in my opinion. Deniers may be ignorant and information can possibly change their minds, but doomers drag everyone down with their wholly negative outlook. Also, hot take for me is that sometimes new is the way to go, specifically for me: shoes and undergarments. Unless they’re brand new still with tags and look untouched, I pass. I got a pair of 2nd hand shoes that gave me fungus. Never again…
Even if you don't think your voice matters, how does your conscience let you continue on when you know the ramifications of not trying to make sustainable choices whenever possible? I could not live with myself.
The biggest elephant in the room when it comes to sustainability is consumerism. The practice of running out to the store or hopping online to purchase your way out of a problem is the problem. When the behaviour of consumerism is practiced economically speaking the demand for that good or service increases (aka capitalism). If we all collectively in the West took a second to step back and slow down our rate of consumption that would have a huge impact on the economic landscape of sustainability. I also don't understand why it has suddenly become such a crime to make purchase decisions for the long run. Like clothing should be seen as an investment. When you focus on creating a wardrobe that speaks to you and not what 'society' expects you are able to get back a sense of autonomy in your individualism and you save money. You don't need things just because other people have them. You can live without. It won't kill you. Why do we participate in a race to the bottom for a few extra likes on a digital platform that doesn't actually care about our wellbeing? There is way more to life than having that thing that everyone else has. It makes no sense to me for anyone to live life like that. It just sounds like self imposed misery and credit card debt.
Also want to say on the topic of climate change not affecting certain people and how privileged that statement is I have to just say this.... PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LOOSE THEIR FUCKING SHIT WHEN THE ABILITY TO PRODUCE COFFEE GOES DOWN FROM CLIMATE CHANGE RESULTING IN PRICE INCREASES AND SHORTAGES AROUND THE WORLD. It takes 25 years to get a coffee tree to the right age to produce cherries for coffee. Arabica trees are more popular globally but are incredibly prone to disease like coffee rust. Lots of places that are hardest hit with climate change are in the developing world like the places that produce coffee. Coffee production will decrease as climate change increases. People in the West who are used to coffee just being super convenient and cheap will have a hard time knowing their favourite legal stimulant will be only available to those with deep pockets.
Also also with an increase in climate change affecting the developing world the developed world (The West) should expect to see massive increases to migration/immigration into the developed world like we see with the migrant crisis in Europe that followed the Syrian Civil War. If people can't live on remote islands in the pacific because of extreme flooding you best believe those people will do anything they can to migrate to the next best country which will probably be your rich country. Climate migration will become increasingly popular as land literally disappears due to climate change. Man people can be so ignorant when they don't have to think about the long term consequences of collective action or inaction.
Of course we should try to stay aware of the shortcomigs of solutions, but I feel like many, MANY people in this sphere of the internet would benefit from watching the Vlogbrothers video "A Tool With No Blood On It" - a video speaking on the fact that people right now are wanting these perfect solutions that simply don't exist. There is no ethical consumption under capitalism, but that isn't a reason to never try, it just means that we should do the best we can. P.S. love this video, Shelby
Started the audio for the story of stuff last week and it's open my eyes so much. I thought switching from plastic to aluminum soda was a good switch but dang didn't realize what it takes to create those cans.
@@mollyb8136 Paper and wood are out too. There is currently no such thing as sustainable forestry, because the scale is the problem. Buying less often so you need less packaging is the only easy solution.
@@raapyna8544 yeah, but you can't purchase nothing forever. It would be nice to have an option to not feel shit about what I'm doing to the environment. Basically in terms of packaging, I've stopped giving a hoot, because they're all as bad as eachother
I love your stance on climate change! You tell her! It is so important that people are aware of how climate change affects the entire world, not just you as an individual. It is so important that we work towards correcting the issue so that we can avoid the dramatic effects that will happen in the coming years. I have seen some PBS videos about how greatly climate change will affect the United States by 2070 which I will ABSOLUTELY be alive for. I think a lot of people don't care because they don't think they will be around to experience it, but that is not that far away and I am 28 now so unless a freak accident happens I will be alive to experience it.
I go to a place to buy clothes second hand and this place is helps people who left home quickly because of abuse or or natural disasters. In these stores they give these people things for free so that these people are starting from scratch. Everyone can buy items and clothes but général public pays for the items and that money goes towards helping abuse victims get food or pay rent until they are able to support themselves again.
Gift cards! I find that for some people in my family it just makes more sense to give them money to buy what they actually want rather than get them a random gif they’ll end up getting rid of
Gift cards are a great idea - but to add to that: gift cards for essentials (like grocery stores, their hair salon, gas stations, etc.) or gift cards for experiences (indoor entertainment facilities like trampoline parks or movie theaters, local attractions, museums, park passes, etc.) are a great way to give gifts they'll use/ appreciate without helping them contribute to over consumption like it would if you get them a gift card to a fast fashion store, fast food chain, department store, etc.
@@lenacute123 just make sure that the gift card is from a shop that they actually really appreciate, otherwise there's a chance that even the card itself might get thrown away or used to buy things that are not really needed, which is also of course not sustainable.
I often ask people of there is anything they NEED, even if it's something "boring". One year I bought a friend a hair dryer because hers had broken. She ended up using it almost every day and lasted her 10+years. She actually told me once that she was more grateful for that than if I had bought her some other generic holiday gift.
Yeah, just thinking you can buy as much clothes as you want and it’s ok because you’ll donate some…that’s wrong. Clothing donation centers are absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of stuff dumped off on them and most of your crap will just be thrown away.
Even here in Ireland, its not extreme things I see in the weather, but for us, we havent had like any rain yet. The weather we are having now in November, I can compare to a 'normal' September. That mightnt seem like a lot but its crazy to me. Its warmer and dryer than usual. 👀
for y’all wondering what to do with your clothes: check out the brand for.days! they have shipping bags you can buy, fill with your unwanted clothes, and send back to them. then they give you store credit for the amount you paid for the bag!!
It was so hot on the west coast this summer that power lines were melting and people were dying! That’s definitely climate change starting to effect us.
I kinda disagree on the first one. I would say switching up your wardrobe often is ok *if* you're a young person still figuring out your style. Of course it would be more sustainable to *not* do it but I also don't think we should guilt people about not being perfect when they're trying their best. And experimenting with clothes a bit can be pretty helpful psychologically when you're trying to figure out who you are and adapting to completely different life circumstances (high school, college, first job etc.). I think the point where it becomes really problematic is when people are buying new clothes constantly because they're chasing trends. Because then they're likely buying the cheap low quality fast fashion and probably solely buying new items. And when they're ready to sell or donate the item no one will want it because it looks outdated. Pretty much no one frequenting thrift stores wants to buy Shein items made of scratchy polyester or last season's party clothes with half the sequins missing so like 99% of that stuff is going to end up in land fill. However good quality more basic looking items are actually very likely to be sold and at least in my area there's a higher demand than supply so i'd say buying and donating that kind of stuff is actually ok from a sustainability stand point.
I like her idea of thrifting mugs, but I don't see myself ever doing that. I only own one mug at a time and only replace it when it's broken, which happens every few years. I understand the environmental footprint behind it, but we humans like to enjoy nice things. Why take a flight and go on a vacation at all when you can relax in your bedroom? What about the environmental footprint for taking a vacation? The problem is that consumerism is deep in the US culture. Why do we have the highest GDP in the world? Why every international company loves to do business in the US? Some people consume like they have numerous money and endless space. As a result, some people go extreme to thrift only when in need of anything. On another note, thrift shops tend not to have high quality items. I'm not saying you can't find nice stuff, but you'll need to spend a lot more time shopping around and waiting around to find something of good quality and you like. Some people regard time as their most valuable resource and it's not practical for a lot of people.
@@celestema2506 I would say buying is definitely not a bad thing as long as you don't try and get stuff that's lackluster in quality then immediately throw it away. My family had a weird situation where we wanted to replace our mirrors and two of them fell and shattered bc of the quality of the supports and my dad not adding extra supports until after the incident. it sucked bc it was just money time and an unused mirror that went down the drain
Salvation Army employee here! PLEASE sell your items, give them to friends, or repurpose them. Donating them is not a sustainable option. We have to throw away SOOOOO many articles of clothing each day. And eventually many donated clothing items just end up polluting smaller, less wealthy countries. We value what we PAY for- so please try selling things first. Even if you only charge a few cents for them.
I also utilize Facebook giveaway groups. I still give away the item for free, but I know it is going to someone who has taken an active choice to come get that specific item so I believe there is a greater chance that people will actually use it. And people with fewer means often use these groups so you are still supporting your community.
I wish more people would be able to see these types of posts thanks for sharing! I try Facebook or to Freecycle items donating last resort.
Is this a US-specific problem, or is the overload of garments in thrift stores a problem in other countries?
If you think about it. Resale store’s original intent most likely wasn’t to be sustainable and eco friendly.
@@lyndabethcave3835 from philippines, we dont have that problem since we're the ones that receive those neglected garments from all around the world, that is why ppl don't accept donations in their thrift store. (Except one city)
This "climate change will not affect our lives" stance honestly has me up in arms.
I work in Malawi where literally the effects of climate change are being felt RIGHT NOW! Erratic rainfall (either drought or floods, changes in the timing of the rainy season) are effecting people's ability to grow food TODAY. And this is not just economic hardship when harvest fail, some of these people will literally starve if they are not able to grow enough food to feed their families! In a recent survey a collaborator in our project found that 90% of poor farmers cited climate change as their number 1 worry for the future... Despite these people literally not contributing to the problem AT ALL. It's just so bitter and honestly makes me a bit angry.
In my state we are seeing it now, but it's a red state, so people still deny it even as it's right in front of our faces. Our droughts and smog get worse and worse every year. We're losing animals and insects, while having infestations of other bugs.
This comment should have more likes!
Yeah, I dont get these people. We are from California and my partner has had to evactuate pretty much every year because of fires. I dont get fires where I am from but we do get the smoke and it is definatively different than when I was a kid or even how it was 10 years ago.
all i can say is good luck
Washington state here and we see it here but people want to believe that’s the normal changing of the seasons. There’s been major rain on the PNW this week with flooding like people have never seen before in their lifetime and people are still saying “it’s the rainy season it rains every year”
For me, at least, climate doomerism was just a bit of a phase, like grief. Whereas denialism is straight up brain rot.
Yes! I feel like a lot of the doomerism comes from eco-anxiety, which makes me mad that someone would give someone crap for their anxiety in any way.
Yeah, I have phases sometimes of doomerism with eco-anxiety, but it comes and goes...and doomerism at least has some validity behind it (idk if validity is the right word)?? Denial has no actual merit or validity - it's just people refusing to accept science.
I think I speak for the community when I say, you don't EVER talk too much. We come for your honest, scientific, experienced, educated perspective, and it's so much more necessary than 95% of the 'opinoions' online
Hi hallo 🥰 Ali🥰
Amen!
Hot take: YOUR HAIR LOOKS FIRE! 😍
I am SO proud of it so thank you for noticing 💁♀️
That's facts
I seriously couldn't stop staring at her hair while watching this.
@@Shelbizleee I need your friendship plz 🌹🥀🌻🌺🌼🌹 specially for you
Yes shelbi ur hair looks amazing! Love u girl!❤
We are in our 70's. We keep everything for years and years. We buy maybe 10 new items in a year. Many people we know have converted a bedroom into a closet.
I get clothes given to me or buy second hand. If I can't use an item, it goes to the homeless shelter. We got stainless steel and Corelle for our wedding in 1972.
We still use it. Tina
Tina,
I am in my 70s as well and I have given away all the excessive things in my life. I've cleaned out 3 hoarders houses for deceased family members in recent years and it was awful. I washed and sanitized a lot of the gently used casual and sleep wear and gave them to a nursing home clothes closet for their elderly patients who needed them so badly!
I’m in my 20s but when I very first moved out I got white Corelle dishes because they match everything and last forever! I got the idea because the corelle dishes at my great grandmas house is older than my mom and lasted this long!
Can you talk about the scandals some of the sustainable companies are having? this is the first time i'm hearing of it.
Yes please
+1
Could you do a video on the “scandals” going on with the brands that call themselves sustainable and why they aren’t actually sustainable??
In regards to clothing, I actually think keeping clothes for the longest time possible is most sustainable. As someone whose body and lifestyle changes constantly, I find myself going back to clothes I haven‘t touched in Years!!! All the time!!! And it saved me so much money and resources.
But when I do get rid of my clothes, I try giving them away to people I know and trust and/or sell them.
Same!
Me too! When I go thrift shopping I found myself gravitating less towards clothing and more towards the home goods. I like all my clothes!
Agreed! I don't think there is any argument about whether buying things secondhand is more sustainable than buying new. But (Personal opinion alert) buying things secondhand still contributes to the problem of demand (New clothes are created and get bought, donated of which a lot end up in landfill as Shelbi hit on, some get sold to thrift stores, sold, shipping/travelling to also eats up resources), and so the more sustainable approach would be to buy as little as possible in the first place to minimize your consumerism. Blanket statement of buying secondhand is sustainable isn't really true.
As someone who is currently pregnant and has bought all my maternity wear second hand it is infuriating how much is out there that is either brand new and was never worn or is barely used. The idea that I would need a whole new wardrobe for just 6 months that I won’t be able to wear soon after the baby is born is ridiculous. And since I have done a pretty good job of getting my regular wardrobe down to pieces that I replace as they wear out it is equally infuriating to watch how these clothes are falling apart as I wear them. I have worn these clothes for 3 1/2 months so far and I am constantly repairing them, and I will probably have to replace a lot them before I have the baby in March…
I wear my clothes until they have holes in them lol I've had some items for years n years!
People that argue about thrift shopping taking from the poor or thrifting being gentrified literally makes my brain explode. Go to a Goodwill outlet, there are hundreds of thousands of pounds that rotate through those stores everyday. Then multiply that by all the locations in the country. These items are going to landfill or being sold off to other countries THAT ARE ALREADY OVERLOADED WITH TEXTILES. They do not want any more of our textiles. This damn country is so wasteful.
1. Sometimes I find myself feeling hopeless like the "as long as billionaires exist" comment, and your fire and hope about how essential individual actions are always gives me more energy and hope. Thank you.
2. YOUR HAIR IS SO SHINY AND PRETTY.
It is 100% the fault of thrift stores who over price the crap out of their clothes that they get for free making it less accessible to lower income folks. Especially the corporate stores (Goodwill, Salvation Army). More people shopping secondhand is always better! And you're right, there is plenty to go around and still massive amounts being dumped in landfills.
There are times when you can find the brand new clothing item on sale for cheaper than the same item used at a thrift store. Frustrating. At the same time those thrift store have to sift through so much garbage that people donate. Thats where the higher prices can come in. Double frustrating.
Omg I went to a thrift store this summer that had too much stuff to accept donations. But their shoes were THIRTY DOLLARS. I was like....thats the problem!
We have noticed that in our area as well.. just more recently. The prices just get higher and higher. It’s weird when you can buy something for dollars less new. For sure want to be sustainable and buy second hand, but with today’s rate of inflation it’s very hard.
I agree with this! I recently went shopping with my elderly father and he was looking for some winter items. We found coats that were £40, £60, and winter boots £30! I said to the manager that they have a store elsewhere that we shop at and nothing is over £5! These are second hand items at new prices! She just said they want the maximum amount for these items and I should shop at the other store! Needless to say they can't take in donations because they aren't selling as much as they could!
Please don't lump in all thrift stores together. Salvation Army and Goodwill are one thing, but your local thrift store probably cannot afford their rent, business taxes, and paying their employees if they sell everything for $5.
And this is just my personal experience, but the people who told me they could "get the same thing" I had priced for $30-$50 for the same price brand new at Target...didn't know what they were talking about. If we were pricing something for that much, the original price was somewhere in the $300-$500 ballpark, made of much sturdier and longer-lasting materials, and unlike Target crap would continue to last for years if taken care of properly.
I hate when people say "there is no ethical consumption under capitalism." It just feels like an excuse. Obviously there are people who really don't have options, like in food deserts etc.
It also kind of sounds like capitalism is the only institution we have.
Giving items to friends and repairing old are not capitalism. Co-ops are not capitalism. Making or growing your own, foraging, or helping friends are not capitalism. Volunteering is not capitalism.
I get so tired of people saying "there's no ethical consumption under capitalism" and not doing any of the other things. It sounds defeated.
I'm not perfect, and sometimes I buy things, but I try. I repair my stuff, I try to learn how to look after plants, and learn how to make jam or vegetarian food. I volunteer and try to teach young people how to be healthy and active citizens.
My friends who say this passive stuff, sometimes I want to slap them.
The world is not gonna change for you if you do nothing about it. You don't have to wait for it before you can start doing things besides capitalism.
The good thing about capitalism is that they only make money off of what they can sell. So if everybody only accepted sustainable, ethical goods that’s what we would have. We still need a total revamp of our jobs/economy etc. if people really only bought what they needed, but I also find it a poor excuse to use capitalism as a reason not to do anything.
It's that old, "the perfect is the enemy of the good." You might think there is nothing that is TRULY ethical, but don't lie, you know that there are options that are more ethical than others.
I try my best to sell my stuff but after a while I just want it out of my house. My aunt told me she donates to churches because they give them directly to people in need. Also I think people forget that you can donate to places other than resale shops like schools, churches, or directly to people in need!
All good advice! I'm also obsessed with my Buy Nothing Group lately. I live in a group house and went through the whole place top to bottom to clean out what past renters have left behind and got rid of a TON of it on BN. (Unfortunately, we did still have to call a junk hauler - things had been left in the house from probably the late 90s/early 00s but I found one that according to their website does their best to fix and re-sell or donate before anything goes to landfill. Hopefully they figured out what to do with most of that junk!
I agree with this! Plus it sometimes takes a long time to sell everything you no longer want, so having other options on good places to donate helps.
I've recently been looking into donating to women's shelter's because of the same reason. Sometimes things aren't selling as fast as you'd like and shelters are always willing to take things and it'll go to folks who need it.
Shelbi, I’m writing to you as an 18 year old in 2021, and want to say thank you for the content you provide. It continues to motivate me when I feel that people in power will never listen to me. Let’s use our voices!
Im 18 as well and feel the exact same way. Honestly, I just get jokes from my family about trying to live more sustainable, but its because they don't understand or want to give up easy things like plastic water bottles, plastic bags, etc.
I have to assume that anyone who says that thrifting isn’t ethical doesn’t frequent thrift stores very often. My local goodwill gets TONS of stuff DAILY. They restock throughout the day. I go to thrift stores all the time and there is plenty of beautiful, quality brand name clothes for everyone. Anytime I go to any thrift store it’s just jammed packed with beautiful things! I also frequent the Goodwill outlet, where they sell clothes by the pound. It’s where they sell clothes that didn’t sell at the regular goodwills/ they are overrun with donations and can’t sell everything. They sell the clothes in these massive bins that they change out EVERY 20 MINUTES! I find beautiful, brand name clothes there, often with the original tags still on! I have literally found J. Crew, Aritzia, Lululemon, etc with the tags on. I have found designer purses here (I found a Chloe bag there once!!)
Maybe it’s different in other places, but in Canada, there is more than enough clothes at the thrift store for everyone.
I hope the people with whom you disagree will actually listen to your “hot take” and take an intentional moment to reconsider/reconstruct their ideas!
I’m an optimist when it comes to baby steps, because the big picture can look very bleak sometimes. 💚 Your individual actions have inspired my individual actions and so on, one can hope!
Only about 5% of the French population during WW2 comprised the French resistance when the Nazis invaded. They were a small group of people who we now see as hero’s. It takes courage and commitment to do the right thing.
I'd also say, if you can't find anyone who can buy your clothes, try giving them away on Buy Nothing groups next before donating. People love free things, and it's unlikely to clog a landfill any time soon this way.
Always appreciate your honesty on here Shelbi (;
Wait hold up... I want to hear about the scandals the companies have been in lol
Same! I need to know if the companies I’m supporting are being raggedy lol
10000% agree with you on the power of individual action. My favorite analogy on this comes from Jonathan Safran Foer's We Are the Weather. He writes that when there is a car crash and the ambulance comes to save the people who have been injured, obviously the EMS professionals are the people who are having the biggest direct impact....but they wouldn't even have been able to get to the scene of the accident if all the other cars on the road didn't pull over to the side and let them through. We all need to do our individual parts SO THAT the people who are most responsible for making big changes CAN do their part.
In the year I have been making changes to be more sustainable the most common comment I get from people is “your barely making a dent” or something like that. While I agree my small changes are not amounting to much I don’t get the idea that it’s useless. Small changes make big changes! I was asking through my neighborhood and noticing the amount of compost bins (not included in our town) and who gives a crap boxes and it mead me feel good to see I am not alone is making small steps!!
so, here's my hot take regarding global warming / climate change / etc.- whether or not it exists, who cares? There is only benefit to putting less trash on the earth, spitting less pollution into the air, and designing better systems for power and food production. Litter's ugly and collects in places where it harms animals. Pollution reeks and clogs the air. Sustainable systems mean efficient systems that produce higher quality goods for a longer period of time. It's human nature to keep improving and do better.
💯💯💯
I saw a comment the other day that I’ve started using. Even if climate change isn’t real why would you not want to take care of the planet. Trash everywhere looks gross and breathing in the pollution is bad for health so why not just take care of the planet for the sake of our planet not looking gross
@@allisonsanteford829 Exactly!!
Definitely a great opinion regardless of what side you stand.
I agree. I honestly think global warming/climate change specifically is already beyond stopping at this point, its actually already here and probably still getting worse. And the very radical changes that could maybe reverse/stop it wont happen anytime soon. We will have to do our best to adapt instead. It will cause big problems for many, but not necessarily world ending problems. But there are a lot of issues where we could at least reduce and maybe reverse the damage. Like with excess waste and air pollution
Amazing points made - 9:20 was my favorite LOL a lot of people think their personal actions just don’t make a difference. But they are one person added to however many people in the entire world trying to be more sustainable / earth friendly. It actually all adds up!
GO OFF SHELBI! Great video, especially loved your response about climate change not affecting us. Such a ridiculous privileged position to take... tell that to all the people whose houses just burned down on the west coast...
Hot take: Owning more items of a certain kind can be more sustainable in some cases. For instance: If I had a minimalist capsule wardrobe, I would have to use my washing machine a lot more often (obviously I still wear my clothes more than once, air them out rather than washing after every use, etc. But I wait until a lot of dirty laundry has accumulated before I run my washer). Likewise, it's better to own at least as many plates, glasses, etc as my dishwasher can take, rather than only owning the bare minimum and running a mostly empty dishwasher daily.
I work at hobby lobby, it's my first retail job I've had and I've been SHOCKED by the amount of trash and waste and IMMENSE amount of overpriced junk flys out the door everyday. I feel awful everytime I have to help unbox because of how much styrophome and plastic I have to just trash. It makes me sick.
I think as someone who grows fruit and vegetables, the little changes of climate change are more visible. Ive had people say to me there's no climate change happening in my country and meanwhile I've been able to grow sweet corn outside only in the last few years and my potato growing is going worse and worse. I live in northern ireland, normally the only thing that grows well is potatoes and cabbage 😭
people forget that we are all part of the system, individual actions contribute to systemic change. like you said, as a citizen, your small support and small choices contribute to the large choices made by corporations and governments. saying "individual actions don't do anything" is such a cop out, and a way of getting out of doing anything. it's like everybody wants to be an activist until they actually have to take ACTION. do what u can!
I personally don’t buy things often, but the definition of “donating” made me comment. I usually donate things I no longer use (because my mother bought me things many many years ago that are enough for 3 other people) I usually donate them to people I know need them. So not to charity shops, but actual people in need. This way I know they will actually use them. I think donating this way makes sure it doesn’t get thrown out.
Could you do a video about the sustainable brand scandals you mentioned? I know a couple, but I’d like to know more! Thanks!
I'll absolutely comment too that thrifting nice clothes to then resale is not sustainable through an economical/social equity lens because as stated, it makes clothes that would've been free or cheap to low income people now unavailable.
Buying gifts second hand is okay! I heard so often people only buy new stuff but I actually love to go on a hunt for the perfect gift in secondhand shops.
Would love to see a video if you have tips on repairing or removing stains from clothes to increase longevity.
Hi I'm excited for join you plz 🌹🥀🌻 Mimi
The Story of Stuff is great...and overwhelming at first, but so needed. I'll it watch again. Thanks for all that you do. You're a real Warrior ✨
Do compostable bags break down if there in a landfill? I've been trying to find the answer to this. Company who makes them doesn't answer!
My understanding is that nothing really breaks down in modern landfills because the trash is compacted so much there isn't air for decomposition. But it could be different in your area.
I love these videos! Peoples hot takes are interesting and really shows the privilege and ignorance that exists around climate change. Thanks for making these videos and always dishing out good information.
Thinking that my individual actions have less power than corporate actions helps with shame, that comes around sustainability and individual actions. It takes the stress out.
Shelbi your outlook on sustainability and individual action keeps me motivated in a world where we are constantly faced with seemingly impossible challenges. Keep doing what you do 🌎
I live in Australia. Winter this year wasn’t anywhere near as cold as every other year. That scared me.
Fresh coffee and a new Shelbi video! Talk about a nice turn to my morning.
Same here! ☕️ 😊
Once another TH-camrs said “every dollar you own, it’s a vote you have. So vote for the company you stand behind” I really like that
Hot take: I’m a farmer in Canada, and have a diploma in Agriculture. I’ve never heard of wheat straw being a waste product. This crop residue is often tilled back into the soil as it will be broken down by beneficial bacteria back into macro and micronutrients that the next crop uptakes. If a farm is mixed (livestock and grain), often the swathed wheat will be combined and the wheat straw is then baled to provide bedding for the animals.
If we buy things from standard stores and return them later, is that just as unsustainable as buying and keeping them?
My aunt is a hoarder (and I am talking only two rooms in her 3 story home are accessible hoarding) and it is all from second-hand stores. I would hate to think what impact it would have if she were getting everything new. And I do think she would be getting it new if she didn’t buy second-hand.
That hot take about thrifting had me sweating but I use Poshmark and Threadup so I think I avoid that ethical issue. My husband still thinks owning 150 dresses, second hand or not, is excessive though haha. I do wear dresses every day though!
It terrifies me the rising level of stupidity that is out there and the lack of consciousness when it comes to our planet and our animals 💚🐾
My cousin organized a clothes swap with all of her friends last month and oh my gosh, I got the cutest clothes for free!! I love how my friends dress and so it was the best to be able to take what they didn't like anymore and vise-versa. Plus it was super fun, sustainable and money-saving. So many friends left the house feeling excited about their new clothes and satisfied that their old clothes was going to a good home.
Hurricane Ida really messed up my hometown and my own personal basement. If we didn’t have a sump pump the water probably would have been up the basement stairs. We have only lived here a few years and it’s crazy how much had even changed. It’s only going to get worse.
Tips for having a zero waste Christmas?
I’m so thankful you bring the bigger picture to sustainability
As a Vermonter (listen, I probably know the farmer you were talking about…) the lack of cold nights/warm days to get the sap running is REAL.
Just to add to the 'climate change doesn't affect me' ridiculousness. EVEN if it literally never has any impact on you, you should still care about the impact it has on others? Like, other people feel things? Urgh, it makes me so mad when people only care about something because it impacts them or someone they know. Be a decent human being and care about something more than yourself. Urgh.
I really want to use poshmark more but I can't understand why they only allow expedited shipping. I'd much rather pay less for shipping and get the clothes a few days later.
Thank you for your videos! Could you please make an Amazon storefront (for those who only have that available unless they want to shop at Dollar General or Walmart) specifically filled with essentials (things that people often have to repurchase on weekly grocery trips)? And also a a video on best options/brands for home essentials that we end up having to repurchase constantly (like toilet paper, paper towels, cooking oil, toiletries, coffee, etc.)? Just the things that people buy every week on a trip to the grocery store and what the best options are?
Climate change is so real. I live like an hour from the coast. When I was 10 (am 25 now) it use to rain at least 3 times a week or more. Now it rains only about 1 a week and we have longer periods with out rain. I can see how we will no longer be able to produce food if we don’t take care of this.
One of the things I've observed, even in eco-conscious communities, is this entitlement to a certain lifestyle, one of individualism and excess.
one of the problems I see cropping up often is this idea that you can still live in excess sustainably by purchasing secondhand or from eco-friendly brands. Too much of anything is not sustainable. Thrifting is not a golden ticket to treat clothes as disposable.
Depends on where you are donating and if you're actually donating good quality items. Donating is a broad term and to discourage donating bc most places that resell items from donations don't sell or use most donated things is probably not good advice. Trying to sell stuff yourself is making back some $, but could also be a long process or sometimes not *that* profitable or worthwhile.
It would be cool to see you encourage your viewers to look into donating to a women's shelter, church, family/houseless shelters, foster homes/CPS homes, or to people in the community that could use certain items like on buy nothing groups or at the community center(s). -- Instead of not donating bc most goes to landfill. Donating can be very helpful for those in need and the statistics about stores throwing out a majority of donated things (that could very well be junk, bc some people don't give away good condition things among the things they give) really steers people from trying.
Edit: after my rant and playing the video again, you did mention that donating to a shelter is a good option. It just didn't have its own segment or montage like the discouraging to donate donation landfill cutscene of a garbage dump pile. Just a small punch in line.
Sorry I seem salty, I just grew up poor. I greatly benefitted from the neighbor's spring cleaning, food drives, and church, free from school, or clinic personal hygiene kits.
Just your wording about donating leads to being resold or not being resold is not sustainable.. donating can be given to someone for free who needs that item. It's not always about reselling the item. Sure it shows that the item is ~wanted~ but giving it to someone because they *need* it is what should be kind of pointed out. A lot of people in need while others have excess.
question for anyone: my family is very anti sustainability and for the holiday season i would love to buy second hand gifts but they would literally hate me, be offended, and throw them away. any advice? (yes, i can buy from sustainable brands but that’s expensive for a teenager and also takes resources to make)
Personally, if my family ever pulled that crap, they just wouldn't get anything 😭
More of these! Love them
It's absolutely disgusting how people will use the "well my actions don't have a big ecological impact compared to billionaires and corporations" excuse to be wasteful. I know so many people who will use that excuse to justify why they only drink bottled water (the drinking water here is very safe) and toss all those bottles in the trash (we have curbside recycling and bottle returns THAT GIVE YOU MONEY BACK) or do massive shopping hauls every other week only for 90% of the things they bought to end up in the trash by next month.
i love these videos bc people in real life say this stuff to me and i can always count on you for facts i can fire back at them
My ex said to me (talking about recycling and buying less plastic) "you know, your individual actions don't matter." And I just thought, I couldn't disagree more, and we couldn't be more philosophically distanced than this example. Kind of helped with the breakup although I still left the conversation so sad.
I live in the Midwest. When I was young we would get beautiful thunderstorms. Now it just gets gloomy and rains...we've had maybe 2 thunderstorms in the last 5 years where I live.
I was able to get all my gifts purchased already!! I mostly purchased like new items (Mercari is a godsend) or customized specific To the person (I love Etsy)
Give us the tea about the sustainable clothing fashion brands!!!
Yes, Shelbi, I'm so thankful for the work that you do
There is SO MUCH CLOTHING being thrown out that I really can't get behind telling anyone not to buy secondhand.
I'm one of those people who because of my xtra plus size, I'm not able nor do I like to buy clothes often. I have to buy new clothes, simply because I'm not able to find items in 5xxl to 6xl. I'm not complaining at all mind u. I just keep my clothes that it's not worth donating except to turn into something else. After watching you & a few others I've finally figured out fast fashion & I've come to realize that the clothes I do buy are for the long haul. In other words I buy only when I absolutely need to. I've just finished updating my closet, after about 5 or so years. The only things I'm not updating r my pants, since I'm able to fix the elastic in the waist band by putting & sewing a new one in.
I'm so thankful you're addressing these comments because I felt so strongly about them as well but wasn't sure how to express my opinions on these 💓 Love your content, as always. You're awesome!
I would like to say, i am soooo exited this year because almost everything on my Christmas list is thrifted (online thrift stores) also i have an 8 year old phone that is finally giving out, so i put a "new" one from trademore on my list! I even found some of the things people asked for on their lists from online or in person thrift stores! I feel so good knowing i am doing good for the planet! I have even started thrifting almost my entire wardrobe and downsizing (i was already the type of person who wore everything for a long time anyway (Example: i am 13 and i have had one of my pairs of shorts for 4 years now(i bought them oversized)))
Your video inspired me to develop this idea of sustainable shopping in a next-level question. Lets imagine in theory that almost all people in developed contries with a proper income per family start shopping in secondhand stores. Sooner or later there will be a moment of asking: who would stock this s/h shops with "new" items if people in general would choose secondhand as the only option for them and only a very small amount of consumer would still prefer shopping everything brand new? I guess it is interesting moment to cosider and to think about it even just in theory. It will bring us probably to a very new system of economics and producing new stuff. (I completly support second-hand shopping, and iama great fan of your channel♥️)
I think tailoring will re-emerge. First as formal wear and repairs/alters to old clothes. Probably also there will be new fibers. I've seen hemp and nettle raise their heads. The latter is a soft, slightly shiny fiber that feels luxurious. It grows wild in the taiga and sub-taiga region, as well as grown. It's a common nuisance in strawberry farms. Multi-crops and ecological farming will emerge.
There has already been experimenting with different kinds of environments, like bog crop growing, constantly-covered field growing, meadow herb growing, and forest agricoulture.
Doomers are worse in my opinion. Deniers may be ignorant and information can possibly change their minds, but doomers drag everyone down with their wholly negative outlook. Also, hot take for me is that sometimes new is the way to go, specifically for me: shoes and undergarments. Unless they’re brand new still with tags and look untouched, I pass. I got a pair of 2nd hand shoes that gave me fungus. Never again…
Even if you don't think your voice matters, how does your conscience let you continue on when you know the ramifications of not trying to make sustainable choices whenever possible? I could not live with myself.
LOOOOVE IT!! Especially the response to the individual who didn’t live sustainable because those at those too didn’t
The biggest elephant in the room when it comes to sustainability is consumerism. The practice of running out to the store or hopping online to purchase your way out of a problem is the problem. When the behaviour of consumerism is practiced economically speaking the demand for that good or service increases (aka capitalism). If we all collectively in the West took a second to step back and slow down our rate of consumption that would have a huge impact on the economic landscape of sustainability.
I also don't understand why it has suddenly become such a crime to make purchase decisions for the long run. Like clothing should be seen as an investment. When you focus on creating a wardrobe that speaks to you and not what 'society' expects you are able to get back a sense of autonomy in your individualism and you save money.
You don't need things just because other people have them. You can live without. It won't kill you.
Why do we participate in a race to the bottom for a few extra likes on a digital platform that doesn't actually care about our wellbeing? There is way more to life than having that thing that everyone else has.
It makes no sense to me for anyone to live life like that. It just sounds like self imposed misery and credit card debt.
Also want to say on the topic of climate change not affecting certain people and how privileged that statement is I have to just say this....
PEOPLE ARE GOING TO LOOSE THEIR FUCKING SHIT WHEN THE ABILITY TO PRODUCE COFFEE GOES DOWN FROM CLIMATE CHANGE RESULTING IN PRICE INCREASES AND SHORTAGES AROUND THE WORLD.
It takes 25 years to get a coffee tree to the right age to produce cherries for coffee. Arabica trees are more popular globally but are incredibly prone to disease like coffee rust. Lots of places that are hardest hit with climate change are in the developing world like the places that produce coffee. Coffee production will decrease as climate change increases. People in the West who are used to coffee just being super convenient and cheap will have a hard time knowing their favourite legal stimulant will be only available to those with deep pockets.
Also also with an increase in climate change affecting the developing world the developed world (The West) should expect to see massive increases to migration/immigration into the developed world like we see with the migrant crisis in Europe that followed the Syrian Civil War. If people can't live on remote islands in the pacific because of extreme flooding you best believe those people will do anything they can to migrate to the next best country which will probably be your rich country. Climate migration will become increasingly popular as land literally disappears due to climate change.
Man people can be so ignorant when they don't have to think about the long term consequences of collective action or inaction.
TLDR. sorry Shelbi, just got a lot of feels on this one...
Yup.
My dad makes syrup usually in February and for two years its been too warm
Of course we should try to stay aware of the shortcomigs of solutions, but I feel like many, MANY people in this sphere of the internet would benefit from watching the Vlogbrothers video "A Tool With No Blood On It"
- a video speaking on the fact that people right now are wanting these perfect solutions that simply don't exist.
There is no ethical consumption under capitalism, but that isn't a reason to never try, it just means that we should do the best we can.
P.S. love this video, Shelby
I love this information! You present real time opinions that hold my attention long enough to help me understand so much more! Thank you!😊
Started the audio for the story of stuff last week and it's open my eyes so much. I thought switching from plastic to aluminum soda was a good switch but dang didn't realize what it takes to create those cans.
I hate it, I feel like there's no right or material to use or buy 🙄
Plastic is out, glass is out, aluminium is out.
@@mollyb8136 Paper and wood are out too. There is currently no such thing as sustainable forestry, because the scale is the problem.
Buying less often so you need less packaging is the only easy solution.
@@raapyna8544 yeah, but you can't purchase nothing forever. It would be nice to have an option to not feel shit about what I'm doing to the environment.
Basically in terms of packaging, I've stopped giving a hoot, because they're all as bad as eachother
My hot take with shopping is: Buy ONLY what you need.
I love your stance on climate change! You tell her!
It is so important that people are aware of how climate change affects the entire world, not just you as an individual. It is so important that we work towards correcting the issue so that we can avoid the dramatic effects that will happen in the coming years. I have seen some PBS videos about how greatly climate change will affect the United States by 2070 which I will ABSOLUTELY be alive for. I think a lot of people don't care because they don't think they will be around to experience it, but that is not that far away and I am 28 now so unless a freak accident happens I will be alive to experience it.
You and your hair look really pretty in this video.
I go to a place to buy clothes second hand and this place is helps people who left home quickly because of abuse or or natural disasters. In these stores they give these people things for free so that these people are starting from scratch. Everyone can buy items and clothes but général public pays for the items and that money goes towards helping abuse victims get food or pay rent until they are able to support themselves again.
Red cross?
@@raapyna8544 Yes, that is one of the ones I go to
Deniers are worst-I think we all go through periods where we get a little frozen and overwhelmed by climate change
I LOVE your series!
On the Christmas gift topic, what if you can’t afford to buy everyone sustainable gifts and the people you are buying for are very against used items?
Gift cards! I find that for some people in my family it just makes more sense to give them money to buy what they actually want rather than get them a random gif they’ll end up getting rid of
@@MikaylaRick That’s a great idea! Thank you so much!!
Gift cards are a great idea - but to add to that: gift cards for essentials (like grocery stores, their hair salon, gas stations, etc.) or gift cards for experiences (indoor entertainment facilities like trampoline parks or movie theaters, local attractions, museums, park passes, etc.) are a great way to give gifts they'll use/ appreciate without helping them contribute to over consumption like it would if you get them a gift card to a fast fashion store, fast food chain, department store, etc.
@@lenacute123 just make sure that the gift card is from a shop that they actually really appreciate, otherwise there's a chance that even the card itself might get thrown away or used to buy things that are not really needed, which is also of course not sustainable.
I often ask people of there is anything they NEED, even if it's something "boring".
One year I bought a friend a hair dryer because hers had broken. She ended up using it almost every day and lasted her 10+years.
She actually told me once that she was more grateful for that than if I had bought her some other generic holiday gift.
Just started watching your videos and started my eco journey. I got a compost! Thanks for showing it’s manageable and ok to go at my own pace
PTEEEAACCHHH QUEEN! 🙌🙌
👏🏻SPEAK👏🏻THE 👏🏻 TRUTH!
I LOVE this video!
I've found that most climate deniers are also flat earthers, which baffles my brain on how stupid the general public can be.
I'd like to hear your opinions on a couple of brands that seem more or less sustainable to me:
Trigema
Femkit
Miss Patina
Yes! Educate ‘em, Shelbi!! 👏
Yeah, just thinking you can buy as much clothes as you want and it’s ok because you’ll donate some…that’s wrong. Clothing donation centers are absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of stuff dumped off on them and most of your crap will just be thrown away.
Ok but your hair 😍😍😍 I always love these videos!
Even here in Ireland, its not extreme things I see in the weather, but for us, we havent had like any rain yet. The weather we are having now in November, I can compare to a 'normal' September. That mightnt seem like a lot but its crazy to me. Its warmer and dryer than usual. 👀
for y’all wondering what to do with your clothes: check out the brand for.days! they have shipping bags you can buy, fill with your unwanted clothes, and send back to them. then they give you store credit for the amount you paid for the bag!!
It was so hot on the west coast this summer that power lines were melting and people were dying! That’s definitely climate change starting to effect us.
Side note, your hair is stunning! 😍😍😍
I kinda disagree on the first one. I would say switching up your wardrobe often is ok *if* you're a young person still figuring out your style. Of course it would be more sustainable to *not* do it but I also don't think we should guilt people about not being perfect when they're trying their best. And experimenting with clothes a bit can be pretty helpful psychologically when you're trying to figure out who you are and adapting to completely different life circumstances (high school, college, first job etc.). I think the point where it becomes really problematic is when people are buying new clothes constantly because they're chasing trends. Because then they're likely buying the cheap low quality fast fashion and probably solely buying new items. And when they're ready to sell or donate the item no one will want it because it looks outdated. Pretty much no one frequenting thrift stores wants to buy Shein items made of scratchy polyester or last season's party clothes with half the sequins missing so like 99% of that stuff is going to end up in land fill. However good quality more basic looking items are actually very likely to be sold and at least in my area there's a higher demand than supply so i'd say buying and donating that kind of stuff is actually ok from a sustainability stand point.
I like her idea of thrifting mugs, but I don't see myself ever doing that. I only own one mug at a time and only replace it when it's broken, which happens every few years. I understand the environmental footprint behind it, but we humans like to enjoy nice things. Why take a flight and go on a vacation at all when you can relax in your bedroom? What about the environmental footprint for taking a vacation?
The problem is that consumerism is deep in the US culture. Why do we have the highest GDP in the world? Why every international company loves to do business in the US? Some people consume like they have numerous money and endless space. As a result, some people go extreme to thrift only when in need of anything.
On another note, thrift shops tend not to have high quality items. I'm not saying you can't find nice stuff, but you'll need to spend a lot more time shopping around and waiting around to find something of good quality and you like. Some people regard time as their most valuable resource and it's not practical for a lot of people.
@@celestema2506 I would say buying is definitely not a bad thing as long as you don't try and get stuff that's lackluster in quality then immediately throw it away. My family had a weird situation where we wanted to replace our mirrors and two of them fell and shattered bc of the quality of the supports and my dad not adding extra supports until after the incident. it sucked bc it was just money time and an unused mirror that went down the drain
Can you do a hair tutorial please?! I am living for those curls. 😍