Reacting to wasteful trends and showing you how to partake in an eco friendly way

[@mariadesantiago8696]

I totally agree, disengage. Don’t comment, don’t dislike, just don’t engage at all. Starve them of the attention they are seeking.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

exactly!!!! this will get influencers to stop

[@Autumn1988]

I have a few different capacity bottles for different purposes and when i don’t want to carry a big bag. Also a couple of coffee cups/flasks.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

that makes sense as do I. But there is no need to have more than 2 of the exact same cup imo

[@GirlvsHomestead]

Just found your channel and I’m obsessed so happy you exist and are a voice for sustainability!!

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

YAYY!!! Welcome :) thanks so much for the support!

[@persephone213]

I always love these anti-haul style videos from you, Shelbi, and all of my favorite internet peeps. 💚

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

woohoo thank you!

[@shellym79]

A wasteful trend I've been a part of but didn't realize until recently is buying house plants from big box stores. It's the store that's doing the wasting as they just let hundreds of plants die regularly. In every single store! Some just need a little water but I was told they aren't allowed to water them😮. To be fair I've also seen stores where they definitely over water which kills the plant even faster. I've seen them leave tropical plants outside when the weather gets cold knowing full well every single one will be dead by morning. It doesn't make sense to me why they dont hire at least 1 person that's knows what they're doing it would only take a few hours a week per store. How is that not cheaper than trashing so many plants? They end up in the landfill then all the resources it took to grow them then transport them. Ugh it's making me sick how I was oblivious to how bad it is for so long.

[@crstph]

so what would you recommend instead? buying seeds and getting the pots secondhand? im asking genuinely i dont have any plants and would like to start so i would love to hear a better alternative for beginners bc i also hadn’t thought about this

[@shellym79]

@@crstph I would first suggest you ask a friend or relative who has plants if they are willing to give you some cuttings. Many plants need to be trimmed regularly and the cuttings can grow into new plants. It's free and no extra resources were used and you prevent the cuttings from going in the trash. Face book market place has people selling cuttings and propagations, local plant swaps etc. Buying from a real nursery is also not too bad, I think anyway, as the plants are cared for much better. The prices are higher than home Depot and Lowe's but they are much healthier less likely to have pests and root for. Then I didn't know if it's more eco friendly or not but there are online nurseries they you can order from if you don't have any local nurseries or the local ones don't have what you're looking for.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

that is wild!

[@melissam4954]

​@@crstph if you have one, check your local library or community center. Mine has a monthly gardening meetup to swap plants. Not sure if this is something that only happens in my area, but the college nearby has a botany program and they have a plant sale every year.

[@leanneono6237]

Yes! Love the idea of this as a new series! Not a 'current' trend but I hate the collectable stuff like pokemon cards, those bobble head things... I just think very few people actually LOVE every single item and have the room to display everything so it seems even more pointless

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

ehh I think those are different since they don't produce waste. People aren't throwing the cards away. I collect pine cones which is more eco than cards, but I don't look at every single cone every day. Collecting is a fun hobby and can be done in an eco way! I like to focus this series more on trends that produce regular and large amounts of waste!

[@leanneono6237]

@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist oh yes that makes sense... I guess collectable items can hold alot of value and therefore are sold/passed on rather than thrown away. When I was thinking about collectibles I was thinking about an extreme ('hoarder' type) approach and temporary low value interests that would get thrown away and how much resource it takes to make items

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

@@leanneono6237 ahh i see

[@4-kathryn]

My child was curious about Pokémon cards so I caved in and bought one pack for her (my parents never allowed me to have any so I felt more like treating my child to that experience). She didn't like 4 of the cards so I kept the plastic seal, and placed the cards with a paperclip in my neighborhood `Little Free Library`. I haven't visited it in a couple of days but I have a feeling they got swiped up. It's not a perfect solution and I do feel bad that she wanted to reject some of the cards, but children can be fickle like that. I will say I'm less interested in buying more though (at least brand new). That curiosity has been met and I'm less interesting in it. My daughter did mention she wants a certain Pokémon though so I might search ebay for that find that if it's not too pricey.

[@ajpadley]

Have you seen Fridgescaping? Its like restocking only less functional.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

yessss UGH!!!

[@taylorsaquatics]

Love this, specifically on the book thing, you can also get a picture of the spine and photoshop them all into a picture frame to display. So you have a flat shelf LOL.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

oooh i love that idea!

[@awkwrdash]

Yes! or like some people make their own "mini books" that are an inch or so tall and print out the covers on them. So much less space and less waste!

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

@@awkwrdash for sure! so many more fun ways to do this !

[@everything_is_illuminated619]

I love thrift books! I found a $60 graphic design book by my boyfriends favorite artist for $12 that I got him for Christmas a few years ago!

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

wow that's amazing and what a lovely gift!

[@chrstopherblighton-sande2981]

Wow, this is one of those moments when I'm glad that my interests are super specific and focused, normally that means I'm really out of touch with things and the last to know about all sorts of things, but this time I'm very thankful that I'd not heard or seen any of those trends before. In particular I can't wrap my head around the restocking one, but the book trophy thing is even more incomprehensible to me. Don't get me wrong I love books, and have two bookshelves of books (despite being a minimalist). I now get all my books (except the occasional graphic novel) on my e-reader, but I would never ever buy a hardcopy of a book just to display it!! It boggles my mind. I read for my own interest and pleasure not for show.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

agreed!! I'm a big time reader but book trophies blow my mind, esp wasted money!

[@kmbirdw74]

I love thrift books ! All my books are from them or goodwill .

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

truly the best!! a great way to have a susty collection :)

[@karinhart489]

A water bottle to match your outfit? Uh oh! I did get on sale a water bottle with stainless steel insides and a cap that seals so I have water with me in my knapsack during travel on urban public transit so I have clean water at the other end. Oh, I noticed several museums now have water bottle refill stations next to the restrooms/ elevators (I think that inspired me to go ahead to get a bottle to carry with me).

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

that's great to hear!

[@crstph]

the stanley “trend” really highlights the conflict at the heart of “sustainable”/eco-friendly companies…at some point, their need for sales and growth will be stronger than any commitment to the environment. stanley cups ARE well-made and theoretically you only ever need one if you take care of it, but from a marketing pov stanley (and starbucks, etc) would rather cultivate collectors who will buy new products than lifelong customers who only buy once

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

yup like I get it, you need money, then extend your audience instead of trying to get them to buy so many

[@reissval]

I've joined Bookstagram this year as well. Since we have run out of bookshelf space and places to put bookcases, I've gone to reading on Kindle. I hate that Kindle Unlimited is so expensive, but it is more eco-friendly (and cheaper) than buying all the books even second hand. Now, I read the book first (either KU or an e-book from the library) and then decide if I want the physical copy. And even then, it usually has to be a special edition, something I can get signed at a book event, or a rare 5-star read for me to buy a physical copy. If it's not a collectible that will be worth something, then I don't buy a physical copy.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

I love reading, yay!! Makes sense, I also HIGHLY recommend borrowing them for free at your local library to save even more money and to support your local library instead :)

[@socialdeviant13]

I'm a restocker, but I do that to limit how much food I waste, and prefer to buy in cardboard where possible. I also love going to the bulk bins to refill my interesting liquor bottles with lentils, rice, and barley. I do have clear plastic organizers, but that's also to limit food waste, since my pantry is deeper than it is wide. We recently rescued A bookstore rotating shelf, which we are slowly transforming into a pantry so we can knock the inbuilt one out to install a dishwasher and extend counter space.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

makes sense!! there are definitely good ways to restock and store food in a way that prevents food waste and a "bad" way to do it which is just for aesthetics imo

[@sarahbrooks4016]

Okay so I like getting the paper and hard cover version of childhood books, paper for notes cats I love writing in the books but hardback for my shelf and I mostly get the paperback from thrift stores so it's not as bad but it's still a lot

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

yay for thrifting!

[@YnezSage]

How you get upset and heated is so relatable!!! holy shite i dont understand how people can NOT get upset from this wasteful bullsheet. You could make video after video, with each passing trend tbh but then you may start targeting specific companies (which yeah call them out) but remember the bigger picture!

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

ugh right?! I feel like I'm the only one but more people need to be upset about this blatant waste of resources, energy, and money!!

[@ComandanteAlicia123]

Please, talk about project pan!!! Your videos are really good, I never found a channel like yours. You talk about many different things in the sustainability theme, I never saw someone doing that! Please, continue doing videos ❤❤❤

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

thanks so much for being here!

[@dinosaur3126]

I have considered a cereal container just cause my cabinet has short shelves so cereal boxes can't stand up and they keep randomly tumbling off the top of the fridge

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

see that's totally different (also they're very easy to find secondhand) cause it's to prevent food waste and not just for aesthetics. Plus, as I said in this video, you can do all of these wasteful trends in a susty way such as shopping secondhand!

[@mashainmotion]

Gittemary Johansen also made this kind of video not that long ago I think:)

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

oh fun!! I haven't seen it, I should watch it :)

[@joni1]

I really hate waste and can’t fathom why people would watch those videos. Just about everything gets reused in our home.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

SAME!!! so sad!!

[@cherylmoser6383]

Enjoyed the video, I’m old so I didn’t know any of these trends, they’re all horrible 😂😂😂

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

I didn't know them either til I looked them up haha thanks for watching!

[@Angela-x5q5i]

This probably goes with food waste but i have seen the trend where one person is holding a plastic water bottle and another person picks them up and spins them. The person who is holding the plastic water bottle then squeezes all the water out to get this cool spinning water type effect shot. I find it as such a waste of water and they probably are throwing the bottle away after

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

ugh I hate wasting water...

[@TranquilityChiba]

For the restocks I actually find them helpful because the angry people in the comments say the best way to ACTUALLY store the food 😂. Tho there are a LOT of people being hateful to parents having store bought junk food. Honestly I haven't bought a high end bottle wrapping them in a hand towel keeps it cool enough for me but I don't work outside

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

hahahahahha that's a great point!

[@danielharmon15]

I feel like if people want a visual way to show all the books they read in a year they should just make a poster with all the book covers on it (actually similar to the poster you have in the bsck of this video). Way less paper and space.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

woah I love that idea!

[@carmoalbuquerque]

The book thing I get. I buy physical copies of the books that changed my life and will likely want to re-read. And I judge people by the books on their shelves so I expect the same, a kinda "tell me what you read and I will let you know who you are" type of situation. Btw, one of my biggest flex is that I have read all the books I own. So I do not have physical TBR.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

see but that's totally different to buying every single book you e-read or listen to! I also plan on buying physical copies of my fav books when we get a home, but not every single book. Also I'm going to check out thriftbooks to make it more low waste!

[@carmoalbuquerque]

@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist Here we have a lot of those type of bookshops and we have a specific name for them. It smells delightful as well

[@sarah_december]

I totally agree people in Gaza are dying of hunger and barely find food and other people who live in bliss are wasting amounts of food that can feed a whole family in Gaza only for silly and stupid views and followers. + there is a contact creator I really don’t know her name or account but she has a full room only for her skin care products and her followers telling her to do different skin care routine every time like “expensive skin care routine ” “purple skin care routine ” “tatcha skin care routine ”. and so forth the amount of products she has and apply on her face is enough to open a new sephora not only it’s wastefull but she is destroying her skin and for money I don’t think that she care about it because her views make tons of money for her and of course she has a sponsorship with different brands + coaches who share workouts and stretches are also very obsessed with different styles of exercise outfits and overconsumption leggings,shorts, stretching skirts, workout bras, different shapes and colors of tops with sleeves or with out also having a million yoga mat while you don’t need more than one.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

truly people are so disconnected and do not see their massive privilege

[@jessWilly365]

I hate those videos of I've got 50 plus Stanleys, and similar. Cause there's no reason to have more than 1 or 2 water bottles depending on how your using it.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

SO ANGRY!!

[@kmbirdw74]

Those car and home restocks are so fkn ridiculous ! So much money ! Here I am can barely afford to replenish essentials ! Infuriating !

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

soooo wild!!

[@TessKarlsson-n3k]

keep the good job up

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

thank you!

[@officialheidirose]

Sharing the bench with your puppers🥹💕

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

always!!! he deserves the whole world omg

[@officialheidirose]

@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist Agreed! I always forget how to spell his name💛

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

@@officialheidirose Denahi :) it's like the mountain, Denali, but with an H!

[@JainMonroe]

I've noticed that I can't listen to audio books because when I have ADHD I forget things very quickly, even reading a physical book causes difficulties

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

to each their own!

[@JainMonroe]

​@@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist I haven't even been to the library in many years, when I was younger I read a lot of books.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

@@JainMonroe they are the best!

[@ellielovesbands]

This has nothing to do with the video, but I love your pela case 😄

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

isn't she cute?! thanks!

[@alishaparr577]

If you want the book trophy to lend out to your friends maybe.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

oooh good idea!

[@ginarose8183]

The videos you are referencing are disgustingly wasteful. It’s making me sick to view the waste.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

SAME!!!! ugh

[@govinda102000]

Wastefull? People who go to buffets for 6 hours or more to eat a tremendous amount of food just because they can and to get social media subs and income.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

but they're eating it aren't they? There is no waste....I'm confused

[@4-kathryn]

Small nick pick but please re-adjust your speech and say, "I engage with audio books or I listen to audio books", audio books are like a podcast correct? I never tried them before but I assume it's a voice actor/actress who narrates the story to the audience, so the engagement comes with listening not 'reading'. It just bugged me when you said, I read AUDIO books. I like your video though; it's crazy internet entertainers think it's okay to waste food or other resources like that. My friend just showed me a Babish video where he tried various jarred peanut butter... I sure hope his team making that content use all those jars up or give them to their fans.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

ooooh I get your point but that is actually VERY ablesit to say audiobooks are not reading! Many people can ONLY read via audiobooks. Even myself as a busy person, I cannot read as much without audiobooks. They ARE reading. And yes it is also grammatically correct. I can find some good sources for you to read more on this topic if you want. I used to think the same way honestly until I learned about disability and ableism and I hope you can come to terms with it too :) PS, it is not the same as a podcast. There is almost always just one narrator, no music, no sound effects, etc. Just simply reading the story.

[@TheSimpleEnvironmentalist]

in conclusion, no I will not be adjusting my speech so that I can be as inclusive as possible and I prefer to say it this way :)