Going Zero: One Family's Journey to Zero Waste and a Greener Lifestyle

Kate Hughes and her family decided to make a break with the throwaway society and transformed their lives by ditching plastic, shunning supermarkets, cooking all meals from scratch, buying only second-hand clothes, and making their cleaning agents. They have achieved the 'zero waste goal of sending nothing to landfill and are now going even further. This eye-opening story shows that a well-lived life doesn't have to come wrapped in plastic, and provides handy tips on how readers can empower themselves to preserve the climate, forests, and seas. It also reveals how that can lead to a more relaxing life.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 223 pages
Publication date: 31 March 2022
Publisher: Canbury Press

When Kate Hughes' beanbag sent thousands of polystyrene balls flying through her garden, she decided to make a break with the throwaway society. She and her husband transformed the lives of their ordinary family of four, ditching plastic, shunning supermarkets, cooking all meals from scratch, buying only second-hand clothes, and making their own cleaning agents. They then went deeper, greening every aspect of their home life, from their gas and electricity to their car, from their money to their IT. The Hugheses have achieved the 'zero waste goal of sending nothing to landfill. Now they are going even further.

Told with refreshing humility and humor, this eye-opening story shows that a well-lived life doesn't have to come wrapped in plastic. Packed with handy tips, it reveals much about what makes a fulfilling modern family and how readers can empower themselves to preserve the climate, forests, and seas. And, heart-warmingly, how that can lead to a more relaxing life.

Cooking our own meals has had other, unexpected benefits, too. It is undoubtedly cheaper to cook from scratch, especially if you can batch cook and fill every available space in your oven to reduce energy costs. The need to become the more organized, list-writing type of shoppers has also helped dramatically cut our food waste. We are lucky that we can and do buy our raw ingredients from small, independent retailers that source from nearby suppliers and growers and pass on our questions about sustainability, sometimes even with enthusiasm.

But what we hadn't anticipated were the indirect effects of a brand vacuum. If you ever pop round to ours and start randomly opening our kitchen cupboards, you will find that we have a lot of empty containers. We try to reuse them as much as possible, but sometimes it just isn't practical. We have also started to compost our food waste, which has helped reduce our overall waste production.

We have also started to buy more organic produce, which is not only better for our health but also better for the environment. We try to buy locally grown produce whenever possible, as it not only supports local businesses but also reduces the carbon footprint of transportation.

We have also started to reduce our use of single-use plastics, such as plastic bags, straws, and disposable cups. We use reusable bags, straws, and cups instead, and we also bring our own reusable water bottles with us when we go out.

We have also started to reduce our energy consumption by turning off lights and appliances when we are not using them and by using energy-efficient light bulbs and appliances. We have also installed solar panels on our roof to generate our own electricity, which has helped reduce our energy bills.

We have also started to invest in sustainable investments, such as renewable energy stocks and green bonds. We believe that investing in sustainable businesses and projects is not only good for the environment but also good for our financial future.

We have also started to volunteer for environmental organizations and to participate in community events that promote sustainability. We believe that every small step we take can make a difference in the fight against climate change.

In conclusion, we have made a lot of changes in our lives to reduce our environmental impact and to live a more sustainable lifestyle. We have learned that it is not only possible to live a well-lived life without plastic, but that it is also good for our health, our finances, and the environment. We hope that our story will inspire others to make similar changes in their lives and to help fight against climate change.

Dimension: 198 x 129 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781912454693