Fantasy self is a huge wake up call for ANYONE (ecominimalist or not)!! I always describe it by using the examples of holding on to the clothes that you'll fit into **once** you lose the ____ x amount of pounds. Or the crafts/ scrapbooking/ DIY materials you collect & hold on to for when you get the **time** to do all those Pinterest diys and make that scrapbook you've been talking about for 5 years (aka me) 🥴

0:04 seconds in and I want to say I love "these are some things I no longer do _thanks to_ sustainability." Sustainable lifestyles shouldn't be framed as a burden! Alternatives and mindset changes *allow us* to shed unsustainable practices in our lives. Small word choice but I love it.

My mom runs a school and a pretty large fast fashion brand donate part of their stock of returned items. And let me tell you, it was boxes and boxes and BOXES of stuff. Stuff with minor defects, broken stuff, clearly used stuff (who does that, disgusting) and stuff they never managed to sell. I got a lot of free clothes that way, because it was so much that they allowed the students, staff and families to pick whatever they wanted. This was 7 years ago, and the school still has a shit ton of boxes in the storage. Now multiply all of that by all the shops in the world and think that instead of donating, it all goes to the landfill. What a bloody neightmare...

The “fantasy self” thing is like a huge part of having ADHD 😂 I try to buy everything I can secondhand on Depop so whenever I do latch onto a new hobby/interest at least I’m not buying new!

The fact that people even have lawns here in vegas where we are literally in a drought is BEYOND ME! we're renting so we can't rip out our tiny patch and our HOA makes us keep it green and I literally let it go TWO DAYS and it died. Grass should be banned in areas where it is non-native IMO

Yes, I agree with thinking about the entire supply chain, it allows people to think about the global economy, where countries in the Global South are paying for the environmental costs of consumption. Here in Colombia communities are paying the costs of exporting oil, coffee, coal, palm oil and cocaine... who is consuming these things? Plastic is not the only problem.

A drying rack can be used in doors. We use one for items that we don’t want in the dryer.

Organizing the fridge/freezer/pantry so things don't go to waste has been a game changer for me. We are a five person household and can't afford to waste single thing since we are a single person income family due to the need to homeschool my three boys.

Combining all my food allergies with wanting to reduce my carbon footprint has been so difficult and stressful. If i also need to consider the entire production process for every food item i need to buy i will probably need to live in the grocery store 🤣. I totally think we should consider it, but realistically it will be very hard for many people.

Where I live there are so many people who've clearly said "f*ck lawns, I want flowers (and vegetables)" - and a lot of the time, the flowers are part of a pollinator garden! Right now the goldenrod and lavender are in bloom, and I don't think I've ever seen clusters of those without at least a few bees, if not dozens, when I looked. And sometimes butterflies too, especially since it's currently monarch season and they're everywhere

Yaaaaaaay !! So happy to see your take on this ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

The returns thing probably depends on where you live. I used to work at a highstreet clothing store in Germany and everything that was returned was put back on the racks. And stores here have a pretty strict return policy. I've seen beauty influencers from the US try makeup and then return it because they're not 100% impressed. That doesn't work here. If it's not faulty, you can't return it just because you don't like it. I still don't think you should buy stuff without trying it on because you can return it latet, but honestly, going shopping with a toddler is damn near impossible, so that's pretty much all I do. And there are probably a lot of other valid reasons why people do it. Trying it on with other things from your wardrobe to make sure you'll actually wear it, for example. Still, obviously it's important to buy only what you really need and to not be too lazy to actually return stuff in time if you don't want it.

I LOVE the "shift" towards considering all other aspects of a product than just the waste! I also realized how important it is to concentrate more on writing to politicians and companies rather than trying to change closest people around me ☺️

I used to work for Duluth Trading Company. They're famous for over-engineered work wear and underwear. Not only are they greenwashing with their new line of underwear buuuuut the managers destroy products before they go to the dumpster.

I love the tips to “focus on the things I can change” (instead of everything else!!) & to stop trying to feed my fantasy self!!

Love your never judgemental take on things. I have let go of my eco anxiety by doing exactly as you said, focussing on things I can control! We have a federal election coming up this month here, in Canada, and I’m doing a lot more research on my local candidates.

I’ve actually never heard of the fantasy self concept but I definitely do it to myself and need to stop. Thank you for bringing that up!

It is so weird to think of people washing things after one wear, I have never done this and never knew other people didn't! The only exception is socks, undies and work out gear. Everything else gets put to one side or draped over a chair to wear again.

I managed to convert my spouse and mother to klean kanteen just by having one - living by example works great sometimes! Now they’re no longer using SO MANY take out cups and also spouse is happy that he gets to carry a litre of tea around at work 😂

You said you were able to stop junk mail? How do you get them to stop that?

The Ted Lasso clip was spot on!! I’ve discovered I only like 2 types of tea: iced tea/ sweet tea and Aveda comforting tea. Coffee is my jam. Also, yes I would love to keep deep diving into the systemic problems, instead of focusing solely on packaging. This is a very nuanced issue and to pretend we can fix it by just focusing on packaging isn’t helpful.

I need about on how you take care of white clothing! I stopped buying white clothes bc I always ruin them so quickly and end up having to wash them after every use

from the Philippines! hello! you have been a great influence on how I live now.. @53, there is hope for an eco-sensitive change! 😊

Me using expired makeup because I don't want to waste it. I literally use the same pallet for years until I hit the bottom. I don't know why they say it's only good for 1 yr. It's so wasteful!

In my geography class I was told that loose vegetables actually produce way more waste than packaged ones because they are packaged in more plastic for shipping

This is the first time I heard about 'Fantasy Self' and is mind opening 🤯 also as I'm close to graduate from university as a graphic designer I'm thinking to specialized on packaging and sustainability bc it's not been talk enough in my school or city so even though I personally like to focus on the greater carbon footprint of products I think it's a start for other ppl to care and reflect on what they're buying

I'd love more in depth videos that look beyond the packaging, that's always interesting and helpful

I am retired and cooking at home practically all of the time. So I can clearly see how much trash I still produce. I have it down to a very small trash bag per week. After reducing, recycling, composting and using paper scraps to light camping fires etc, that is about my limit. (Now I am focusing on simply shopping and buying much less.) I agree that shaming folks is not the way to approach this topic. We humans all produce waste.

Hey Shelby! I love how nuanced you are with this video, like with the hair drying thing. Also, I wanted to tell you that at my college, I saw a built-in board about an environmental protection club, and in the blurbs about the different officers someone quoted your " you can not do all the good that the world needs but.the world needs all the good you can do" I just thought that was really neat.

That pesky fantasy self is always trying to get me to buy useless items! I’m so glad you called that out. Great tips!

I’m always in shock when I heard that some people in the us throw everything in the same bin. In Italy this unfortunately still happen in public places like some parks , some avenue, some squares but at home is not allowed . we have to use clear bag so the sanity workers that comes to your home to pick up trash can see what’s inside and if they are not properly separated they don’t take them

I am definitely interested in more videos on the full cycle of a product's life--it's something that's been in the back of my mind for a while and would love to see you discuss it further. Also the commentary on letting go of the "fantasy self" is so true and yet so HARD for me lol. Between clothes I never wear, craft projects I never finish, and books I never read that one is the biggest challenges for me in trying to consume less. I think part of it is the push for ~aesthetics~ these days which, I enjoy pretty or interesting things to look at as much as the next person, but there is a consumerism that comes along with it that's...not great.

Our apartment is the same, €200 fine for drying clothes on your balcony! Luckily we have plenty of space to hang dry clothes in the living room but for bed sheets the dryer is the only real option

Just wanted to say as someone new to eco minimalism I love your videos and relate to you so much. I also used to be a hyper consumer and was so similar to you in HS. I’ve since started to do better! I love the idea of focusing on the whole supply chain versus only packaging although packaging is a great place to start. As someone who studied and works in supply chain, it is extremely important to focus on because it has such a huge impact on the environment

my apartment only has a washing machine, not a dryer and at first I hated it, but now I'm so used to it and my clothing really does stay nicer. A few times a year I'll dry my towels, fuzzy blankets, etc at a laundromat just to de-fuzz everything a bit better.

Ready for the deep dive into sustainability!

I like to appreciate how I do things differently now vs in the past. Recently I started selling stuff and offering things in my local no buy group that past me would have dropped off at goodwill or trashed. This way I know each item is going to someone who really wants it. Also as an exclusive pumping mama I've been able to resell things I bought to help me pump but didn't work out great for me to other moms at a greatly discounted price. I just recently sold my Baby Buddha pump for $150 that I literally only used 5 times but my body didn't respond to that pump well. I didn't even use the bottles or flanges bc I hacked it with my current pump parts.

You do have wisdom! Thanks for your great ideas by bringing awareness without judging or mandating how others live. I appreciate that.

I'm thinking about how much of these things have changed for me too, and a lot of them changed thanks to you and your videos! I am so grateful 💜

It's so great to see your upload ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Hope you're doing great Shelby 😘

Love this video! I have not missed a single one since I subscribed because I enjoy the way you frame eco-minimalism. I am still in the maximum eco-anxiety phase and at the beginning of my environmental journey. I love the idea of focusing on doing the maximum you can do with your voice and your reach but without carrying the burden of changing the whole system on your own. I hope to get to that point!

Shelbi, our badass environmental goddess! I love the point about not buying things for your fantasy self. Wasn't able to put words on it, but I've been working on that one!

I had no idea about the clothes returns!!! That’s so upsetting

I've also realised how important it is to look at where and how a product is created and sourced and I'm always interested in more information about it! There's so much more to it than the packaging. Thank you for highlighting this :)

Thank you as always for your honesty and encouragement with this video. ♥️🌟☀️ I think many others will relate very much! We will just continue to do our best and be our REAL selves. 👏🏽🐕👏🏽

Thanks for the video Shelb!

Hi I just discovered your channel! I’m loving your approach to sustainable living, I find your humor refreshing looking forward to my own progress not perfection journey.

I really appreciate your videos that talk about how products are created and sourced, not just focusing on the impact of packaging, as you've really helped me change my whole view of sustainability.

Thank you for this video! It gave me so much. I'm always trying to change my own ways of living, and I'm doing a lot better than I used to. You inspire me to keep on going, even when the world around me doesn't seems to give a crap. Thank you 🧡🌱

Always love your videos. Glad you are taking more time for yourself. ♥️♥️♥️

I love the non shaming attitude! Totally wise :) plus, it blocks people from actually getting curious about this stuff!

I have 5 different bins for rubbish, but I still have to pick out things other family members have put into the wrong one. The Fantasy self is such a great concept and has really helped my hubby have a big breakthrough in regard to all his STUFF !! We are moving into an apartment where we aren't allowed to put washing on the balcony. And in Australia we mostly hang dry clothing outside. I just plan to put a drying rack near the outside doors or like you have, in the laundry.

Best line ever..."If that grass dies because I don't water it, I don't give a ****." ~seriously~

Thank you !! Great ideas I'm starting to do 😀

Yessssss I want to hear about supply chain! I know very little about this and would love to learn more. Thank you for talking about it.

I love this video. I completely agree that no one ever has their opinion changed by being guilted. I love your hang dry method. I have a family of 6, so I just don’t have the time to hang dry that much stuff, but maybe in the future I can utilize that more.

LETS DIVE IN. ITS ALWAYS DEEPER

What a great video! Here's my 5 cents. On dryers: for those with animals at home, providing you are able to air-dry your clothes (you have the room and no stupid rules): what we do is we air-dry clothes to a point when they are nearly (or even completely) dry, and then we put them in the dryer and run for a few minutes without heat, just to fluff them up and get rid of pet hair or whatever else - works great most of the time and saves the energy too. On shaming: all it does is just makes people mad. I found that you are more likely to succeed in getting someone to follow you just by doing your part, then something will rub off on somebody. People may get curious and start asking you questions about a product you're using or whatever, then you tell them about it in a friendly manner. Example: my husband gets asked about our electric car quite often, so he happily shares our experiences about how much we enjoy it in terms of convenience, cost, and how cool and powerful it is, without really going into the whole environmental thing if he doesn't know the person he is talking to very well (the bit about the environment tends to turn off climate skeptics). Or, you can volunteer relevant info during a casual conversation: for example, if someone's talking about laundry detergents, you can say that you are using laundry sheets (as a matter of fact, that's what we are really using) instead of liquid detergents: they work great and at the same time you don't have to haul those heavy things of liquid around, save space in your recycling bin - things like that. On climate anxiety: it is good to remember that even though it feels like what you do as an individual is one tiny drop of everything that needs to be done, think that a bucket of water consists of multiple individual drops. You do something, someone else does something, and so on - next thing you know is you got a whole bucket! So yes, individual actions make a difference, however pressing companies and legislators into action should be a high priority since they have the biggest impact.

I think you are living a dream right now! you help people in the long term and short term and get to show your true beautiful self in every video.

Hi Shelbi! Loved the video ❤️ Although I don’t wear a whole lot of makeup the resources used creating it was just recently brought to my attention. Being a fair skinned girly girl I will never want to be without a little blush and would love to see future videos talking about sustainable makeup. Hope you have a great weekend!

YAHS!!!!! I am newer to the more sustainable life. Luckily I stumbled on your channel from the get-go and saw a video about the totality of the product, not just packaging or end product. This is also an argument I have gotten in with soooo many people that it's not a valid view. Keep it going......I love the acceptance to have various views or beliefs.

I’m starting to consider the whole picture as to what the best choices are for our family regarding the environment. It’s been very helpful that you pointed out we don’t all have access to bulk or unpackaged items…. Or to the same resources

Community rules prevent hanging of laundry outdoors. Indoors is no problem in the winter, but it's too humid in the summer. My solution is to let clothes air dry overnight, which cuts dryer time in half. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

I'm ready to dive in. I love the grey areas of systems and addressing problems. Nothing is black & white. Part of having a robust understanding of an issue is seeing and struggling with those grey areas.

By the way I do not think you talk too much. You're so engaging and the extra commentary really hooks me into your videos and ideas and makes me excited to try the things you suggest

I have a foldable drying rack in my apartment that I put in the tub and it's very useful

Thank you so much! :) great video!!

I love your intro rambling :p I only do laundry like once a month, and even then it's mostly just underwear and then the things that are actually dirty/smelly

Oh man, my fantasy self is all over the place, and even my husband has to remind me to ground myself. As for your question, please keep deep diving! There are so many videos & channels on baby steps already. You've been the one to really open up so many minds on the full life cycle of things, & it's amazing. The ability for you to break things down is super helpful, and also really gives everyone more goals or options to do or at least think about. I saw her video too! Immy's content is also great! I love how so many of you talk about & to each other! Shows us all that we have a family!

I’ve been watching your channel for years and this is the autism/adhd becoming more genuine video I’ve always needed :D

I love your videos. I always learn so much. I never think about the email receipt option. I am going to use that one because I usually don't need a receipt anyway.

Thanks for the awesome content as always!

Old coffee grind mixed with some rain water makes a decent lawn and garden fertilizer. We have used that for years with no issue and the property looks better than it ever did.

Love this! Please make a whole video on your fantasy self! I know so many people that try to live in a fantasy/sustainably trendy life

I’m here for the shift towards the entire supply chain rather than the physical packaging. Yes, I go for recycled/minimal/recyclable packaging wherever possible, but I care far more about the impact that product has on existing humans and animals along the supply chain than the possible breakdown of plastic from 450 years from now.

I like the term, fantasy self. I will use that a lot.

Not following trends, that is good one since trends usually means buying new things

Living in the country with a huge yard, I've never thought of watering it! Too much time, money and a waste

Love focusing on entire supply chain❤️❤️❤️

I always learn new things from you!

Yes whole supply chain! I love all of your videos and can't wait to watch them each week :)

Hey, no I love your move towards talking about the whole supply chain and not only the packaging, give me more of it ! hehe

Talk about the full circle of life a product has. Luv u and madison.luv karyann

I love your videos! I would love to see tips on how to figure out whether a brand is really ethical (transparency, carbon footprint,etc)

Yesss at #7. There are many steps before products get to us which generate waste throughout the manufacturing process/supply chain. And I think the awareness that people are having now, changing their consumer habits and demanding for sustainable products are starting to drive the system into a circular economy. Hoping there would also be more awareness to these manufacturing processes so we as consumers would demand more from companies and legislators for greener processes and policies. 🌏🌍🌎

I love Immy!!!!!! I found you from her! You are both so wonderful!

THIS!! 13:42 Moving your money is a simple decision that makes a HUGE impact collectively. As big bank clients, we don't get any say in what predatory lending practices or shady corporations our accounts actually fund. Credit unions are FDIC insured, offer better rates, and are a powerfully positive presence in our communities. I love my credit union! Never have to deal with stupid fees and horrible customer service again!!!!!

Yes! going more in to the grey area of sustainability!

I would like to see more videos about start to finish of packaging and the resources used. Your videos about this topic have triggered more thoughts and made me think about things more. Love the grass and lawn comment🌷😏😂

We have to water our grass because of our property management 😔. We do it as little as we can get away with - the horrible drought here in Oregon is making it harder.

I love books and tea (and coffee). Books are a big part of my life. I often walk and read (like Belle lol), though only in my own space. I currently work in retail, and the amount of stuff that gets thrown away is sickening. I remember all the unsold Christmas decor that was just thrown out.

It baffles me that people buy things with the intention of returning them! I did that for the first time ever this week, because GoodWill doesn't have dressing rooms anymore. It killed me inside a little bit to do it. I had to spend the money and now I have to plan to go back there for the dress that didn't fit.

My mum actually only started drying clothes and sheets a couple of years ago because it helps get rid of the excessive cat hair (we’re both allergic to cats but have 3 rescues) and it’s done wonders for our health even tho I know it’s not particularly good for the environment. I’d often line dry most of my clothes until they were almost ready and then put them in the dryer for a short cycle, which she started doing to save $$ on gas. The thing I relate to a lot is no longer shaming people for not doing “enough”… people have different priorities when it comes to their lives. When you’re first getting into learning more about sustainability, it can be really overwhelming to suddenly start noticing all the little things everyone could be doing differently but tbh it’s truly something most people can only do in their own journey and time - a lot of people just have too much going on with life/work to spend hours trying to find solutions if more eco friendly resources aren’t available to them, especially if there’s no legislation in place to help with that. In Mexico City, where I’m from, the government introduced a scheme to separate recycling from general waste but because it’s not properly enforced, most people don’t give a f and still mix everything. The building I used to live in did try to enforce it, and people do separate at least the most obvious of recyclable items, so that’s been a step forward. The next one would be compost but tbf pests are a real concern there and I respect that the neighbours weren’t quite ready to take that step yet. I’ve lived an accidentally extra minimalist lifestyle since I got stuck abroad due to covid last year - living off a week’s worth of clothes and whatever personal belongings I brought with me for that time in my one suitcase. It’s really changed my perspective about what I actually *need* to live and feel comfortable.

I really enjoy learning more about the bigger picture!! Bring it! Also kudos for you that you can re-wear your white clothes multiple times!!!! I’m way too much of a slob for that! 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂

I definitely started with reducing the plastic packaging I was buying. I do think this is a good first step but now I think about the whole life cycle. I would love a video about this. Maybe how to look into a products life cycle.

Dive into the supply chain, good to see the whole impact of the products 🙌

Has anyone worked with their landlord or community management to increase green practices? I feel like I've moved back to the 1950s in my current home. "Perfect" lawns, no composting, no hanging laundry, yards filled with invasive exotic plants, no sharing of equipment, ugh!

I personally am new to going lower waste, but I’ve gone as deep as I can when looking into finding a product I need. I look at the company (sister & parent companies as well), their transparency on their page (not just a “we’re doing our best!” section), their credentials (B Corp, 1%,etc). I want to know that lowering waste, carbon emissions, companies holding themselves accountable is important to the companies I purchase from. Otherwise, I’m trying not to support companies because that’s not zero waste.

I wish I had more energy to devote to looking into sustainability of a product. As it is, I'm excited to finally get back to shopping at my preferred store now that I'm getting some of my energy back (long haul covid sucks, but I'm starting to get back to halfway to my old self), where everything in the store was landfill bound. It used to make up close to 80% of the food we ate at our house, and has dropped to maybe 5% with the pandemic (no curbside). Now that I can make it through a store, it's back to 15% or so, and I hope it rises. I love your motto, and try to live by it.

Love this video! Especially love the idea of letting go of your "fantasy self". I for one do actually love reading books and tea lol. My fantasy self that I had to let go of: the fact that I don't enjoy working out (in the traditional sense, like lifting weights or running -ew.), I wish I could play the guitar, and also wish that I was great at gardening & loved it, but I don't & I can't keep plants that are outside alive. :[] Learning to let go of those things can be hard. I will try again with the gardening though next year because of sustainability reasons.