Unpacking Journey to Away: Why We Wrote a Children’s Book About Trash

What started as a simple question—“Where does our trash actually go?”—turned into a children’s book with a big mission: to help young readers reimagine waste and empower them to tackle the problem. Journey to Away is the story of Mel, a curious raccoon who scavenges through garbage humans throw out—but one day finds something that sends her on a surprising and life-changing adventure.

The Story Behind the Story

We wrote Journey to Away because we believe kids deserve honest stories about the world they’re inheriting—but also ways to change it and create a future they can look forward to. Waste is one of the most visible symptoms of our climate crisis, and yet we often downplay it or ignore the problem altogether. Through Mel’s journey, we gently guide readers toward one powerful realization about trash: “away” isn’t a real place. It’s just where we stop looking.

A Book Built on Purpose

From the very beginning, this book was more than a storytelling project. It was an educational tool, a conversation starter, and a love letter to young changemakers everywhere. Every character, every scene, and every twist is rooted in everyday environmental issues—from food waste and single-use plastics to landfill overflows and the global waste trade.

The writing process was a mix of wonder and grit. Amelia and I spent 5 years compiling lived experiences as climate activists and waste experts in our own right, while researching or consulting other educators in the field to shape Mel’s world in a way that was both whimsical and grounded. Every detail—from Mel’s lock-picking skills to the walkie-talkie stakeout—was inspired by real-world waste issues and the grassroots solutions we’ve seen in action through Tuesdays for Trash. The artwork, by talented illustrator Sydney Fort, brings that world to life with color, texture, and details that spark curiosity and conversation.

The Bigger Message

This story is ultimately about seeing the unseen—and realizing that even small actions can create scalable change. The truth is: there is no such place as “away.” The trash we toss doesn't disappear. It ends up in landfills, incinerators, or worse—polluting our oceans, forests, and communities. Journey to Away helps kids connect the dots between everyday waste and the health of our planet while empowering them to take action before it’s too late. Whether it’s sorting your recycling, skipping plastic straws, or hosting a cleanup, what you do does matter. Through this book, we hope young readers feel not overwhelmed, but empowered to change the world.

How You Can Join the Journey

Mel may be a raccoon, but her message is universal: if we understand where our trash goes, we’re more likely to change what we do with it. So this story is just the beginning. We’d love for you to join us in building a cleaner, healthier and more adventurous world.

🌍 Order/Read the book – Perfect for classrooms, libraries, eco-clubs, and storytime at home.

📸 Follow along the journey on Instagram @JourneytoAway

💡 Share your small-but-mighty actions using #JourneyToAway

📚 Host a read-aloud, organize a cleanup, or start a conversation in your community

For the YOUTHTOPIA family of young leaders, this story is for you too—one of courage, curiosity, and caring for our planet. Because as Mel learns on her adventure, “away” isn’t some far off place. It’s here, it’s starting to fill up, and we all have a role in protecting our shared home.

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