MORNINGTON mother of three Jane Ting is using literature to change the way young people think about plastics and the environment.
Through her picture book Soft Plastics to Things Fantastic: Zac’s Happy Planet, Ting hopes to help children understand the environmental benefits of recycling plastics, and the impact that making the effort to recycle can have.
“I have young children and I realise how important it is for them to know that they can make a difference to protect the planet,” she said.
Ting said her book addresses how to recycle soft plastics responsibly.
“In the first year of COVID I watched a David Attenborough and it was a light bulb moment, I wanted to make change to the way people think about what they do to the planet,” she said.
“I really wanted to spread awareness and educate children, sadly I know from talking at schools that not many families recycle their soft plastics.”
Ting’s book, the first in a series of picture books about Zac and his family and friends, was launched on 18 October and is already Amazon’s bestseller in 32 categories.
“it’s exciting that it’s done so well, it shows that there are people out there who want to make a change, and that it’s so simple to do,” Ting said.
The book centres around Zac and his siblings arriving at their grandparents’ house, just in time to help unpack the shopping. As they put the fresh food away and sort out the recycling as they go, Zac discovers his grandparents throw soft plastics in the rubbish. He then teaches them about recycling and the things that can be made from plastics, and in the process gives them a fresh outlook on the impact everyone can have on sustainability.
Ting said that while the subject was a serious, the way the book delivered the message was more about getting to know the character Zac and having fun through reading.
“I wanted to make it fun and easy to absorb the lessons in the book … It’s such a simple thing for everybody to take their soft plastics back to the supermarket and pop them in the containers at the front.
“The book is a colourful story of how the whole family can unite to change small habits that help to protect the future of the planet.”
For more information go to zacshappyplanet.com
First published in the Mornington News – 1 November 2022
