Plot Synopsis

In each episode, Francesca Price and Tristan Glendinning show a family how it can be more ecofriendly (and save money) by evaluating how each family member uses trash disposal, electricity, water and transportation. First, they bring back all of the garbage that the family generated during the previous year and sift through it to show opportunities to recycle and re-use. Next, Francesca and Tristan evaluate the family's carbon footprint by evaluating heating, power consumption, water consumption, and transportation, and they suggest ways to conserve and use these resources more efficiently. Once they've shown the family how to reduce its environmental impact, Francesca and Tristan go away for three weeks to see how the family adapts to a new way of living. When the three weeks have elapsed, Francesca and Tristan return to let the family know how much its household footprint and carbon dioxide emissions have been reduced. Plus, they bring the family a green bucket filled with money -- an amount equal to the annual savings the family will earn if they continue their new lifestyle from the past three weeks.