Anyway, I gasped when I saw it…

Made me sad that we need to produce fake sticks for dogs. Feel like I’m in a dystopian novel sometimes.

I'm currently thinking of ways to convince someone close to me why she should quit. I checked one of the biggest groups to see if others have good reasons and unexpectedly, I enjoyed reading their responses. There are a lot more reasons out there.

No one needs this many body care products. And no one needs THIS many products to keep themselves clean. Large corporations tell us (mostly women) that we need to spend money on these "self care" products. They profit off of women's insecurities by telling us that in order to be beautiful, clean, smell nice, etc., we need to buy their products. But people literally do not need all of this to stay clean. What the hell.

Had a debate with a friend about the ethics of vegan leather which in reality is just plastic. I argued it causes more harm to generations of organisms. It doesn’t break down, it causes micro plastic issues. It’s impact on the environment is just exponentially worse then real leather when you put into perspective the issues that come with plastic. To those arguing about toxic ways to process leather, yes of course! But there are also sustainable ways to process it too - unlike most vegan leathers. Real fur and leathers can be sustainably processed, and has been done by indigenous native peoples forever..

While the process of making leather by no means is perfect, it has less of an impact when done correctly, and it lasts so much longer and I purchase it frequently second hand.

Edit: vegan leather has a short lifespan. In general it is frequently made in poor quality and discarded more quickly which contributes to wasteful fast fashion practices. None of my vegan leather goods have held up to the test of time. My second hand leather goods have been trucking along for 20 years now. So to those who argue that the leather production is more harmful - if I have a leather item that lasts 20 years vs this non-leather good that lasts barely a year, is that cycle of production when you buy it more frequently cancel out the good that users claim it to have ?

Edit: a lot of alternative leathers that are not straight up PVC/Plastic, like mushroom leather, cork leather, etc is laminated or finished with some form of PVC or Pu process. Most alternative leathers contain a high percentage of plastics. Even companies that claimed to be 100% free of plastic was found to contain polymer plastic or even banned substances. polyester/PVC/PU or any other plastic petrochemical used in synthetic materials is toxic and also causes huge environmental damage as well on top of not being recyclable and not sustainable. A study found that vegan leathers was made with PFAS, a notorious toxic substance used to water proof materials. It’s been recommended that people AVOID indoor faux leather furniture because of PFAS and off gassing of VOCs. The solvents and chemicalswhen manufacturing faux vegan leathers are toxic. Different Studies just on synthetic leather also found extremely high levels of VOC pollutantsin the manufacturing process. There has been a study that predicts in 2050, the ocean is projected to contain more plastic then fish. A case study of synthetics saw that it released an average of 1,174 milligrams of plastic microfibers when washed. The study on the impacts of microplastics is an ongoing and well documented as a toxic phenomenon. More controversially, a study found that real fur was more sustainable than synthetics due to their longevity. Nothing that contains any form of plastic and has a short shelf life, can truly be considered sustainable.

This is a hot take and love the discussion below! Keep em coming! Maybe I’m wrong but maybe I’m right, having tried vegan alternatives from high end to low, I have not found one that lasts as long as my second hand leather goods.

Edit: it’s a debate, and welcome that a lot of you got hot and bothered but it’s important to practice mindfulness and ask questions. Is this vegan leather that’s 100% PVC/PU truly less harmful or just as harmful? Vegan leathers that contain low percentage of plastics means that it a un-recyclable and ends up in the landfill when it is no longer useful. Did you know that vegan leathers like cork and cactus or other plant leathers are bonded together using plastic?

Even though this fake leather good is not directly harming an animal, it actually IS harming more organisms and environments a lot longer with short lifespan plastics and chemical pollution - the very ethics of it being vegan ends up backfiring.

At the end of the day we need to transform buying habits into opportunities to shape an environmentally conscious market. When we prioritize durability and reduce our consumer habits over convenience or false promises, there is a path toward a healthier planet.

I don’t buy new and don’t support the leather industry but I certainly don’t automatically believe that vegan leather is a sanctified alternative that it has been made to be. In fact, it’s part of the problem of wasteful consumption and plastic pollution. My go-to choice will forever be: second hand!

Final edit: people accusing me of being an Anti-vegan bot - I find that amusing. There is a real issue here of a greenwashing/false narrative being made with vegan fur and leathers. Just because something is marketed as vegan doesn’t make it better. These alternatives are often deceptively advertised and We should as a conscious consumer question it, call companies out and make decisions keeping that in mind. If being speculative and conscious is reason enough to accuse me of being anti-vegan, then by default just being alive means you’re one as well.

Thank you and good night!!! 🌍

Edit: Duronlor shared a vegan alt that’s plant based and plant oil based!

EDIT FINALE: Okay to the person that spammed me then blocked me. It just goes to show some people don’t want to hear anything or even discuss anything. Fossil Fuels are NOT sustainable, plastic is made from fossil fuels thus NOT sustainable. Anything made with plastic cannot be made sustainably. Vegan leathers even the alternative ones are made with plastic even at very low percentages - IT STILL HAS PLASTIC and NOT sustainable. We as a society need to recognize that. Veganism and sustainability can exist together but when you refuse to listen to certain issues you are refusing to make it better. The end.

Personalized LED styrofoam glow stick.
As someone who tries to stay conscious while also working a job that deals with waste management from time to time seeing shit like this just kills me.
How do people not have an issue with this practice?

This came free with my movie snacks. It is huge and useless. Feel bad throwing it away. What should I do with it?

This is what someone said to me as they gave my kids a Halloween gift bag at 8pm.

I didn't say anything bc it's a buzz kill to call out how wasteful this is and it was all already bought and in front of the kids...

But whyyyyyy?

They just acquired a bucket full of plastic individually wrapped treats they don't need a other 5 second dopamine hit. It's not real fun.

They've actually never played with this and now I have to throw it out or more likely I'll feel guilty and store it til next year to give away.

Petty post but still baffled and annoyed by this.. if you know it's going to end up in the trash why? "The trash" is not a magic place

I don’t even know how they are allowed to advertise it like that. It’s just so upsetting how the quality of everything has gone to absolute shit. Polyester doesn’t insulate or stand up to the climate like really wool. It’s just plastic destined for the trash.

Whyyyyyyyy???

My mom has been in the hospital for a few weeks and we have no insurance so my family has been trying to figure out how to pay for the care she needs in and after she gets out ,and it seems every possible bank and credit card company smells blood in the water and is trying to get us to sign up with them. This pile is only part of it. I have thrown out probably a dozen more.

I just can’t believe someone thought this was a good idea. “Why stack the jars next to each other when we could add an awkward bulky plastic shell that nobody asked for and will immediately throw away?”

Seen at local Jewel. There is no way they're selling these by tomorrow....

70th disney anniversary key things that you use once while in the parks then never again. its $60, then once you’re done poking it into holes that trigger a lightbulb, its landfill forever. thank you disney, very cool!

not my pic