There are two sides to YouTube—the good, and the dark. I like to believe the good side has some incredibly inspirational and useful videos. Some have helped me be more aware of environmental issues. There were also ones that have helped me explore my veganism and learn tons of incredible recipes, as well as helpful tips on how to be zero waste.
5 Surprising ways YouTube has made me more eco-friendly
Lots of channels dedicated to zero waste living
YouTube has been a great resource for learning about how to be zero waste. It’s shown me what I can do help in the fight against plastic, food waste, and other damaging behaviors for this planet. I love reading articles about these kinds of topics too, but there’s something nice about being able to stick a video on in the background and just listening to it while you do something else.
I’ve learned about reusable daily liners for underwear from zero waste YouTubers, and how to shop without always going down the easier route and just buying things in plastic package. All these great YouTube channels I’ve come across have even encouraged me to look into composting my old food and using it to grow new ones in my garden. Now, I’m no green thumb yet, but my garden is certainly looking a lot nicer because of it, and I’ve really been able to keep an eye on how much food I now throw away in my household.
A great channel to check out for this is Madeleine Olivia’s.
Saying no to fast fashion
I used to love watching clothing hauls, seeing what other people bought and why they bought it. But, as time went on my interest in them waned. This was mainly because the sight of overflowing wardrobes was making me anxious. I won’t judge! I love clothes, and I won’t turn my nose up at others if they have a full walk-in wardrobe. YouTube has an abundance of channels about minimalist or capsule wardrobes (even though I don’t follow either, I think they’re great for forming the skeleton on a slightly bigger staple wardrobe). An even more exciting idea I’ve come across though is thrifting and tailoring items for your wardrobe. I’ve definitely been more inspired to break out a sewing machine and go clothes hunting at my local charity shop, and why not? I’ve been surprised in the past by the nice things I’ve found before.
My favorite channel for this was Best Dressed.
Trying eco-friendlier beauty/healthcare routines
My beauty routine doesn’t include make up, it hasn’t for a while. I always keep an eye out for that handy vegan symbol on my products, and try to be au naturale. But while my products are vegan and eco-friendly, their packaging isn’t. I understand buying products in glass bottles can really bump up the price just because of their packaging. But, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t care about what your products are put in. YouTube is a great resource for figuring out how to balance your budget and ethical requirements. (Like these ones here and here.) If you don’t want to spend an arm and a leg on a face cream (fair enough), try and focus on buying products that aren’t tested on animals. Or how about avoiding ones with too many chemicals, and ones that are labelled as definitely recyclable?
Food for thought?
YouTube is one of my go to places for new vegan recipes; as well as tips and tricks on how to make my kitchen low-waste. Not to mention, quite a few videos have really encouraged me to whip up meals with what we already have in the cupboard. Instead of clearing it all out and contributing to the large amount of annual food waste, I was being creative. I’ve come across so many channels dedicated to vegan food only, too! They’ve encouraged me to stick to my vegan diet as much as I can. Plus, they’ve reminded me of all the health and environmental benefits of veganism.
If you’re looking for affordable and tasty vegan food, check out Pick Up Limes.
Community work
The last way YouTube has helped me become more eco-friendly, surprisingly, is through videos I’ve watched about community work. I’ve seen people do beach clean ups, community clean ups, and make charitable donations. I absolutely detest the sight of rubbish out in the environment; if I could, I’d spend hours picking up rubbish just on the way to work. In the near future, I’ll see myself trying to clean up my local community when I can.
I’d actually watched a bunch of these videos, there are so many great channels promoting community work!
Also by Adrianna: Everyone Is Obsessing About Cottagecore. Why This Trend is Here To Stay
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Photo: Alisa Anton via Unsplash
