@@pt9183 unfortunately it has to take that long for them to be able to develop packaging for things. It takes a while for products a like potato chips to be created and then shipped to the store before the consumer buys it and eats it. If the packaging isn't quite right the potato chips could very easily become stale. So now it's going to take time for them to learn how to create packaging that will keep the food fresh just as long as plastic packaging will. Sadly that will take about six years as well as shifting all of their machinery over to use different materials. But thankfully they will be changing.
I am from Canada so I'm not familiar with the Aldi store though I am assuming it is a grocery store. There is practically no reason it should take 6 years. Worst case scenario 2-3 years. I will leave a link to a video where it shows a grocery store ( granted this one is smaller but it is still a chain so it could have larger stores? And it is in Europe). In the video at approximately 12:50 it states that they went completely plastic free in 10 MONTHS!! If they can do it that quickly then it should not take much longer ( maybe double the time) for a larger chain. The entire video is worth a watch...www.cbc.ca/player/play/1424316483580/
Sarah Thatcher Aldi is chain in the US and Europe that only sells its house brand products, but many of their private label items are produced at the same facilities as the national name brand products. It will take them longer because they don’t necessarily own/control the facilities where these products are being made, and will either have to construct their own facilities to produce the products or outsource to other non-plastic facilities which are very rare in the US.
Gitte Van de velde YES, it was actually last spring when I was against and protesting the expansion of the Transmountain pipeline that Alberta wants to run through BC ( my province). Ruining so much beautiful land and endangering the whales with extremely increased tanker traffic. When I was learning all about the oil industry and the pipeline I would read comments from people who would argue against those like myself who were protesting it by saying..."its hypocritical to be against the oil industry while you drive your car and heat your home". That really hit me because it's true in a way.. Although with the Transmountain Pipeline expansion it is a mute point technically because the expansion is to get oil to foreign markets (we have enough for ourselves). The point was valid in general though and I thought, " I can't afford to buy a new electric car ( or any car) any time soon and I rent so I don't have a choice how my home is heated during winter, there are many things that right now are so far beyond my 'control' ." I had to let go of the things I cannot change but I thought I can change many things in my life. The everyday choices I do make. And so I started my less waste and no plastic journey. I already knew that polyester, acrylic, nylon and all synthetic material is made from oil so I stopped buying any synthetic clothes. Cold turkey. That was 1 year ago. In the fall I watched the documentary 'The True Cost' and since then I have stopped buying anything made of 'conventional' cotton. I buy only organic cotton. (And I have an extremely low income). And now I only purchase natural materials from ethical and fair-trade businesses/ brands. It's been a challenging journey but I love the challenge and I love shopping with a clear conscience and I have so much more peace. Education and awareness is key. That's why I share videos like this on all my social media platforms. It's shocking how most people just don't know.
Anyone who cares about the planet and their own health, synthetics are toxic to the body, it messes up the hormones among other terrible effects. And electrical industry is worse than oil one, might be difficult to believe because of all the brainwashing and electric cars propaganda with their lack of autonomy and lithium batteries. Authorities, governments are hypocrites who pretend to care about ecology and other issues to gain more power, only picking what’s suitable to their agenda
Have you heard of Zero Waste Daniel? He collects all the scrap fabric in his area and sews it back together to make clothes I love them! Also I saw Ikea make the pledge to switch to sustainable products by 2030.
The Vegan Wallflower That's amazing! Ikea is so huge, And it's very popular. So when they change they could have a huge impact in the us. But either way gotta snag my Ikea detolf for ny hamsters cage.
Yes yes yessss this is so important! When you're shopping second-hand ALWAYS check the fabric content! I will NOT buy anything polyester these days, new or secondhand, because I'd be putting that item back into the wash cycle.
I'm a teacher and my class and I were researching the most sustainable fabrics during our science week. I was shocked to learn that 2700litres of water is required to produce one cotton tshirt! Although organic cotton is an improvement I'd still be reluctant to purchase it because it still requires the same amount of water and takes just as many nutrients from the soil. Thank you for encouraging us all to be more ethical consumers :) I really enjoy your channel!
I just did a speech on the sustainability of hemp last week. Such a stigma around a wonderful product!! Screw the US government for condemning something so useful and beautiful. You also didn’t touch on the fact that hemp is one of the largest carbon traps as far as plants go. It’s making the world better just by growing!
It’s so ironic that a number of states have legalized marijuana use, but hemp production is still not allowed. You can’t get high from hemp, it doesn’t produce enough THC! It’s insanity that growing hemp is illegal.
Okay, so don't quote me because it's been YEARS since I learned this in my history class, but I believe that the reason hemp is illegal in the United States is because a dude with a lot of money and pull in the government had them declare hemp illegal so he could have/keep his monopoly on (perhaps?) cotton. That was at least 100 years ago, maybe even hundreds of years ago, but the law still stands. Once again, my memory about this is very rusty, so feel free to do your own research to get the details.
@@tomjones2157 I agree that pastured raised meat and eggs along with crop rotation is healthy but let's be real honest.. how many cow slaughtered for meat and hides are actually raised the pastorial way?
I love this video! I'm starting with zero waste since the beginning of this year and this video has given me so much information and help. Especially because I have never thought that the common clothing materials would be so bad for the environment
I've noticed a lot of tags straight-up lie about what the clothes are made of. I have a jacket with polyester lining that says it's 100% cotton. I've seen lots of garments that claim to be 100% natural and still use polyester thread. Just something to keep in mind for people who are able to spot these things.
How are you supposed to know if you aren't an expert on clothing to begin with? Is it an easy way to recognize when clothes have polyester? Or synthetic fibers? I live in Norway so I assume chances of scamming is actually lower where I live because of mostly good regulation (at least my impression), but it can happen
Awesome video! Thank you for raising awareness :) I love sewing (especially clothing) and have found it much more economical and sustainable for my wardrobe. I would love a video about dyes and stains at some point. Also that jacket looks amazing!
What do you think about second hand polyester/synthetic clothes? They are still bad for the environment, because of the micro plastic when washing. But is it better if they would be tossed (or if possible recycled) or worn, because they already have been produced?
Joëlle Weetjewel - Shelbi actually has another video where she talks about 2 different ways to reduce the amount of plastics that go into your water. If you own your home, you can install a sort of filter to your washer that prevents plastic from getting drained with all your water. Or, if you rent or are unable to install something like that, there are small little gadgets that you toss into your wash that catch all of the micro plastics from your clothing. To me it looked like a sort of wet reusable dryer ball? It helps to eliminate a lot of the micro plastics though! I can try to find the video if you want that discusses these two options! But imo, I feel like if you’re buying second hand polyesters or synthetic blends that might wash off micro plastics, then you can invest in these two options. I agree with another commenter though-if it’s already been produced, the only thing you can really do is use it until it reaches the end of its life cycle in order to prevent it from being tossed into a landfill.
It sheds microplastic all the time while you wear it and create friction, plus each time you wash it. But apart from that it’s terrible for your health absorbing through the skin, it messes up your hormones and immune system. Best to only get 100% natural and preferably organic fabrics
I'm starting my sustainable life style and I'm filming it on my channel, right now I'm doing declutter videos to help me get into living with less. Your videos inspired me so much that I looked around my house or ordered items for my zero waste kit in my backpack and I'm using them daily now. I would love if you or your followers would check out my channel, this journey has been amazing so far and I've gotten compliments when using my items in public saying thank you for helping our earth. Right now I'm using my reusable pads for the first time and so far I'm loving them!
I just want to say thank you. I've recently found your channel and have been watching a lot of your videos and I just appreciate you educating more people. This is what TH-cam should be about. Thank you x
This video is just what I needed!!! I have been wondering about sustainable fabrics. I have been buying 100% organic cotton from PACT lately. I bought my son a bunch of new shirts from there (and a sweatshirt) because he outgrew boy clothing and needed to size up to men’s clothing.
Thanks for teaching me about so many different sustainability topics! I love sharing your videos with my coworkers and using them to start a discussion about sustainable living. Thank you.
This is such an important video 👏🏼 when I can’t buy second hand I always try to research cool brands that use materials like tencel or econyl to make their clothes
Shoot, wish I saw this before buying leather Doc Matens. Thanks for all the videos and education, there's so much to consider when trying to be sustainable, and this is something I didn't even consider, but makes so much sense.
how do you know when tencel/lyocell has been sourced sustainably and isn’t derived from ancient growth forests? I shop second hand anyway but how can you know for sure that the wood has been been sourced sustainably?
If youre getting it second hand youre not contributing to the demand so it doesnt really matter if it is or isnt the damage is already done by whoever purchased it first.
Look for products that are "FSC certified". The Forest Stewardship Council ensures all products they certify are sustainably harvested. Clothing, furniture, even paper towels and toilet paper (Scott toilet paper) can be sourced sustainably. Source - My company sells FSC certified products and I'm the one that is audited each year to ensure we follow the protocol and rules.
@@nicbickel4031 Is it possible to determine if a given paper that is FSC certified comes from American forests? I know that on a lot of non-domestically sourced wood, FSC labels are super sketchy to downright bullshit due to near-completely corrupted chains of provenance (officials paid off at every level, as well as the wood sources nearly impossible to verify due to difficulty in getting to the claimed and actually-cut forests, hostile government interference and unwelcoming local populations). OTOH, it's a lot easier to verify American-grown, and it keeps the demand for wood products high, thus ensuring ongoing forest investment rather than having it all cut down and turned into strip malls, housing developments, agriculture or mining for lack of 'economic value.'
You could always buy bamboo, it's more often than not rayon (or one of its subtypes, e.g. tencel, viscose etc.) with the celulose derived from bamboo instead of trees.
anti haul experience here 🙄 went to an earth day festival and one of the vendors was selling soaps/bath stuff. she had LIGHT UP BATH BOMBS?! how wasteful. some of the soaps also had glitter on top. and when i looked at the ingredients the third one was palm oil 😭 so sad i found this at an earth day festival of all places
Earth festivals, eco festivals, healt aand beauty festivals are full of "good intentionned" people who take their informations from urban legends or intuitive reflexions. It result a lot of misinformations and diabolisations. I can't go to those since my univeristy program (agriculture and environmental studies) because they are not open to ear they are wrongs.
You could have made a table with all this info and show it at the end so we can see how all fabrics compare. I would have liked to see that, trademark it as your useful guide if you want even.
I needed this video, love it! I am pretty upset though that hemp is not being used very much. Hemp is the future! Thanks for clearing up Tencel for me, I didn’t know exactly what it was or if it was biodegradable or not.
One more thing about Tencel, it's also anti-bacterial. I bought some jeans with it from Armed Angels(an eco-friendly brand in Germany), and the claim is true. I usually have to wash my jeans after 1-2 wears, but I just got three wears out them on a recent trip, including wearing them during over 25hrs of travel time, so just for normal days I could probably get 4 wears.
YES. Thank you for calling out polyester! I can't stand this fabric - it's a static magnet, it makes you sweat because it doesn't breathe, it's cheap and falls apart all the time, and even worse, it's in EVERYTHING!
So crazy u just uploaded this, I’ve been looking into fabric for a diy project but wasn’t sure which fabric is the most eco friendly. Thanks for the video!
this is such a great video shelbi! thanks so much for doing all this research, i'll definitely keep my eye out and choose clothing that uses those sustainable materials! :D
I found a 100% TENCEL shirt made in the United States that goes with almost all of my bottoms - it's a creamy and soft button-down that I could wear almost anywhere! I feel so lucky to have such a great consignment shop near me!
Thanks again for another great video!! I love to sew and have been buying cotton because I thought it would be the best 🥴. I will for sure look for hemp and tinsel fabrics 😁😁
I almost always buy clothes second hand, but usually check the tag to see what it’s made from. I steer away from anything that isn’t 100% cotton. I have never seen anything made from hemp, tensel, or (surprisingly) linen at our thrift stores. At least not in the clothes sizes we shop for. It’s pretty time consuming with a family of 5, but totally worth it.
Dyes were naturally derived originally from plants flowers etc now most if not all are completely replaced with man made stuff. I guess you gotta ask yourself if its worth buying unbleached fibres and making youre own or finding somewhere that does that for you close by or if its better to just buy man made dyed things since thats not using plants etc its really hard to everything or even anything perfectly as long as youre trying to be better in the ways that you can slowly but surely then thats way better than just mindlessly consuming. If you look at natural dyes for like easter eggs onions beetroot tea etc theres heaps. You could always use them if you wanted to dye something yourself but its very hard to find raw material and even then you dont know if its done sustainably etc etc. So just do the best that you can with what you have.
Old cotton shirts, T-shirt’s, underwear are cut up in our house and used for rags or composted in our garden compost bins if they are not for passing on.
I really appreciate you talking about Linen. I follow a page (@wildbird) who make ring slings for babies and they have linen and modal material, and they show the whole process. From their flax farms, to softening the fabric (without chemicals!) the slings run about $80 but I would feel good supporting them and also putting a baby, who has very sensitive and delicate skin, in the sling. Also they’re just great people. Y’all should go follow @WildBird on Instagram!!!
Yessss I've been waiting for this video! I'm an apparel merchandising and sustainable design major and can confirm this information. I learned in textiles class all the benefits of these fibers but also had a chapter on the bad side.
I’m learning so much!! I had NO idea! I feel so guilty for all of this... I will change and he’ll earth!!! I eat vegan diet now but need to improve more
Very nice video. However when it comes to shoes, bags, coats and jackets, it is hard to avoid unsustainable materials. I at least choose quality over quantity, so I actually prefer leather shoes - they last for many years if you care about them properly. Anyway my top material is viscose (especially bamboo viscose) - it is durable, keeps colors and shape for years, but easy to find in stores/eshops and for good price.
Shelby, I fuc**n love your videos. Your badass; An inspiration and this whole movement motivates me in my journey to my bachelors degree. Keep it up. Keep doing you and I recently found an app called “Think Dirty” that helps tell you what chemicals are in our products. It looks like its message is great but definitely has its bad parts. But I’d love to see a review or just your thoughts :) Thanks girl have an amazing day! 🌎
Great video, I definitely want to get more sustainable fabrics when I buy new clothes... which is so so rare. I would be interested to know where you got your information on Hemp crops. My understanding of gardening and plants is that all plants take nutrients out of the soil (it's how they grow) and put nutrients back into the soil. Some plants need different nutrients than others and put back different nutrients which is why crop rotation is a good idea (one crop uses nutrient A and puts back nutrient B, so you plant a different crop that uses nutrient B and puts back nutrient A). Crop rotation also helps prevent certain insects or diseases from building up since some plants are more prone or resistant to certain insects/diseases than others. Hemp crops will still take nutrients out of the soil and farmers should still rotate crops.
I hate shopping for clothes SO much that they have to last a long time. My work clothes are usually synthetic blends because they wear longer and work better in winter cold
also fun thing with hemp is that not only does it grow super fast (like only 4 months) but it also ''breaths'' in 4x the co2 then threes. Hemp is also super versitile with over a 10,000 different uses, all from fabric, string, medical like tintures, also hemp can be used as a building meterial like wood (way better then wood as well, since it grow in 4 months compared to around 20 years, also it uses less resourses to produce and less space) just to mention a few ^^
Thank you so much for this video. I have been looking for all this information in an easily digestible form, and here I am. The information about the amount per crop is so interesting and unknown.
I was thinking you might so something with homemade hand sanitizer and surface wipes. I cut up an old tee put it in an empty peanut butter jar and added 70% alcohol. I keep that in my car to wipe down what I touched before I use hand sanitizer. These wipes can be washed after use rather than being thrown away.
i just bought Tencel by accident today and i'm SO HAPPY!! (it said on the label that it was a 100% natural product, but i'd never heard of it) that was so lucky! 😄
Sadly even organic fibers are usually dyed with the same dye as non organic ones. (Another reason to buy second hand) I read that linen would get softer and the colour better with every wash. I bought a (second hand) linen dress lately and I feel like it got a little darker through washing it, so it might be true.
I did not know b linen was a type of fiber I thought it was the style of sheets 😱😱 I thought it was kinda like Egyptian sheets linen sheets etc very informative thank you
Me and my partner finally bought a duvet fromn 100 percent Tencel, made to order in Austria. It was really hard to find one that wasnt "microfibre" aka Polyester!
Something I’ve been wrestling with is, how do I vote with my dollars and support natural fibers by buying from more conventional department stores that carry them when I don’t support the production processes of where the items are manufactured? How do I support product sustainability on a budget without supporting sweat shops?
Sarah Bunny i try and save for higher quality items. i’m on a budget but i save by not buying cheaper things often, instead buying more pricey but better quality things, much mich much less often.
I totally get that and it’s probably what I’ll do when I’m not buying secondhand. But for example, I work at a retail store that recently got in a tencel dress. I was so excited to see this thing I had been learning about show up in a every day person kind of department store. I thought about buying it to show that there is a demand for this type of material, but for one I know how that product got to my store (how it was packaged and transported) and for two, though I haven’t actually looked into that specific brand, I have no doubt that it is made unethically based on other things I do know. So it’s kind of a double edge sword, you know? How do we move the market for the everyday consumer if we are not supporting said market as a whole? I know for me personally what is right and ethical and good for the environment, but no matter how many conversations I have with friends and family, it just hasn’t clicked for them yet and they are going to buy what’s in front of them. We need to change what’s in front of them.
@@pandisionesamartinez2958 unfortunately I have not found any that don't have a blend of some percent of polyester in them, if I could get some that have rayon, tencel and cotton mix that would be better.
Have you tried vegetarian shoes? They hold up and fit really well, I have had my current pair of boots for 8 years and they're still going strong (I wear them everyday)
Check out my Pinterest board. Colleen Harrison Picasso22 look at my board "Shoes" and I have a subcategory called 'Ethical shoes'. Maybe you can find a brand there that will work for you. A lot of people buy Veja sneakers.
It would be really interesting to see one about shoes on here! I found this really educational but would love to also know about what the best shoe materials are with regards to sustainability and durability
Second-hand polyester: If I don't buy it, it goes to landfill. If I do, it can shed plastic into the water system - is that why it is still not good to buy it second-hand?
What about bleaching and dying the cotton/linen/hemp/etc? You touched on the chemicals in leather but what about the chemicals used to bleach and dye the natural materials
Thank you, this is so helpful. Do you have a video/would you consider making a video about where you buy clothes? I know you thrift a lot, but do you buy anything new? I find things like belts/work shoes for my partner impossible because they are either leather (which he won’t wear because we’re vegan) or plastic!
Lizzie M check out my Pinterest board Colleen Harrison. Picasso22 under the board 'organic wardrobe' or Ethical clothes' even tho hits all for females it may be a place to start as most of the brands carry men's clothing as well. I have a board called 'shoes' and a subcategory called ethical shoes...most of the brands carry mens shoes as well. 'My Green Closet' has a source list as well.
what’s an analogy for synthetic materials ? because it’s a blend and don’t break down separate can i say it’s like blending water and oil? i hope this makes sense
did u see Aldi announced all of their packaging will be sustainable by 2025!
😬but in 6 YEARS TIME.
chanix boss better than no years time
@@pt9183 unfortunately it has to take that long for them to be able to develop packaging for things. It takes a while for products a like potato chips to be created and then shipped to the store before the consumer buys it and eats it. If the packaging isn't quite right the potato chips could very easily become stale. So now it's going to take time for them to learn how to create packaging that will keep the food fresh just as long as plastic packaging will. Sadly that will take about six years as well as shifting all of their machinery over to use different materials. But thankfully they will be changing.
I am from Canada so I'm not familiar with the Aldi store though I am assuming it is a grocery store. There is practically no reason it should take 6 years. Worst case scenario 2-3 years. I will leave a link to a video where it shows a grocery store ( granted this one is smaller but it is still a chain so it could have larger stores? And it is in Europe). In the video at approximately 12:50 it states that they went completely plastic free in 10 MONTHS!! If they can do it that quickly then it should not take much longer ( maybe double the time) for a larger chain. The entire video is worth a watch...www.cbc.ca/player/play/1424316483580/
Sarah Thatcher Aldi is chain in the US and Europe that only sells its house brand products, but many of their private label items are produced at the same facilities as the national name brand products. It will take them longer because they don’t necessarily own/control the facilities where these products are being made, and will either have to construct their own facilities to produce the products or outsource to other non-plastic facilities which are very rare in the US.
So basically, ANYONE who is against the oil industry should also be against synthetics.
Gitte Van de velde YES, it was actually last spring when I was against and protesting the expansion of the Transmountain pipeline that Alberta wants to run through BC ( my province). Ruining so much beautiful land and endangering the whales with extremely increased tanker traffic. When I was learning all about the oil industry and the pipeline I would read comments from people who would argue against those like myself who were protesting it by saying..."its hypocritical to be against the oil industry while you drive your car and heat your home". That really hit me because it's true in a way.. Although with the Transmountain Pipeline expansion it is a mute point technically because the expansion is to get oil to foreign markets (we have enough for ourselves). The point was valid in general though and I thought, " I can't afford to buy a new electric car ( or any car) any time soon and I rent so I don't have a choice how my home is heated during winter, there are many things that right now are so far beyond my 'control' ." I had to let go of the things I cannot change but I thought I can change many things in my life. The everyday choices I do make. And so I started my less waste and no plastic journey. I already knew that polyester, acrylic, nylon and all synthetic material is made from oil so I stopped buying any synthetic clothes. Cold turkey. That was 1 year ago. In the fall I watched the documentary 'The True Cost' and since then I have stopped buying anything made of 'conventional' cotton. I buy only organic cotton. (And I have an extremely low income). And now I only purchase natural materials from ethical and fair-trade businesses/ brands. It's been a challenging journey but I love the challenge and I love shopping with a clear conscience and I have so much more peace. Education and awareness is key. That's why I share videos like this on all my social media platforms. It's shocking how most people just don't know.
Anyone who cares about the planet and their own health, synthetics are toxic to the body, it messes up the hormones among other terrible effects. And electrical industry is worse than oil one, might be difficult to believe because of all the brainwashing and electric cars propaganda with their lack of autonomy and lithium batteries. Authorities, governments are hypocrites who pretend to care about ecology and other issues to gain more power, only picking what’s suitable to their agenda
Have you heard of Zero Waste Daniel? He collects all the scrap fabric in his area and sews it back together to make clothes I love them! Also I saw Ikea make the pledge to switch to sustainable products by 2030.
The Vegan Wallflower That's amazing! Ikea is so huge, And it's very popular. So when they change they could have a huge impact in the us. But either way gotta snag my Ikea detolf for ny hamsters cage.
You should see a few things about IKEA... they’re not as good as they say
Yes yes yessss this is so important! When you're shopping second-hand ALWAYS check the fabric content! I will NOT buy anything polyester these days, new or secondhand, because I'd be putting that item back into the wash cycle.
I'm a teacher and my class and I were researching the most sustainable fabrics during our science week. I was shocked to learn that 2700litres of water is required to produce one cotton tshirt! Although organic cotton is an improvement I'd still be reluctant to purchase it because it still requires the same amount of water and takes just as many nutrients from the soil.
Thank you for encouraging us all to be more ethical consumers :) I really enjoy your channel!
I just did a speech on the sustainability of hemp last week. Such a stigma around a wonderful product!! Screw the US government for condemning something so useful and beautiful. You also didn’t touch on the fact that hemp is one of the largest carbon traps as far as plants go. It’s making the world better just by growing!
It’s so ironic that a number of states have legalized marijuana use, but hemp production is still not allowed. You can’t get high from hemp, it doesn’t produce enough THC! It’s insanity that growing hemp is illegal.
Okay, so don't quote me because it's been YEARS since I learned this in my history class, but I believe that the reason hemp is illegal in the United States is because a dude with a lot of money and pull in the government had them declare hemp illegal so he could have/keep his monopoly on (perhaps?) cotton. That was at least 100 years ago, maybe even hundreds of years ago, but the law still stands. Once again, my memory about this is very rusty, so feel free to do your own research to get the details.
The government wants to make us and the planet sick so that they can "fix" us.... By taking our money.
As someone who loves sewing thrifting and vintage fashion. I could watch videos about fabric and how sustainable they are all day. Thank you!
Thank you for this video! 🙌🏼 The fact that people and brands are trying to promote leather as an ethical and sustainable material blows my mind 😵
Kristen Leo so many zero
wasters are big on leather 🙈 I only use the one I have or second hand now ✌️💚 🐮
This channel promoted it too.
Leather can decompose unlike pleather. But I agree the chemicals used to dye the leather and the factory farming of cows is not sustainable!
@@ah5721 I don't buy factory farmed meat. I buy organic free range meat so its sustainable.
@@tomjones2157 I agree that pastured raised meat and eggs along with crop rotation is healthy but let's be real honest.. how many cow slaughtered for meat and hides are actually raised the pastorial way?
I love this video! I'm starting with zero waste since the beginning of this year and this video has given me so much information and help. Especially because I have never thought that the common clothing materials would be so bad for the environment
I've noticed a lot of tags straight-up lie about what the clothes are made of. I have a jacket with polyester lining that says it's 100% cotton. I've seen lots of garments that claim to be 100% natural and still use polyester thread. Just something to keep in mind for people who are able to spot these things.
maybe the rest of it is cotton? i always see "coat x% cotton y% polyester, lining x%..."
How are you supposed to know if you aren't an expert on clothing to begin with? Is it an easy way to recognize when clothes have polyester? Or synthetic fibers? I live in Norway so I assume chances of scamming is actually lower where I live because of mostly good regulation (at least my impression), but it can happen
Thank you for this video! I have been making sure that I don't buy polyester anymore, but it's nice to have a video about good fabric alternatives!
I love watching your videos! They just make me more aware and conscious of my decisions.
Its too bad that leather production became so industrial. Traditional Indigenous methods of treating leather were much more sustainable.
Awesome video! Thank you for raising awareness :) I love sewing (especially clothing) and have found it much more economical and sustainable for my wardrobe. I would love a video about dyes and stains at some point. Also that jacket looks amazing!
You should do a part two and let use know about things like bamboo.
What do you think about second hand polyester/synthetic clothes? They are still bad for the environment, because of the micro plastic when washing. But is it better if they would be tossed (or if possible recycled) or worn, because they already have been produced?
Butterbee if it’s already been produced all you can do is get t second hand and wear it out.
Joëlle Weetjewel - Shelbi actually has another video where she talks about 2 different ways to reduce the amount of plastics that go into your water. If you own your home, you can install a sort of filter to your washer that prevents plastic from getting drained with all your water. Or, if you rent or are unable to install something like that, there are small little gadgets that you toss into your wash that catch all of the micro plastics from your clothing. To me it looked like a sort of wet reusable dryer ball? It helps to eliminate a lot of the micro plastics though! I can try to find the video if you want that discusses these two options! But imo, I feel like if you’re buying second hand polyesters or synthetic blends that might wash off micro plastics, then you can invest in these two options. I agree with another commenter though-if it’s already been produced, the only thing you can really do is use it until it reaches the end of its life cycle in order to prevent it from being tossed into a landfill.
It sheds microplastic all the time while you wear it and create friction, plus each time you wash it. But apart from that it’s terrible for your health absorbing through the skin, it messes up your hormones and immune system. Best to only get 100% natural and preferably organic fabrics
Thank you for this video. Very interesting content. The last fibres you talked about is lyocell. TENCEL is actually a brand name.
This video is so so informative!! I would have loved to learn more about other conventionally seen fabrics like rayon and silk.
A part two seems needed.
(Rayon, silk, bamboo, vegan leather...)
I'm starting my sustainable life style and I'm filming it on my channel, right now I'm doing declutter videos to help me get into living with less. Your videos inspired me so much that I looked around my house or ordered items for my zero waste kit in my backpack and I'm using them daily now. I would love if you or your followers would check out my channel, this journey has been amazing so far and I've gotten compliments when using my items in public saying thank you for helping our earth. Right now I'm using my reusable pads for the first time and so far I'm loving them!
Reusables are the BOMB!! I love mine and wish I had made the change years ago!!! Checking out your channel :)
I appreciate that you include your knowledge of science into your videos and communicate it so clearly and effectively ❤️
I just want to say thank you. I've recently found your channel and have been watching a lot of your videos and I just appreciate you educating more people. This is what TH-cam should be about. Thank you x
This video is just what I needed!!! I have been wondering about sustainable fabrics. I have been buying 100% organic cotton from PACT lately. I bought my son a bunch of new shirts from there (and a sweatshirt) because he outgrew boy clothing and needed to size up to men’s clothing.
I love how you organized the video to talk about production, life, and where it goes. I’d love to see a similar video about shoes!
Love your videos! Thanks for making these topics so approachable and easy to digest. You're awesome!
Thanks for teaching me about so many different sustainability topics! I love sharing your videos with my coworkers and using them to start a discussion about sustainable living. Thank you.
Thank you for doing this! Learned several new things! When you know better you do better!
This is such an important video 👏🏼 when I can’t buy second hand I always try to research cool brands that use materials like tencel or econyl to make their clothes
Shoot, wish I saw this before buying leather Doc Matens. Thanks for all the videos and education, there's so much to consider when trying to be sustainable, and this is something I didn't even consider, but makes so much sense.
how do you know when tencel/lyocell has been sourced sustainably and isn’t derived from ancient growth forests? I shop second hand anyway but how can you know for sure that the wood has been been sourced sustainably?
You can't.
If youre getting it second hand youre not contributing to the demand so it doesnt really matter if it is or isnt the damage is already done by whoever purchased it first.
Look for products that are "FSC certified". The Forest Stewardship Council ensures all products they certify are sustainably harvested. Clothing, furniture, even paper towels and toilet paper (Scott toilet paper) can be sourced sustainably.
Source - My company sells FSC certified products and I'm the one that is audited each year to ensure we follow the protocol and rules.
@@nicbickel4031 Is it possible to determine if a given paper that is FSC certified comes from American forests? I know that on a lot of non-domestically sourced wood, FSC labels are super sketchy to downright bullshit due to near-completely corrupted chains of provenance (officials paid off at every level, as well as the wood sources nearly impossible to verify due to difficulty in getting to the claimed and actually-cut forests, hostile government interference and unwelcoming local populations). OTOH, it's a lot easier to verify American-grown, and it keeps the demand for wood products high, thus ensuring ongoing forest investment rather than having it all cut down and turned into strip malls, housing developments, agriculture or mining for lack of 'economic value.'
You could always buy bamboo, it's more often than not rayon (or one of its subtypes, e.g. tencel, viscose etc.) with the celulose derived from bamboo instead of trees.
anti haul experience here 🙄 went to an earth day festival and one of the vendors was selling soaps/bath stuff. she had LIGHT UP BATH BOMBS?! how wasteful. some of the soaps also had glitter on top. and when i looked at the ingredients the third one was palm oil 😭 so sad i found this at an earth day festival of all places
Earth festivals, eco festivals, healt aand beauty festivals are full of "good intentionned" people who take their informations from urban legends or intuitive reflexions. It result a lot of misinformations and diabolisations. I can't go to those since my univeristy program (agriculture and environmental studies) because they are not open to ear they are wrongs.
This was sooo interesting, I really had no idea! I’m definitely going to be thinking way more before I purchase any more clothing.
You could have made a table with all this info and show it at the end so we can see how all fabrics compare. I would have liked to see that, trademark it as your useful guide if you want even.
I'll get on that and update the description when I'm done!
I needed this video, love it! I am pretty upset though that hemp is not being used very much. Hemp is the future! Thanks for clearing up Tencel for me, I didn’t know exactly what it was or if it was biodegradable or not.
poliester,polyamid,nylon,elastan! I always knew that they were the worst!
One more thing about Tencel, it's also anti-bacterial. I bought some jeans with it from Armed Angels(an eco-friendly brand in Germany), and the claim is true. I usually have to wash my jeans after 1-2 wears, but I just got three wears out them on a recent trip, including wearing them during over 25hrs of travel time, so just for normal days I could probably get 4 wears.
YES. Thank you for calling out polyester! I can't stand this fabric - it's a static magnet, it makes you sweat because it doesn't breathe, it's cheap and falls apart all the time, and even worse, it's in EVERYTHING!
So crazy u just uploaded this, I’ve been looking into fabric for a diy project but wasn’t sure which fabric is the most eco friendly. Thanks for the video!
I feel called tf out - for things I didn't know I was doing wrong. Appreciate this newfound knowledge!
this is such a great video shelbi! thanks so much for doing all this research, i'll definitely keep my eye out and choose clothing that uses those sustainable materials! :D
I found a 100% TENCEL shirt made in the United States that goes with almost all of my bottoms - it's a creamy and soft button-down that I could wear almost anywhere! I feel so lucky to have such a great consignment shop near me!
You almost made me cry when you got to cotton but I understand what you are saying or rather some what aware on what to look for. Thank you.
Thanks again for another great video!! I love to sew and have been buying cotton because I thought it would be the best 🥴. I will for sure look for hemp and tinsel fabrics 😁😁
I almost always buy clothes second hand, but usually check the tag to see what it’s made from. I steer away from anything that isn’t 100% cotton. I have never seen anything made from hemp, tensel, or (surprisingly) linen at our thrift stores. At least not in the clothes sizes we shop for. It’s pretty time consuming with a family of 5, but totally worth it.
I see that you did your homework. Lot of good info. Thx. Keep them coming 👍
New subscriber after learning about all natural ingredients and HI HELLO I LOVE YOU ALREADY!! This is fabulous.
What about the eyes used in the fabric. Composting something that has synthetic dyed can't be good.
i was scared there for a moment, eyes used in fabric :D
@@Nejem where do you think they get blue dyes from?
Dyes were naturally derived originally from plants flowers etc now most if not all are completely replaced with man made stuff. I guess you gotta ask yourself if its worth buying unbleached fibres and making youre own or finding somewhere that does that for you close by or if its better to just buy man made dyed things since thats not using plants etc its really hard to everything or even anything perfectly as long as youre trying to be better in the ways that you can slowly but surely then thats way better than just mindlessly consuming. If you look at natural dyes for like easter eggs onions beetroot tea etc theres heaps. You could always use them if you wanted to dye something yourself but its very hard to find raw material and even then you dont know if its done sustainably etc etc. So just do the best that you can with what you have.
Old cotton shirts, T-shirt’s, underwear are cut up in our house and used for rags or composted in our garden compost bins if they are not for passing on.
I really appreciate you talking about Linen. I follow a page (@wildbird) who make ring slings for babies and they have linen and modal material, and they show the whole process. From their flax farms, to softening the fabric (without chemicals!) the slings run about $80 but I would feel good supporting them and also putting a baby, who has very sensitive and delicate skin, in the sling. Also they’re just great people. Y’all should go follow @WildBird on Instagram!!!
Yessss I've been waiting for this video! I'm an apparel merchandising and sustainable design major and can confirm this information. I learned in textiles class all the benefits of these fibers but also had a chapter on the bad side.
I’m learning so much!! I had NO idea! I feel so guilty for all of this... I will change and he’ll earth!!! I eat vegan diet now but need to improve more
Thank you I've been needing more motivation to be more careful with my purchases. I buy lots secondhand but still should avoid it even then.
I am exited to find this video because I wonder about clothing materials for a while.
Very nice video. However when it comes to shoes, bags, coats and jackets, it is hard to avoid unsustainable materials. I at least choose quality over quantity, so I actually prefer leather shoes - they last for many years if you care about them properly. Anyway my top material is viscose (especially bamboo viscose) - it is durable, keeps colors and shape for years, but easy to find in stores/eshops and for good price.
Thank you for sharing all this great information! 😊👏🏼
Ahhh I had no idea about polyester! Thanks so much for this. Great job cranking out awesome content when you're so busy lately!
Shelby, I fuc**n love your videos. Your badass; An inspiration and this whole movement motivates me in my journey to my bachelors degree. Keep it up. Keep doing you and I recently found an app called “Think Dirty” that helps tell you what chemicals are in our products. It looks like its message is great but definitely has its bad parts. But I’d love to see a review or just your thoughts :)
Thanks girl have an amazing day! 🌎
Thank you for this video! I'm starting my small handmade clothes & accessory brand and looking for more sustainable options.
Educational and very informative. Will definitely be more mindful with fabrics and clothes shopping.
Well 90% of my closet has been a lie! Lol
This was hella educational, thanks for more great content Shelbi!
Great video, I definitely want to get more sustainable fabrics when I buy new clothes... which is so so rare. I would be interested to know where you got your information on Hemp crops. My understanding of gardening and plants is that all plants take nutrients out of the soil (it's how they grow) and put nutrients back into the soil. Some plants need different nutrients than others and put back different nutrients which is why crop rotation is a good idea (one crop uses nutrient A and puts back nutrient B, so you plant a different crop that uses nutrient B and puts back nutrient A). Crop rotation also helps prevent certain insects or diseases from building up since some plants are more prone or resistant to certain insects/diseases than others. Hemp crops will still take nutrients out of the soil and farmers should still rotate crops.
I love this video, and I think it’s so necessary! I just wish I could add captions in Spanish so my family and friends would understand it...
One of your best! Great job, thanks for all the information.
I hate shopping for clothes SO much that they have to last a long time. My work clothes are usually synthetic blends because they wear longer and work better in winter cold
also fun thing with hemp is that not only does it grow super fast (like only 4 months) but it also ''breaths'' in 4x the co2 then threes. Hemp is also super versitile with over a 10,000 different uses, all from fabric, string, medical like tintures, also hemp can be used as a building meterial like wood (way better then wood as well, since it grow in 4 months compared to around 20 years, also it uses less resourses to produce and less space) just to mention a few ^^
My college's swap a thon is today!
This was so helpful! Thank you for sharing!❤ You should make a video suggesting brands that use these sustainable materials!
Thank you so much for this video. I have been looking for all this information in an easily digestible form, and here I am. The information about the amount per crop is so interesting and unknown.
I was thinking you might so something with homemade hand sanitizer and surface wipes. I cut up an old tee put it in an empty peanut butter jar and added 70% alcohol. I keep that in my car to wipe down what I touched before I use hand sanitizer. These wipes can be washed after use rather than being thrown away.
You look sooo happy in your Tencel coat! I'd love to try it myself :)
What about dyeing? Can you make an informative video about Dyes, undyed clothing etc...
i just bought Tencel by accident today and i'm SO HAPPY!! (it said on the label that it was a 100% natural product, but i'd never heard of it) that was so lucky! 😄
Sadly even organic fibers are usually dyed with the same dye as non organic ones. (Another reason to buy second hand)
I read that linen would get softer and the colour better with every wash. I bought a (second hand) linen dress lately and I feel like it got a little darker through washing it, so it might be true.
I did not know b linen was a type of fiber I thought it was the style of sheets 😱😱 I thought it was kinda like Egyptian sheets linen sheets etc very informative thank you
Girl! I just want to say I needed some socks and saw some at a good deal at tjmaxx BUT I saw that they were made from polyester and I declined them
Good you'd buy trash that doesn't breath. You could as well put plastic bags on them
Thank you for making this video. I find it very informative and useful.
so informative! dang, I want to find a sustainable beach tent.
Me and my partner finally bought a duvet fromn 100 percent Tencel, made to order in Austria. It was really hard to find one that wasnt "microfibre" aka Polyester!
Something I’ve been wrestling with is, how do I vote with my dollars and support natural fibers by buying from more conventional department stores that carry them when I don’t support the production processes of where the items are manufactured? How do I support product sustainability on a budget without supporting sweat shops?
Sarah Bunny i try and save for higher quality items. i’m on a budget but i save by not buying cheaper things often, instead buying more pricey but better quality things, much mich much less often.
I totally get that and it’s probably what I’ll do when I’m not buying secondhand. But for example, I work at a retail store that recently got in a tencel dress. I was so excited to see this thing I had been learning about show up in a every day person kind of department store. I thought about buying it to show that there is a demand for this type of material, but for one I know how that product got to my store (how it was packaged and transported) and for two, though I haven’t actually looked into that specific brand, I have no doubt that it is made unethically based on other things I do know. So it’s kind of a double edge sword, you know? How do we move the market for the everyday consumer if we are not supporting said market as a whole? I know for me personally what is right and ethical and good for the environment, but no matter how many conversations I have with friends and family, it just hasn’t clicked for them yet and they are going to buy what’s in front of them. We need to change what’s in front of them.
I just found your channel and it's everything I've been looking for and more in my recently started sustainable journey ❤️
I have a friend starting a clothing company and I immediately sent him this video!
Girl, I love your channel! Thank you for all the informative videos!
dang it, my scrubs for work are a poly cotton blend, I haven't seen them in other materials, I'll look.
Have you found any?
@@pandisionesamartinez2958 unfortunately I have not found any that don't have a blend of some percent of polyester in them, if I could get some that have rayon, tencel and cotton mix that would be better.
@@goddess131 if I ever find some too I'll let you know as I will soon be working in healthcare
that's a great video, really explanatory, I would include also silk as an unsustainable fabric, the way that the insect is explored is just awful!
What do you do about shoes? I've tried various vegan brands but they never fit right and always cause blisters.
leather shoes cause just as many blisters
Rosemary Bruce no, they don’t and they are better in the rain. Yes, they are bad for the environment but let’s not make stuff up.
Have you tried vegetarian shoes? They hold up and fit really well, I have had my current pair of boots for 8 years and they're still going strong (I wear them everyday)
Check out my Pinterest board. Colleen Harrison Picasso22 look at my board "Shoes" and I have a subcategory called 'Ethical shoes'. Maybe you can find a brand there that will work for you. A lot of people buy Veja sneakers.
@@rosemarybruce6290 Don't make stuff up
Ugh my mom was a shopaholic and bought so much polyester trash. Some of the clothes I have are really holding up at least.
It would be really interesting to see one about shoes on here! I found this really educational but would love to also know about what the best shoe materials are with regards to sustainability and durability
Second-hand polyester: If I don't buy it, it goes to landfill. If I do, it can shed plastic into the water system - is that why it is still not good to buy it second-hand?
Love this! Thanx so much for all the info on this!! You're awesome!! xoxo
What about bleaching and dying the cotton/linen/hemp/etc? You touched on the chemicals in leather but what about the chemicals used to bleach and dye the natural materials
loved the breakdown!
Most sustentable:
1.tencel fibers
2.hemp
3.linen
4. Organic Cotton
5.old leather
6.synteBlendtic.
7.Polyester
i'd love to hear more about rayon/what to look out for w/ rayon! since I've heard mixed things about it
I thrift all of my clothes! I enjoy customizing them and save scraps to make bags
Just recently upgraded to buy organic cotton, bamboo and hemp
Thank you, this is so helpful. Do you have a video/would you consider making a video about where you buy clothes? I know you thrift a lot, but do you buy anything new? I find things like belts/work shoes for my partner impossible because they are either leather (which he won’t wear because we’re vegan) or plastic!
Lizzie M check out my Pinterest board Colleen Harrison. Picasso22 under the board 'organic wardrobe' or Ethical clothes' even tho hits all for females it may be a place to start as most of the brands carry men's clothing as well. I have a board called 'shoes' and a subcategory called ethical shoes...most of the brands carry mens shoes as well. 'My Green Closet' has a source list as well.
Modal all day baby 💪🏼 uses 10-20x less water to make than cotton
thank you sososo much for all this information! so helpful, so enjoyable to watch, you saved me for hours of googling!
What companies using sustainable fibers also offer plus size? I see people recomend some but they only seem to carry single digit sizes.
Yeah vloggers/bloggers and other people need to contact companies to demand this! Also when you are plus size breathable fabric is so nice
what’s an analogy for synthetic materials ? because it’s a blend and don’t break down separate can i say it’s like blending water and oil? i hope this makes sense