20 Must Follow Zero Waste Influencers
When it comes to sustainable living, switching to a zero-waste lifestyle is often a priority. This waste-free lifestyle entails refusing, reducing, reusing, recycling, and rotting. It also means swapping toxic and wasteful products for eco-friendly alternatives. In essence, this reduces the negative impact of materials on the environment and encourages a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, without urgent action, global waste will grow by 70% by 20501.
Although some people view this lifestyle change as daunting, these zero-waste influencers show us that small steps make a difference. To them, it’s all about being more intentional and mindful. In this article, we’ve shared a list of some zero-waste influencers that are making a difference - all worthy of a follow for zero-waste and sustainable living inspiration.
A-List of Zero Waste Influencers
From bloggers to Instagrammers, here is a list of some zero-waste influencers you should be following:
Top 20 Zero Waste Influencers
Here are 20 influencers sharing content on zero-waste living. These people share tips, ideas, and solutions to guide you, from bloggers and vloggers to Instagram creators.
1. Bea Johnson
Bea Johnson has been at the forefront of the zero-waste movement for years. Some even refer to her as the mother of the movement. Since 2008, she has been documenting her family’s zero-waste journey. Bea started with a blog and now has a massive social media following.
She’s also a published author, a book which she named after the blog - ‘Zero Waste Home’ (here on amazon). The book is available in 27 languages.
Furthermore, Bea works as a motivational speaker, advising people on zero-waste living. Her method of reducing trash is refuse, reduce, reuse, recycle, and rot (in that order). Through her channels, she debunks misconceptions about the movement by offering easy-to-follow tips. She’s one of the reasons people are increasingly showing how they can fit years of trash in glass jars.
Related: Read more on the history of zero waste to learn more.
2. Lauren Singer
With Bea Johnson as her inspiration, Lauren Singer has grown to become one of the well-known names in the zero waste movement. She is the founder of the zero waste blog called Trash is for Tossers. Through her blog, Lauren shares fun, money-saving tips and tricks for a zero-waste life. These include tips on style, home hacks, and DIY recipes.
Her work expands beyond writing. She is also the founder of the Package Free Shop (@packagefreeshop), a store based in New York. The business is carbon-neutral and offers plastic-free shipping.
3. Isaias Hernandez
Isaias is the founder of Queer Brown Vegan, an online space for environmental education. This platform serves as a hub for environmental activists and anyone looking to create positive change. Isaias shares diverse categories of content to educate, inspire and motivate. Through his social channels, he shares information on veganism, zero-waste practices, and environmental justice.
Using colorful illustrations and graphics, Isaias presents prominent environmental questions. He also shares inspiration and ideas to guide the transition to eco-consciousness. Isaias has over 90,000 Instagram followers.
4. Anne-Marie Bonneau
Anne-Marie’s work revolves around reducing food waste in the kitchen. Unfortunately, a lot of trash comes from the kitchen, and Anne-Marie has been on a mission to curb this. Through her blog, Zero-waste chef, and social media channels, she shares tips to reduce food waste and plastic-free living for a more sustainable life.
In 2011, she started her journey of refraining from plastic use. Shortly after, she took up a zero-waste lifestyle. Besides sharing helpful tips, Anne-Marie also shares recipes and menus on her blog, beneficial for both your well-being and that of the environment. She creates them to help you get all your nutrition without all the trash.
According to this blogger and influencer, “do not feel guilty for a supply chain you did not create.” In addition, she teaches that you can compost yourself or buy less to reduce waste.
Related: Check out the best zero-waste cookbooks and our compilation of zero-waste quotes featuring Anne-Marie.
5. Leah Thomas
Leah Thomas is a writer, intersectional environmental activist, and social justice advocate. She uses her platforms to fuel discussions and action steps surrounding environmental and social justice.
Leah is the founder of ‘The Intersectional Environmentalist,’ one of the prominent platforms that explores the intersections of social and environmental justice. This resource hub also targets inclusivity and accessibility for all within the space of environmental movements.
You can find Leah engaging in discussions about climate accountability, sustainable practices, and low-impact life. She also shares information on ways to reduce our waste, including zero-waste or low-waste swaps.
6. Jazmine Rogers
Jazmine Rogers, popularly known as ‘that curly top,’ advocates for environmental changes and shares this online. Through her Instagram page and YouTube channel, Jazmine invites her community to journey through a low-impact lifestyle. This encourages the need to reduce our carbon footprint.
She also uses her platform to advocate for social justice. Her colorful Instagram page is filled with inspiration for ethical and sustainable clothing. Jazmine has over 90,000 Instagram followers.
7. Kathryn Kellogg
Kathryn is one of the prominent zero-waste bloggers. She is the founder of the Going Zero Waste blog. She is also the author of ‘101 Ways to Go Zero Waste’ (here on amazon).
After Kathryn discovered a benign tumor, the experience led to the start of her conscious life. She believes that the health and wellness of self are inextricably linked to the health and wellness of the planet.
She, therefore, pays adequate attention to nutrition and the environment. Through her channels, she shares information on ways to reduce trash, including ideas to help improve our health and the planet.
8. Elizabeth Teo
Elizabeth describes herself as an “environmental justice educator.” Through her online space, she creates awareness of issues such as the impact of waste. Elizabeth also provides actionable steps to curb the problems of waste, fast consumption, and climate change.
This zero-waste influencer and consultant engages in discussions surrounding climate action and environmental restoration through an intersectional lens. You’ll also find tips on living more sustainably through practices such as slow fashion and food on her page.
9. Jhánneu
Jhánneu is a sustainable and intentional living content creator. From her blog to social pages, she uses her channels to show how a low-waste lifestyle can be accessible. In addition, she has built a lifestyle brand around low-impact practices and uses her platform to share various zero-waste tips.
From travel and food to beauty, Jhánneu explores various ways we can implement low-impact and intentional principles. On her page, you’ll find tips and swaps to guide your intentional and conscious consumption journey.
10. Stevie Van Horn
Stevie is a sustainability and climate activist who lives in Brooklyn, New York. She has been living a zero-waste lifestyle for over five years. Stevie was influenced by growing up in the mountains of Colorado. She believes that daily action is necessary for creating a better tomorrow.
As part of her journey, she created Yay for Earth. The business makes products that are safe for the earth and our bodies. Yay For Earth is also a movement on Instagram. Stevie strives to open big conversations about the impact of our choices on the environment.
11. Shia Su
Shia Su runs Wasteland Rebel, which is an online space for zero-waste living. She calls herself a “vegan zero waste nerd.” Through her platform, Shia shares simple, effective, and doable zero-waste hacks.
She is the author of ‘Zero Waste: Simple Life Hacks to Drastically Reduce Your Waste’ (here on amazon). Shia shares hacks, tips, and zero-waste solutions such as DIY recipes, skincare routines, and waste-free gifting.
For all ideas related to veganism, sustainable and zero-waste living, Wasteland Rebel houses them. Shia has over 97,000 Instagram followers.
12. Mikaela Loach
Mikaela is an Edinburgh-based climate activist and sustainable living influencer. Asides from using her platform to discuss climate justice, she also explores the need for inclusivity in these spaces.
Mikaela presents topics that explore anti-racism, ethical, sustainable fashion, and climate justice. She’s also the co-host of the Yikes Podcast. Through the podcast, she and her co-host explore topics such as social justice, human rights, and climate issues. On her pages, you’ll also find topics on veganism and switching to plastic-free products for less waste.
13. Anamarie Shreeves
Anamarie is the educator and environmental activist behind the Instagram page Zero Waste Habesha. Anamarie’s page serves as a hub for zero-waste practices and also environmental justice. Her work focuses on areas such as Black ecology, environmental racism, and eco-socialism.
In addition, she founded Fort Negrita, a cooperative dedicated to raising awareness and taking action on environmental issues. Fort Negrita also houses an online zero-waste store and provides tips on earth advocacy.
14. Valeria Hinojosa
Valeria is a yogi, vegan and social entrepreneur. She describes herself as an adventure-seeker and earth-lover. From the start of her sustainable journey, she began to understand the importance of making conscious decisions.
Through her online platform, Water Thru Skin, Valeria educates people on veganism, reducing plastic waste, and zero-waste living. You’ll also find guides and information on eco-travel, sustainable fashion, and creating an eco-home.
15. Addie Fisher
Addie is a blogger, online creator, and sustainability influencer. She is the founder of ‘Old World New,’ an online space where she shares tips on slowing down and embracing sustainability.
Addie uses her platform to explore topics such as zero waste, thrifting, and minimalism. She shares actionable advice, with her community, on eco-friendly living, zero-waste practices, and intentionality.
These include valuable tips that people can implement within the home, in the garden, and everywhere necessary. Her journey began with sustainable building design and later grew to encompass various areas where she could implement sustainability principles.
16. Jonathan Levy
Based in California, Jonathan is one of the few men in the zero-waste influencers field. He is a consultant and blogger who shares tips on how to live better and save money. He teaches small steps and solutions to reduce waste.
Apart from sharing information through his platforms, Jonathan shows businesses how to develop sustainable products. The aim is to reduce the level of greenwashing within industries.
17. Celia Ristow
Celia is an environmental activist and consultant. Through her online space called Litterless, she shares resources and is building a community around the topic of zero waste. She also embraces a circular economy. She shares local zero-waste resources using her ‘Where to Shop’ and ‘Where to Compost' guides. According to Celia, “you don't have to be perfect; you just have to begin.”
18. Antónia Mussache
Antónia is a sustainability blogger and social justice advocate. Through her platforms, she teaches and explores the principles of minimalism, slowing down, and embracing sustainable practices. Growing up, Antónia lived close to a ditch that people used as a waste dump. This went on to influence her journey toward an appreciation for nature.
Over time, this developed into the desire to spread information about eco-friendly, zero-waste, and sustainable practices. She is running a project called ‘Zero Waste Angola.’ The goal is to educate and encourage people in local communities to make changes for a better world.
19. Tammy Logan
Tammy Logan is a blogger and the founder of the Gippsland Unwrapped blog. Through Gippsland Unwrapped, Tammy shares information on her journey to sustainable living. These include simple tips, honest stories, and the latest discoveries. All of these are directed toward living a healthy and meaningful life.
2015 saw the start of her Plastic Free July Challenge. The goal was to refuse all single-use plastic for one month. Now, whenever she can’t find something that’s free from environmentally harmful packaging or plastic-free, she chooses to go without it. The purpose of the blog is to give you choices.
20. Anita Vandyke
Anita blogs about her passions for zero waste switches and all things green living, from maximalist to minimalist. She is a qualified rocket scientist and currently runs an Instagram profile on a zero-waste lifestyle.
Anita currently splits her time between studying in Sydney and living with her husband in San Francisco. She is the author of ‘A Zero Waste Life: In Thirty Days.’ Anita believes that we can all be everyday activists and do little steps to reduce our waste. She has over 94,000 Instagram followers.
Conclusion
This article provided a rundown of some zero-waste influencers who are making a difference. According to these influencers, zero-waste living is less about perfectionism and more about taking action. Instead of focusing on the big and complex actions, they teach us that small ones accumulate to make a difference.
These influencers range from bloggers and Instagrammers to YouTubers and podcasters. On each person’s online profile, there’s always something to learn. Whether it’s swapping plastic bottles for reusable water bottles, DIY recipes, sustainable clothing options, or tips to reduce your carbon footprint, you’re sure to discover something new.
| 1 | Kaza, Silpa; Yao, Lisa C.; Bhada-Tata, Perinaz; Van Woerden, Frank. 2018. What a Waste 2.0 : A Global Snapshot of Solid Waste Management to 2050. Urban Development;. Washington, DC: World Bank. © World Bank. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/handle/10986/30317 License: CC BY 3.0 IGO |
Jen’s a passionate environmentalist and sustainability expert. With a science degree from Babcock University Jen loves applying her research skills to craft editorial that connects with our global changemaker and readership audiences centered around topics including zero waste, sustainability, climate change, and biodiversity.
Elsewhere Jen’s interests include the role that future technology and data have in helping us solve some of the planet’s biggest challenges.
