Being environmentally aware and trying to live a zero-waste, low carbon and no plastic life are what many of us strive for (at least those of us who are aware of the ongoing climate crisis and want to play an active part in preventing/reversing the damage). Though the idea of eco-friendly living seems easy on paper, it’s especially difficult to put it into practice as our lives are so heavily dependent on mass production and non-renewable energy sources.
But guess what? Some people have managed to break the cycle and actually maintain a (near) zero-waste or eco-friendly way of life. And the good news is that many of these people share their lifestyles with the world via social media, mainly Instagram. Here are seven Instagram pages you could take a look at if you want to learn the art of eco-friendly, zero-waste living.
Eco Life Choices @ecolifechoices
It’s easy to get distracted by the incredible aesthetics of Jihea Kim’s Eco Diaries account. However, it’s not all aesthetics. This London-based sustainability consultant’s good-looking pictures come with captions that suggest plenty of helpful tips for navigating the practicalities and emotional side of trying to live plastic-free. Kim’s account is excellent for learning more about leading a sustainable lifestyle. From teaching about lower waste practices to explaining how to lower your energy consumption, Kim’s account is full of tips and explanations to get started on your journey of #greenliving.
Insightful quotes to draw inspiration for the day
Zero Waste Chef @zerowastechef
This page is basically food paradise. Unlike most food pages, Anne-Marie Bonneau runs her page and kitchen with three rules: no packaging, nothing processed and no trash. Her food always feels refreshing and fun to look at and it goes all the way to being as eco-friendly as possible. According to the page, she’s been plastic-free since 2011. Concurring to her username, her pictures are mostly all food-based, with a stunning array of colorful vegetables, sauces, homemade pasta, and fermentations. Go ahead and follow, it will make your mouth water.
Zero Waste Doc @zerowastedoc
Natalie Davies is a National Health Service doctor. Safe to say she lives a busy lifestyle and is thus big on the practicality element of greener living. Her account is packed with the names of helpful companies that are cruelty-free and eco-friendly from which one can buy necessary products. Moreover, her page also includes tips that will help you cut down on food waste, plastic use and much more, especially if you lead an unusually hectic life.
Wasteless.at @wasteless.at
The page of Wasteless.at (you guessed it) is all about wasting less, buying less and living more. That’s the foundation of being eco-friendly, and wasteless.at has it down to the t. This page features lots of hacks, tips, and tricks for greener, healthier living. When it comes to showing how to be wastel-ess, the page covers a pretty wide spectrum like clothes, food, cosmetics, cleaning, etc. Wasteless.at doesn’t sugarcoat the problem of waste in the world and offers thought provoking statistics about how waste from textiles to festivals is affecting the earth, all the while teaching the followers how to not contribute to the on-going crisis.
Madeleine Olivia @madeleineolivia
Madeleine Olivia is a minimalist with tons of ideas when it comes to living more sustainably. Her account provides a lot of vegan recipes, eco-friendly tips and tricks, and more. Anyone looking for vegan recipes for mouth-watering dishes will have a fun time exploring her page. Similarly, she’s also the author of “Minimal: How to Simplify Your Life and Live Sustainably” and can give you plenty of insights on how to live with as little as possible.
Go Litterless @litterless
Celia Ristow is one of those zero waste bloggers who you will keep going back to. Her writing has a thoughtful depth to it and she tackles important topics like matters of privilege in environmentalism and the practicality of green-living. Her Instagram feed features clean and simple images that are commonly associated with zero waste and are interactive, filled with questions for the readers. Along with showing people how to live sustainably through her pictures, she also openly discusses problems and solutions related to zero-waste. Her page is informative and insightful, all the while being kind to the eyes.
Zero Waste Japan @zerowastejapan
If you’re looking to make simple switches in your life, this Japanese mum of two is great for suggesting alternatives to the wasteful products you use every day. Her Instagram posts show the products that she has switched to since going green. She also explains how the after-processes work and you’ll be surprised to see how plastic makes its way into materials that most of us assume are eco-friendly. Remember though, you can only switch products if you are in the need of new ones. Replacing all your plastic bottles with glass ones is much more wasteful than continuing to use your plastic ones. Reuse and recycle what you have first and purchase things only when you have no option left is what this Instagram page inspires you to do.
