REVIEWING THE MOST UNSUSTAINABLE FABRICS // which fabrics are the worst, and why

[@Gittemary]

Thank you to Skillshare for sponsoring this video. The first 1,000 people to use this link, and use the code "gittemaryjohansen" will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: skl.sh/gittemaryjohansen04221

[@janetstonerook4552]

During winter time, I make braided rugs from old scraps of material. I discovered that old tee shirts work wonderfully for that. Now my entire family saves theirs for me. The brightly colored ones from charity walks work make a beautiful impact. 👍🤗

[@lamargot2201]

Well-done!! I love those and all kinds of handmade mats! Do you remember yo-yo quilts? Wouldn't t-shirts make a nice one in a grandmother's flower garden pattern? So cozy.

[@Irylknits]

Another tip for nylon stockings beyond repair is to use them in plant pots. I fill them with "leka kuler" in Norwegian - small drainage pebbles - it's then easy to just rince the lot when replanting

[@supernova622]

I am trying to launder my clothes less frequently when possible. A tip i heard from someone in theater is to spray clothes with vodka to remove smells. I've also recently gotten a handheld garment steamer and so far am finding it very helpful. I blast the armpits of tops and it eliminates nearly all body odor

[@Canny-Octopus]

Thanks I just used this tip, filled a spray bottle with vodka and just spot spray my clothes that aren't really dirty.

[@Gittemary]

That is super neat! 😍👌 I sometimes throw my clothes in the freezer to remove smells haha

[@femkes3014]

It would be so cool to see what clothes repairing/remaking/repurposing projects you (or probably often Jens haha) have!

[@Gittemary]

Absolutely, it is on my list 😍

[@femkes3014]

@@Gittemary ahh awesome 😍😍😄

[@sustainablelivingschool12]

A great reminder that there is no "away" and we're in a closed system so we have a lot of nuances to deal with when addressing fabrics that already exists in the world...great reminder about the filter bags ! Thanks for sharing 💚🌟

[@Gittemary]

Absolutely, using what we already have consciously is always first priority 💚💪

[@anaalves3658]

Thank you for all the helpful information ☺️. I try to only buy second hand for my family, but it's not always easy. Underwear and socks are always new, even though I try to buy organic cotton, a percentage of the underwear or socks always has elastic in it. I have leather bags and shoes and I plan on keeping them for a very long time, they are all between 4 to 10 years old and still look amazing. I try to make sure that if something is beginning to look fraid I have it repaired. I need to buy one of those guppy bags.

[@dogasindar1148]

Thanks for the great video. I feel guilty when it comes to fashion/clothing. Where I live, there are no thrift shops or any place where I can buy second-hand, in-good-condition clothing... the "local" stores are not great either, they are either too expensive or they just sell cheap, non-durable knock-off items which are imported anyway... there is no culture/consensus among people to buy-sell second hand as well. so, fashion is the most difficult area for me when it comes to sustainable living. I feel extremely guilty for supporting fast-fashion brands, but at this point only they are available. I try to buy at least "organic" cotton items from them, even though I know it is just green washing.............. ugh. It is dilemma that I cannot escape. I just needed to vent.

[@shaunaburton7136]

There are ancient kimonos that were repaired and repaired over hundreds of years and the kimono is now more repairs than the original and still works

[@Doridoesthings]

I crochet and I thought I was doing great selecting cotton and bamboo over acrylic yarns. While the choice IS better. I will be looking for recycled cotton in the future or other recycled fibers. I still don't care to use recycled plastic yarn due to microplastics when washed, but I won't be using virgin material anymore. Thanks for the info!

[@mariadesantiago8696]

So I recently took up knitting. I really wanted to learn how because I feel there is just something different about making something by hand. I am very fortunate to have a second hand arts and crafts store where I live and that is where I have gotten the majority of my yarn and needles. I have been very adamant about sticking to natural fibers only, but sometimes I feel bad because they are animal fibers. I keep telling myself that they are second hand items that could have ended up in the land full.

[@moondog7694]

Why do you have the same avatar as diebulfrog1979?

[@nada13_08]

Unfortunately, after years of coming up with and debunking my own excuses, I have come to the conclusion that even secondhand animal products can't be ethically purchased. They have done studies that showed that buying secondhand animal products still contributes to the production of new animal products. This makes perfect sense, if you keep in mind that the person, who bought it first hand, couldn't have cared about the animals suffering it took to make (or they wouldn't have bought it in the first place,) and will happily purchase more if it suits them to. They realize they can resell leather or wool clothing at a much better rate than used plant-fibers because many well-intentioned people create the high demand for it. Thus, they will continue to choose new animal products over plant-based materials in the future, hoping to resell them at those high-demand prices. If they had a hard time reselling animal products because the general public found it deplorable to wear the flesh of unconsenting victims, they would likely avoid buying hard-to-resell/unprofitable-to-resell cruelty-based items in the future, and gravitate towards what fetches the highest resell price. Also, this idea, that us vegans can just use secondhand cruelty-based materials, leads to a lack of demand for the production of less harmful alternatives, and less innovation and funding into those alternatives. I know it is hard to find sustainable plant-based knitting materials, but they are out there, just rarer. This is because most of us simply resort to secondhand animal products rather than demanding truly cruelty-free materials. And when it comes to sustainability, the used version of an unsustainable product is, by definition, also unsustainable. Sustainable means something is able to continue at the same rate indefinitely. If leather stops being produced at the same rate that it currently is, will the availability of previously owned leather still remain the same overtime? No, it quite literally is not possible for that to happen, so it cannot be sustainable. It relies on unsustainable materials to sustain it's supply. And, as well-intentioned consumers flock to secondhand materials, it is technically possible that items, such as used leather or wool, become more expensive than just buying new. This is because people are willing to pay a premium for a product they believe is sustainable and cruelty-free, and often refuse to buy these same materials new. If this occurs, it means unethical people will buy new leather and fur, and simply resell it as used. Then the people, who think it is harmless and sustainable to buy used, will unwittingly be buying what is essentially new leather at an inflated price, further creating demand. So, while it is wasteful to just throw away usable cruelty-based products, purchasing them second hand directly contributes to the exact problem we were trying to get around in the first place. Lastly, buying secondhand still relies on the idea that animals are products to be used. You would never buy Ed Gien's human nipple belt secondhand, and claim it to be unproblematic, because you don't see human nipples as something to be worn about. You would find it disrespectful to the victims. Imo, the biggest problem is that we consider other creatures and the Earth as, to quote "Colors of the Wind" just dead things we can claim.

[@ashleyh6407]

I know polyester is bad all around, but I have polyester blouses that I have worn for Years!! Cotton tops are not dressy enough for my work attire. And you didn't mention silk, but I feel like that is really bad as well, plus more expensive, and I believe has to be dry cleaned, which is also bad. Also, the Cotton I do have shrinks and fades, and I wash everything I own in tap/cold water and hang it to dry. Hint for everyone, I turn my tops and pants inside out when I take them off and deodorize them by spraying diluted rubbing alcohol on the inside. (You can also use diluted vodka).

[@amapolared6535]

I would love one on cotton seed oil. Heavily used in packaged food, often part of vegetable oil blends and used by fast food chains for frying, most cotton seed oil is sourced as a byproduct of the cotton industry. This means, because technically cotton isn't being grown as a food and therefore isn't subject to the stricter rules for pesticides use with food crops, that cotton seed oil is quite possibly the most high pesticide substance in the human diet.

[@Leslie_ann_h]

My favorite way of recycling pants (leggings, only type of pants that I can wear as I have to use leg braces) is to make a bag out of them. T-shirts get the same treatment (I can only wear cottont-shirtsmade by Hanes w/o tags as I have some bad tactile adversions due to sensory processing disorder stemming from autism spectrum disorder). Although I have also made some underwear too (I had a pair that I created a pattern from when they had too many holes to be useful anymore). I also like to turn clothing with too many holes to wear anymore into reusable tissues/hand towels/face wipes.

[@rebecca6944]

Could you please do unsustainable food? So much almond butter and almond milk in the vegan community and a single almond takes over 4L of water to produce! Seed milks and spreads are a lot more sustainable

[@simones.3811]

Such a great video! Looking forward to a lot of videos of your moving process! Can you make a video about how you're packing and transporting your stuff in a more sustainable manner?

[@marycharlebois6627]

High school sewing teacher and (I am mentioning this next part very modestly)… also blue ribbon winner in a quilting competition… I’m here to say free quilting lessons any time for you my friend. If ever we’re in the same country, we’ll make quilting a thing in your life. It’s a lot of fun and it can be a very practical way to reuse and repurpose fabric. Great video Gittemary… the textiles industry is very wasteful and incredibly polluting. Thanks for this info today. 🌎💦Ⓜ️ary🌸

[@Gittemary]

That’s amazing Mary, so cool! 😍✨💪

[@almamater489]

Videos like this should get more views

[@laurensova05]

I've learned so much from you! I really appreciate when you take your time to educate on things like this.

[@Gittemary]

Thank you so much for the support ☺️

[@JayJJay185]

Appreciate your pragmatic attitude towards leather as a vegan. I'm no longer vegan, but was for a long time, and still like to minimise harm as much as possible.

[@maaike100029]

I would love a video about hello fresh and your opinion about it, i think they make so many weird claimes, i think its all greenwashing.

[@annalena3065]

Thank you for those great, highly informative videos. ❤️

[@andreapaolabaezpaz9733]

I enjoyed this video a lot 😊, a lot of information provided!!! Will you please make a video about sustainable options to textiles? (Because I found out the things I produce for a living/earn my life, include textiles, dyers ans so... And has been quite discouraging 🙁, considering I must go on working. Besides, I live in an "undeveloped" country as Argentina is considered but I still worry about our environment) . Thanks a l lot for all your work! I enjoy every single video of yours 😊❤️

[@Gittemary]

I already have the “most sustainable textiles video” the link is in the description ☺️

[@andreapaolabaezpaz9733]

@@Gittemary thank you so much!!!!!!!!! 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗❤️

[@anng.r.687]

Hey…i’m the first to post! Thank you for your message and mission to help us be more sustainable. 👍

[@Gittemary]

Thank you for being so fast! 😎

[@pv9415]

leather is also very easy to repair and dye even at home! there are leather soaps for when it gets dirty, leather paints to freshen it up, the wrinkles can be ironed and holes can be patched up quite well 😊 personally I think leather is a great material for shoes, compared to alternatives it lasts A LOT longer. but of course second hand is always better 😌

[@juliekantorova9748]

Great, informated video! 💅🌱

[@Gittemary]

Thank you ✨

[@lamargot2201]

What do you think about painting metal products to renew their life? Such as metal patio furniture, or small metal househould goods such as jar lids or wastepaper baskets. Is the harm from all that oil-based paint and paint thinner and water waste from the clean-up really worth it?

[@Gittemary]

The impact of that paint is tiny and probably worth it compared to the benefits ☺️

[@lamargot2201]

@@Gittemary Thank you, this is something I've wondered about for a long time. I'll continue on with my painting!

[@emilymarriott5927]

Would you have any suggestions for more sustainable clothing brands?

[@Gittemary]

I have a whole list on Gittemary.com - just search for “eco brands I stand by” ☺️

[@greenknitter]

Do you have a video about leather alternatives and how products from them are made? I'm not vegan but would prefer to buy vegan leather shoes if they were locally available, durable and made from non petroleum based biodegradable materials.

[@flolinserubchen1079]

Great video, thank you so much! Is there already a video about the most sustainable fabrics on your channel? 🤍

[@Gittemary]

Yes, and there is a link to it in the description ☺️🌿

[@flolinserubchen1079]

@@Gittemary thank you, I over looked it completely 🙈

[@handanyldzhan9232]

There's also a new tanning technology that uses zeolite instead of chromium or tannins.

[@janetstonerook4552]

This is very depressing. It's makes me feel helpless and wasteful despite my best efforts at conserving and frugality.

[@Gittemary]

Watch my video about the most sustainable textiles as a pick-me-up 😎

[@crychan]

It’s okay! Knowledge is power, but it can also be a burden. Take time to accept that you have done the best with the knowledge that you had. We are lifelong learners. 💓

[@maevebarnum9439]

Anyone have a link to the bag to wash plastic materials in?

[@Gittemary]

You can find all the info in my zero waste laundry guide ☺️✨

[@neurolotte2406]

I'm all for using second hand leather too, and I really wish that, instead of continuing to produce it and maybe making the production process better, more "sustainable", they would just stop it altogether. I mean, we already have plenty of perfectly good leather items in circulation and new vegan leather options come up all the time... so why do we keep producing new animal leather? Even if it is a byproduct of the meat industry, as Gittemary says there are massive chemicals involved in tanning... just no, please. Let's learn to give value and use and love what is already there, preloved and waiting for us to find it in thrift shops, markets...

[@Gittemary]

Preach ❤️

[@rachelbarnett6890]

MOST sustainable fabrics, PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!

[@nada13_08]

I think it is misleading to call 2nd hand leather (or really any unsustainable used materials) sustainable, as it relies entirely on 1st hand leather production to be available at all. If leather production ceased entirely (which is the goal) the 2nd hand leather products would dwindle to nothing overtime. If you want to call it less unethical than buying new leather, or less wasteful, I totally agree. But sustainable, by definition, means able to be sustained at a certain rate or level/being able to continue at that same rate overtime. If unsustainable products must be produced at the same rate to maintain an equal rate of 2nd hand products, by definition, it is unsustainable. Not saying that you need to throw out all the leather you currently own, but even by buying 2nd hand contributes to the production of 1st hand leather. They have done studies that show that a demand for 2nd hand leather directly contributes to the demand for new leather. Essentially, if you are the kind to resell your clothes, knowing you can get a better price for your used leather, due to the increased demand for it, makes you more likely to purchase more new leather in the future. It also contributes to the harmful belief that it is okay to use someone else's body as a product, so long as someone else started it. I would never want to wear the flesh of my fellow brethren, even if it was the skin of a consenting person who wanted me to wear them after they died. So the idea of walking around flaunting the flesh of a creature who was forced to die for it to exist in the first place... Yeah, no thank you.

[@yupp5125]

Just looked up the Aral Sea. That's so fking sad.... humans are just wonderful to our beautiful mother nature, aren't they🙄

[@Gittemary]

🥲🥲🥲

[@shaunaburton7136]

Fast fashion is gross

[@punjabseth260]

hola guapa

[@catharina2022]

Be critical on how vegan products are made! It is not all good.😢