A practical guide and inspiring story of how one person really can make a difference when it comes to saving the environment.

Sheila Morovati was sitting in a restaurant with her family, watching her toddler color using the free crayons handed out with each kid’s menu when the thought occurred to her: What happens to these crayons at the end of each meal? The answer to this question inspired Sheila to embark on a mission to reduce the amount of waste our society produces and to become a leading voice in advocating for the preservation of our planet.

In Imperfect Environmentalist: How to Reduce Waste and Create Change for a Better Planet, Sheila Morovati encourages readers to adopt new behaviors and shift their perspectives so that they, too, can make a difference. Readers will follow Sheila on her journey, starting out as an Iranian immigrant with zero connections to successfully launching over nine global environmental campaigns, many of which have turned into legislation that has forced even the largest companies to embrace sustainability and make changes benefit nature. Readers will learn that one person can create a ripple effect for change. If Sheila can do it, then so can you.

Imperfect Environmentalist also dispels the myth that to be considered an environmentalist, one must be all in, or live “zero waste,” to have a meaningful impact on combatting climate change. Small modifications, such as committing to eating eight plant-based meals per week or cutting out plastic utensils, can add up to a large impact. Each chapter shares ten action steps for readers to adopt in their daily lives to become more eco-friendly, and the book concludes with “habits of waste” for readers to eliminate. By sharing the load, becoming an environmentalist does not need to be intimidating or overwhelming. In sharing her work and tactics for advancing environmental activism, Sheila’s message will motivate all readers to embrace being imperfect environmentalists. Our planet depends on it.