What do you think?
Rate this book
A Zero Waste Family: In thirty days
Trying to live a zero waste life while simultaneously raising a family can feel almost impossible at times, but Anita Vandyke, bestselling author of A Zero Waste Life, is here to help.A Zero Waste Family is a gentle thirty-day guide highlighting the lessons Anita learned during her first year navigating motherhood, while also studying medicine and still trying to reduce her waste. Here she shares innovative ideas about how families can work together to decrease their household waste and make their lives easier, richer and more purposeful, and less full of clutter and distractions. As parents we are constantly juggling the needs of children, work, chores and money. This book is not designed to add to the guilt that we already feel. It’s about showing how, by applying zero waste and minimalist principles, being an eco-parent doesn’t have to be difficult, and that by making small changes as a family we can make a big difference to our world for our children and future generations.
207 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 2, 2018
65 people are currently reading
1405 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
September 7, 2022
This short, sharp audiobook was only three-hours in length and split into minute-long chapters with easy-to-follow instructions. Each chapter represented a day and this was intended as a programme to be followed over a thirty-day period where small, planet-saving techniques could be implemented.
I listened to the book in just over a week and did not personally find any new minimalist or sustainable strategies, but may be useful to those starting out on their own zero-waste journeys.
I listened to the book in just over a week and did not personally find any new minimalist or sustainable strategies, but may be useful to those starting out on their own zero-waste journeys.
November 17, 2018
A few simple steps for how to start living a more sustainable life, however no ground breaking ideas for those who have already made any effort to reduce their impact. The author also seems to make an assumption that the readers are currently high level consumerists who spend their weekends shopping as their only hobby, and a lot of the advice given unfortunately stems around changing from this kind of lifestyle... which (excuse my ignorance if I'm wrong) is probably not how the majority of people buying this book are currently living. If you are though, this is a great first step at decluttering and finding more sustainable joys in life!
February 19, 2019
author came off as judgemental especially the part about returning to china and how everything had changed in the name of progress. rich coming from someone who used to consume a lot. maybe you should try to stop your first world country from dumping the stuff you got rid off at developing countries.
February 17, 2019
Nothing very ground breaking. It also felt like the author was talking down to me a little with the “simple and easy to understand” steps and changes provided. Apart from a few interesting facts about plastics and fast fashion, this book wasn’t what I was hoping for.
February 4, 2020
Probably a 2.5 rather than a 3 - after reading ‘Waste Not’ by Erin Rhoads, this book (a few helpful tips with a fair bit of judgmentalism) paled in comparison!
February 9, 2020
I am always looking for practical ways which I can use to cut down on waste, and hoped that this book would offer some useful tips. However, it is pretty awful. The ideas and suggestions are introductory, obvious, and far too simplistic. The author acts as though the idea of recycling is something that nobody else has ever heard of before, and she treats the reader as though they know nothing. This might be an okay choice for a real beginner, but there are far better - and far more useful - books out there with which to begin a zero waste lifestyle.
March 21, 2022
I'll be returning to this book probably, I didn't realise but it's geared more towards families and parenting. It's quite useful I'd say. I like that the author wasn't pushing for drastic lifestyle changes immediately and was aware of financial concerns and the limits that people may have. A favourite quote from the author was "effort over perfection" and leading by example and as a Muslim this is something which resonated with me.
October 17, 2020
I really didn't like this book.
The author talks about how important it is to volunteer, pursue your dreams, drop out of the rat-race, etc, and I don't entirely disagree, but she also explains that she was able to quit her six-figure job, volunteer for free, and go back to university to retrain as a doctor, all while being supported by her husband's income, and living in a large, suburban house they were gifted by her in-laws.
She talks about how she grew up poor (living with food-rationing in China), yet makes flippant comments about people "choosing to buy expensive handbags" instead of fresh, local, organic food. I find it very strange that she created this false dichotomy, given her childhood experiences.
She claims she can afford fresh, local, organic food on her "student budget" (read: husband's income) because she "makes it a priority". Sorry, but this comes from such a position of privilege.
Poor people aren't buying expensive handbags and choosing not to buy organic food. They're making ends meet and stretching what little they have to make sure the kids have enough to eat, and funnily enough, they'd rather give them three meals a day for a week and keep their tummies full than present them with a delivered-to-doorstep box of expensive vegetables that will go off within days.
I'd argue that most people would love to be able to rejig their finances and choose organic food, but assuming that it's just a case of "not buying that handbag" is incredibly narrow-minded.
I have more notes that I angrily scrawled whilst listening to this audiobook, but honestly, I can't be bothered typing it up. I think it's clear I would not recommend this book.
The author talks about how important it is to volunteer, pursue your dreams, drop out of the rat-race, etc, and I don't entirely disagree, but she also explains that she was able to quit her six-figure job, volunteer for free, and go back to university to retrain as a doctor, all while being supported by her husband's income, and living in a large, suburban house they were gifted by her in-laws.
She talks about how she grew up poor (living with food-rationing in China), yet makes flippant comments about people "choosing to buy expensive handbags" instead of fresh, local, organic food. I find it very strange that she created this false dichotomy, given her childhood experiences.
She claims she can afford fresh, local, organic food on her "student budget" (read: husband's income) because she "makes it a priority". Sorry, but this comes from such a position of privilege.
Poor people aren't buying expensive handbags and choosing not to buy organic food. They're making ends meet and stretching what little they have to make sure the kids have enough to eat, and funnily enough, they'd rather give them three meals a day for a week and keep their tummies full than present them with a delivered-to-doorstep box of expensive vegetables that will go off within days.
I'd argue that most people would love to be able to rejig their finances and choose organic food, but assuming that it's just a case of "not buying that handbag" is incredibly narrow-minded.
I have more notes that I angrily scrawled whilst listening to this audiobook, but honestly, I can't be bothered typing it up. I think it's clear I would not recommend this book.
February 27, 2021
I really appreciated this easy and accessible read on reducing everyday waste. Great book if you're looking for a little motivation for your minimalist journey or just starting out and not sure where to start. I read some reviews that mentioned an elitist tone, and I would disagree and counter that the author's tone is motivational and reasonable. I did not pick up on any arrogance and I'm usually pretty sensitive in noticing other's "Silver Spoon" when it shows. This chic book is filled with practical tips to treat yourself--and our planet--better! Some of the advice is original and now I want to follow Anita for more.
November 4, 2020
A good guidance book on different ways to reduce your impact on the planet and the resources. It gives different degrees of changes depending on how much you want to do or are able to do. I was hoping for further ideas of what I could do, and I guess happy to find that there really was not much else left. One day when I have a salary again, I shall definitely opt for organic vegboxes without any packaging.
December 3, 2021
Много ми е трудно с оценяването на книги за zero waste, написани от средностатистически хора, тъй като определено вярвам, че трябва да консумираме по-осъзнато и да не превръщаме планетата си в голяма септична яма. От тази гледна точка как да не оцениш положително усилията на всеки един човек в посока устойчивост, но... този път вместо да се надъхам, се депресирах. Нещо не се разбрах с тона и дължината на книгата.
Първо, книгата е безумно малка. Само два часа и малко, което е крайно недостатъчно да представиш подобен тип информация по-начин, който да е обмислен, качествен и емпатичен. Книгата се усеща да е написана с очакването, че хората, които я следят, ще я четат, а няма да достига до нови читатели. Това го намирам за странно, тъй като книги обикновено се пишат, за да разшириш сферата си на влияе и да достигнеш до хора, до които иначе трудно би могъл.
Второ, тези 30 дни са си по-скоро цял живот или поне там колкото години на нея й е отнело да стигне до този етап на устойчивост и zero waste. Посмъртно никой четящ не би повярвал, че е възможно в рамките на 30 дни да направиш всичко това. Абсурд. За мен книгата е по-скоро да ти е за референции, когато стигнеш до момент, в който искаш да работиш върху определен аспект от живота си, да видиш какви идеи предлага тя, да си избереш каквото е ок за теб и твоя живот, да го проучиш и да почнеш дългия процес на установяване на навика. Това обаче отнема много време, не е 30 дни.
И накрая, като чета такива книги, написани от "обикновени" хора, осъзнавам, че всичките те са били тоталните консуматори преди да преминат към това по-ниско и минималистично ниво, което като го сравнявам с моя начин на живот е... ами, няма голяма разлика. Лесно е да се говори за промени, когато изхождаш от ситуация, в която и най-малката промяна води до сериозни резултати, защото до вчера си харчил една торба пари за кафе всеки ден до работата си и си пътувал с кола до там при все че разстоянието пеш е 30 минути. Погледнах Инстаграм акаунта на авторката и като добавя коментарите и за пътуванията в книгата и малко останах с усещането за много, ама много двоен стандарт. Не се усеща книгата както трябва.
Първо, книгата е безумно малка. Само два часа и малко, което е крайно недостатъчно да представиш подобен тип информация по-начин, който да е обмислен, качествен и емпатичен. Книгата се усеща да е написана с очакването, че хората, които я следят, ще я четат, а няма да достига до нови читатели. Това го намирам за странно, тъй като книги обикновено се пишат, за да разшириш сферата си на влияе и да достигнеш до хора, до които иначе трудно би могъл.
Второ, тези 30 дни са си по-скоро цял живот или поне там колкото години на нея й е отнело да стигне до този етап на устойчивост и zero waste. Посмъртно никой четящ не би повярвал, че е възможно в рамките на 30 дни да направиш всичко това. Абсурд. За мен книгата е по-скоро да ти е за референции, когато стигнеш до момент, в който искаш да работиш върху определен аспект от живота си, да видиш какви идеи предлага тя, да си избереш каквото е ок за теб и твоя живот, да го проучиш и да почнеш дългия процес на установяване на навика. Това обаче отнема много време, не е 30 дни.
И накрая, като чета такива книги, написани от "обикновени" хора, осъзнавам, че всичките те са били тоталните консуматори преди да преминат към това по-ниско и минималистично ниво, което като го сравнявам с моя начин на живот е... ами, няма голяма разлика. Лесно е да се говори за промени, когато изхождаш от ситуация, в която и най-малката промяна води до сериозни резултати, защото до вчера си харчил една торба пари за кафе всеки ден до работата си и си пътувал с кола до там при все че разстоянието пеш е 30 минути. Погледнах Инстаграм акаунта на авторката и като добавя коментарите и за пътуванията в книгата и малко останах с усещането за много, ама много двоен стандарт. Не се усеща книгата както трябва.
July 5, 2023
I listened to the audiobook of this so didn’t get the full 30 days experience and it was more like listening to a 4 hour podcast about sustainable living. There were a few tidbits that I will take away with me but I’m not sure that what we currently do as a family (we use cloth nappies amongst other eco parenting habits) can be improved with things mentioned in this.
It was an interesting enough read and the writing style is very approachable. At the beginning she mentions that she wants to “teach, not preach” about zero waste techniques to adopt into family life and, in my opinion anyway, she failed to not go preachy at times.
I did like the phrase effort, not perfection that I might be taking into my own personal mantra about life in general though.
It was an interesting enough read and the writing style is very approachable. At the beginning she mentions that she wants to “teach, not preach” about zero waste techniques to adopt into family life and, in my opinion anyway, she failed to not go preachy at times.
I did like the phrase effort, not perfection that I might be taking into my own personal mantra about life in general though.
January 7, 2022
Um livro com uma mensagem simples, prático, muito interessante sobre como podemos levar uma vida de menor desperdício. Aprendi várias coisas e a autora inclui dicas com diferentes graus de "compromisso" para que possamos todos fazer a diferença no nosso quotidiano e tomar decisões de consumo bem mais conscientes.
Gostei e achei uma leitura muito útil, a que vou recorrer para fazer mais algumas mudanças no meu quotidiano.
Gostei e achei uma leitura muito útil, a que vou recorrer para fazer mais algumas mudanças no meu quotidiano.
August 11, 2022
Very surface level advice, but good for a newbie. I appreciated the homemade makeup/skincare information.
January 31, 2021
This was a nice beginner guide to some basic zero-waste changes you can make! If you’ve been studying zero waste options for some time or looking for more in-depth steps on how to lower your waste, you’ll likely need more resources than this book (especially for composting).
The book talks about lowering food waste by simplifying diets (focusing less on eating GF was listed) which it is fair to encourage less food waste, but I don’t recall the book acknowledging how underlying health conditions can benefit from the specific diets that were discouraged in this book. But I agree and see how we can get creative in ways to eliminate food waste as a whole, without leaving our dietary restrictions out of the picture!
My takeaway from this book is lowering our consumption/waste can help our decision fatigue (e.g. curating a minimal wardrobe can prevent decision fatigue of picking out outfits, having a few go-to meals to cook can prevent decision fatigue of deciding what to cook). I’ve been implementing this much more in my life when planning meals to reduce grocery shopping stress!
The book talks about lowering food waste by simplifying diets (focusing less on eating GF was listed) which it is fair to encourage less food waste, but I don’t recall the book acknowledging how underlying health conditions can benefit from the specific diets that were discouraged in this book. But I agree and see how we can get creative in ways to eliminate food waste as a whole, without leaving our dietary restrictions out of the picture!
My takeaway from this book is lowering our consumption/waste can help our decision fatigue (e.g. curating a minimal wardrobe can prevent decision fatigue of picking out outfits, having a few go-to meals to cook can prevent decision fatigue of deciding what to cook). I’ve been implementing this much more in my life when planning meals to reduce grocery shopping stress!
July 31, 2019
I feel that this book would be great if you are 1) a shopaholic 2) know absolutely nothing about zero waste living. Vandyke has completely turned her life around from corporate wage slave and mindless consumer to zero waste guru and minimalist with a big instagram following and I applaud her new choices, however I feel I have a slightly different outlook.
My issues are:
1) I'm not going to throw out perfectly good (reusable plastic) containers just so I can have a perfectly instagramable pantry full of glass containers - I replace as needed but if something does it's job throwing it away defeats the purpose of going zero waste.
2) I don't have the income to follow fast fashion - I shop opshops and swap with friends not because its trendy suddenly but because I have neither the income nor the pride to do anything else. For the same reason I don't feel the need to be a minimalist - everything in my house is there because I love it or because it serves a purpose. I don't feel minimalism and zero waste have to go hand in hand. You can live a low or no waste life and still have stuff.
3) Organic doesn't equal better - there are many good and bad things about commercial food industry but the main thing it has done is provide food security like never before - are there ways the commercial industries can improve? Aboslutely. Is organic the answer? Not for most, if food is to remain affordable. Mostly "organic" is marketing - pesticides are still used, Animals still culled to protect crops (guns and traps are "organic" after all) and more land is required than for same volume of production (deforestation in many countries).
4) Vandyke did this when she left her job and suddenly had a lot of time on her hands - I feel the timeline of this book - particularly cleaning out clothes, office paperwork ect. - would take much more time if you are working full time.
If you have no clue where to start, if your finances are out of control, if your wardrobe takes up half your house, if you want to be on trend, this is the book for you. If you are already on your zero waste journey, if you have done basic research and already started to swap out various products then there are many other books to help guide you and support you.
My issues are:
1) I'm not going to throw out perfectly good (reusable plastic) containers just so I can have a perfectly instagramable pantry full of glass containers - I replace as needed but if something does it's job throwing it away defeats the purpose of going zero waste.
2) I don't have the income to follow fast fashion - I shop opshops and swap with friends not because its trendy suddenly but because I have neither the income nor the pride to do anything else. For the same reason I don't feel the need to be a minimalist - everything in my house is there because I love it or because it serves a purpose. I don't feel minimalism and zero waste have to go hand in hand. You can live a low or no waste life and still have stuff.
3) Organic doesn't equal better - there are many good and bad things about commercial food industry but the main thing it has done is provide food security like never before - are there ways the commercial industries can improve? Aboslutely. Is organic the answer? Not for most, if food is to remain affordable. Mostly "organic" is marketing - pesticides are still used, Animals still culled to protect crops (guns and traps are "organic" after all) and more land is required than for same volume of production (deforestation in many countries).
4) Vandyke did this when she left her job and suddenly had a lot of time on her hands - I feel the timeline of this book - particularly cleaning out clothes, office paperwork ect. - would take much more time if you are working full time.
If you have no clue where to start, if your finances are out of control, if your wardrobe takes up half your house, if you want to be on trend, this is the book for you. If you are already on your zero waste journey, if you have done basic research and already started to swap out various products then there are many other books to help guide you and support you.
January 18, 2019
- 1.5
- A very minimal book with pretty presentation but very little content
- Perhaps this would be good for complete newbies but to me it seems like there are no original ideas here
- Anita seems to have borrowed from various other minimalism philosophies and the only point of difference appears to be the consolidation of doing all of it within a month
- Would have been good to know exactly which resources she uses e.g. organic produce delivery box instead of generic statements - maybe I'll check her blog to see whether there's anything more concrete there
- A very minimal book with pretty presentation but very little content
- Perhaps this would be good for complete newbies but to me it seems like there are no original ideas here
- Anita seems to have borrowed from various other minimalism philosophies and the only point of difference appears to be the consolidation of doing all of it within a month
- Would have been good to know exactly which resources she uses e.g. organic produce delivery box instead of generic statements - maybe I'll check her blog to see whether there's anything more concrete there
Read
June 5, 2021BorinG and preaches down To you.
May 21, 2019
A quick intro to the zero waste concept, through very quick chapters and tips in bullet point form. There's nothing too revolutionary here, especially if you've been environmentally minded and conscious of reducing and minimising plastic waste, fast fashion, toxic cosmetics, food waste, air travel, etc. but this quick read still offers some practical tips and tricks on how to go about it. Plus, it gives you (another) kick up the bottom to make some change happen in your life.
I'm nowhere near the zero waste life (and I probably don't have the ambition to get there for various reasons) but I've been continually working on emptying my bathroom cupboards, minimising my wardrobe, and becoming more and more conscious of the enormous amounts of plastics we consume every day. I want to re-listen to her chapter on household cleaners and make up some of the cleaning solutions Vandyke suggests, and then tackle minimising my food pantry (let's just say, I'm prepared for WW3 given the state of my pantry...).
I'm nowhere near the zero waste life (and I probably don't have the ambition to get there for various reasons) but I've been continually working on emptying my bathroom cupboards, minimising my wardrobe, and becoming more and more conscious of the enormous amounts of plastics we consume every day. I want to re-listen to her chapter on household cleaners and make up some of the cleaning solutions Vandyke suggests, and then tackle minimising my food pantry (let's just say, I'm prepared for WW3 given the state of my pantry...).
May 4, 2022
Bardzo chaotyczna, dysotopijna. Rady pokroju „zorganizuj przyjęcie dla znajomych, na którym obejrzycie filmy o ekologii i pogadacie o zero waste”. Nie w Polsce 🙃 Może jakby to był dla mnie nowy temat i bym czytała po jednym rozdziale każdego dnia (bo o to chyba w niej chodzi) to bym podeszła do tego inaczej, ale ze zero waste nie jest mi obce to się niestety zawiodłam. Najważniejsze rady zawarte, ale gdybym była początkująca to skutecznie odstraszyłaby mnie od zero waste.
November 18, 2019
An entry level read into how to gentle your footprint on this beautiful earth. I listened to it as an audio book all in one day whilst on the bus to and from work. I'm inspired to reduce our garbage to a small glass jar. We are already close to that anyway though so probably preaching to the coveted here. Good recipes for house cleaning and skin care products too.
December 14, 2024
A zero waste life in 30 days, but only if you:
1) don’t have kids - if you do they come into it once apparently, they’ll love bulk shopping.
2) ignore the fact that you’re getting rid of lots of clothes and plastic - which you could use until the end of its life cycle prior to disposal.
3) ignore the environmental impact of aviation in favour of the greenwashing that is the carbon offset - not actually meaning zero waste, just making you feel better about the waste you’ve generated.
4) have an existing bank balance fuelled by your previous six-figure salary job [which you will no doubt boastfully mention numerous times in your book].
I wasn’t expecting much as I was just looking for a short book to fill a couple of days, but I’d hoped it would have been better than this.
1) don’t have kids - if you do they come into it once apparently, they’ll love bulk shopping.
2) ignore the fact that you’re getting rid of lots of clothes and plastic - which you could use until the end of its life cycle prior to disposal.
3) ignore the environmental impact of aviation in favour of the greenwashing that is the carbon offset - not actually meaning zero waste, just making you feel better about the waste you’ve generated.
4) have an existing bank balance fuelled by your previous six-figure salary job [which you will no doubt boastfully mention numerous times in your book].
I wasn’t expecting much as I was just looking for a short book to fill a couple of days, but I’d hoped it would have been better than this.
March 12, 2025
I thought this was a really good place to start for an overview of how to start changing your life to get into the zero waste mindset. I liked that it wasn’t always extremes or fundamentalist - small changes are recommended too. I particularly enjoyed the last few chapters about reducing wasted time on our phones and screens too.
April 15, 2024
I borrowed this from my local library for something short and educational to read.
This was a good introduction to living a simple and waste free life. All topics are covered brief and I wasn't bored at all.
I'm not going to start this journey or anything, but it has made me a more consumer aware buyer.
This was a good introduction to living a simple and waste free life. All topics are covered brief and I wasn't bored at all.
I'm not going to start this journey or anything, but it has made me a more consumer aware buyer.
October 7, 2018
Picked up a couple more ideas and some recipes to try
June 16, 2019
Some great practical tips 👍 Made me quite interested to learn more 🙏
December 4, 2019
This was a short read with practical tips on how an individual can reduce waste.
Read
December 12, 2021A practical guide to consume consciously. Trying to implement it on day to day basis.
January 16, 2026
this was OK. nothing super groundbreaking here - reusable cups, farmers markets, etc. maybe I'm not the target market, or it should have been "getting started with zero waste"
well written and easy to follow though
well written and easy to follow though
January 1, 2019
I borrowed this book from the local library and I loved it so much I have bought my own copy.
I found this book an excellent introduction to the world of living a zero waste life. Especially from an Aussie persepective. Even if you don't want or think you will be able to live a zero waste life, but want to make a difference, or just learn some easy first steps then this book is for you.
I loved having the steps to build up to reducing waste. You can choose from Reduced Waste, Low Waste and Zero Waste options. I often found that I was already doing some things, but could easily take it to the next level. A few times I had an "AHA!" moment, where there were options I hadn't considered (worm farm under apartment stairs for example).
I was so impressed with this book that I showed some friends, who have now also read it and bought their own copies.
I found this book an excellent introduction to the world of living a zero waste life. Especially from an Aussie persepective. Even if you don't want or think you will be able to live a zero waste life, but want to make a difference, or just learn some easy first steps then this book is for you.
I loved having the steps to build up to reducing waste. You can choose from Reduced Waste, Low Waste and Zero Waste options. I often found that I was already doing some things, but could easily take it to the next level. A few times I had an "AHA!" moment, where there were options I hadn't considered (worm farm under apartment stairs for example).
I was so impressed with this book that I showed some friends, who have now also read it and bought their own copies.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews