Our throwaway society

Raising children to consume wisely, £4.99

"A fresh well of ideas", The Hourglass (Extinction Rebellion)
“A fantastic anthology of ideas to inspire the next generation. I love the range of voices and ideas and the depth and scope of the book”, Saffia Farr, Editor, JUNO magazine

 

Preview book here

Credit: ‘Fast fashion’, Joaquin Temes, www.instagram.com/kidnavajoart

Credit: ‘Fast fashion’, Joaquin Temes, www.instagram.com/kidnavajoart

WHY is this important?

We live in a world of great uncertainty dominated by resource scarcity, a changing climate and gross inequity. As this worsens, so will the conflict. ‘Our throwaway society’ shows parents how to positively re-shape their children’s future by involving them in adopting more responsible lifestyles. This has been two years in the making and I feel passionately about setting ‘planetary boundaries’ that our children understand and can learn to live within.


This ebook is a great antidote to the alarming headlines; it’s full of optimism and solutions, focuses on our agency as individuals and as families, and might well transform your family’s life. Young children are a particularly valuable resource within a family; they have unencumbered imaginations, boundless energy and plenty of hope, all of which needs to be harnessed.

Credit: Gilbert Legrand, gilbert-legrand.com

Credit: Gilbert Legrand,
gilbert-legrand.com

how does it work?

‘Our throwaway society’ is a workbook for parents of children aged 2+ exploring how we can align our actions with our values to challenge the endemic consumerism and ‘culture of convenience’ that is devastating our world.

It covers the dangers of soft plastic toys, why that sequined t-shirt might have been made using child labour, why getting creative with cones, beetroot juice and flour is a political act. It looks at how to navigate the tricky world of packaging, why fewer toys are better for your child, the importance of letting children dress themselves, and the different kinds of activism – craftivism, chalktivism, dressing up in a giant box – which both children and adults can get involved in to influence others. Crucially, it explores how you can talk to your child about the impact of our wasteful ways with fun activities to suit all interests, including burying and burning things, making lotions, potions and mokumentaries, getting wildly creative with cardboard, playing detective, fundraising and learning to be a chief sustainability officer.

Credit: Tracey Williams / Lego Lost At Sea, twitter.com/LegoLostAtSea

Credit: Tracey Williams / Lego Lost At Sea, twitter.com/LegoLostAtSea

i need your help

My primary aim is for parents and anyone else interested in, and/or involved with educating children, to make use of this resource. Please send me your thoughts, stories, achievements and tell me where more help is needed.

Proceeds from the ebook will cover designer fees for updating it in 2021 and 15% of profits will go to relevant charities. Costs to date have been covered by the kind support of 91 backers via Kickstarter. Currently there are no plans to print it. Sign up below for updates on this and future ebooks.