After attending a talk on how to live zero-waste six months ago, Paekakariki resident Rachel Benefield decided she should try doing a grocery shop plastic-free.

She was surprised at just how easy it was and since then hasn’t looked back. Her family of five, plus two cats and a dog, stopped buying single-use plastics and started filling up paper bags with all the food and essentials they need.

It’s not only made them feel like they’re reducing their waste footprint, they also found other benefits, like eating better and actually having money left over for family treats. We talk to Rachel about whether it’s actually do-able.

You can follow the family’s plastic-free journey, and get some tips on how to do it yourself here.