Small Steps to Less Waste

Description

What are the tipping points that encourage people to make significant changes to their behaviour? This inspiring book includes ten stories of personal enlightenment and the practical changes they made. Offering simple alternatives to mass-produced, shop-bought, highly packaged goods, the book demonstrates how people of all ages can develop the skills and courage to make, create and look after what they have, rather than throw away and buy new.

Each chapter shows the reader how to make something, with recipes and methods, introducing ideas for making things you may never have thought of making before (such as toothpaste).
The book also includes tips on how to change our behaviour; saving money; how to cut waste and reduce consumption; Tips on how to ‘repair, reuse, recycle’ and why and an inspirational foreword by Hugo Tagholm, CEO of Surfers Against Sewage.

‘An inspiring read and pragmatic call to arms to help us all reduce the plastic in our lives.’—Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, 2021

‘This practical and inspiring book draws together the stories of ordinary people who decided to “be the change”, and who will be your guides into a more sustainable way of living. The main takeaway from this book? That all of these changes, rather than diminishing us, actually make our lives fuller, richer, better connected and more purposeful. Wave farewell to plastic and discover a world of ingenuity and creativity!’—Rob Hopkins, founder of the Transition movement and author of ‘From What Is to What If’.

All royalties for this book will go to Stroud District Action on Plastic, part of Transition Stroud, which is actively working together with the Town and District council to reduce single-use plastic. The fund will be used to support outreach by contributors and others to run workshops, attend conferences and spread the word.

Quickthorn worked in collaboration with the University of Gloucestershire photography department, featuring the beach waste photographs of course leader Trudie Ballantyne and other images by student Amy Harvey.

• Claudi’s plastic free year – Claudi Williams lived without plastic for a whole year; how and what prompted her to make that change
• The Truth about Waste – by Dr Simon Pickering, Green Councillor and ecologist – on why recycling isn’t the whole answer
• Protect the Earth – by Anita van Rossum – The Earth Protector movement and Ecocide
• Plastic Free Stories – from eleven other Stroud residents who have made small changes to their lives in response to the climate crisis
• Step-by-step projects – Make your own: food wraps, sanitary towels, toothpaste, cleansing pads, household cleaning alternatives, clothes and repairs.