This is How My Family Went from Wasteful to Zero Waste

The Story of How the Lou Family Wanted to Save the Earth

The Lou Family was like any average family in the 21st century; the family consisted of Bradley
Lou, Christine Lou, and their two children, Chris Lou (9) and Stella Lou (7). Like most families,
they were not the most eco friendly or conscious about the earth. They did not recycle, were
incredibly wasteful, and never turned their lights off, and the list continues. It was until they sat
down one Saturday night with the kids and ​Climate Change 4 Kids,​ a Disney Channel Original
Television show came on that changed their point of view.

The Lou Family learned about the severe effects of climate change because they started
watching ​Climate Change 4 Kids​ together and became concerned about its long-term effects.
Stella Lou asked her parents, “what can we do to make the earth better?” Christine and Bradly
did not have an exact answer for their seven-year-old. After watching numerous episodes and
their concern for the earth grew immensely. The Lou’s decided to go eco friendly by using
websites that Climate Change 4 Kids provides at the end of every episode. They agreed that
they would convert their lifestyle to become more eco-friendly. Their first step was to use all of
their single-use/ plastic products before purchasing reusable products. During this process, the
Lou’s felt incredibly wasteful for throwing away or using products that were harmful to the
environment. But then quickly realized that before they can change sustainability, they must use
all of the wasteful products before making that huge change. Which is something they learned
while watching the show.

(e.g., Christine Lou, Stella Lou, Chris Lou, and their cousin Stephanie Lou picking up trash at their local park Saturday, Sept. 18, 2020)

After months of trying to reach sustainability, the Lou’s quickly realized that becoming
eco-friendly was extremely difficult since the society that they live in does not have the earth’s
best interest in mind. Most products are in single-use plastic bags that create massive amounts
of trash. The Lou’s learned from the show is to buy in bulk, which saves money and decreases
the amount of waste they use. The Lou’s have started shopping at bulk stores where they
purchase items by the pound. They bring their containers and fill them up with the amount of
food they want, then they weigh it and pay by the pound. This has dramatically decreased the
amount of waste the Lou’s produce. Instead of buying a plastic bag of beans, they bring a
reusable pouch and add as much or as little beans to it, saving them money. Christine Lou says,
“Going eco-friendly has been one of the most difficult changes we have made as a family.
Especially with our children always on the go, we used to buy snacks in disposable bags and
water bottles. But now we buy in bulk and pack their snacks in containers. It is an extra step, but
we are using significantly less plastic and creating less waste, so it is worth it.”

The children of the Lou household also have been enjoying this experience of
sustainability. They were the most significant push to inspire their parents to become more eco
friendly. Because of the show, they started an Earth Club for their school. During their earth club
meetings, the kids would watch episodes of Climate Change 4 Kids and discuss with the
members and talk about how they can make little changes in their life to help the earth.

(e.g., Members of the Sherman Oaks Elementary Earth Club demonstrating recycling to their class)