The Zero Waste community is special.
A group of supportive, inspiring individuals looking to change the world. Taking the path less traveled, they’re challenging the status quo. Thanks to them, a life of less stuff (and particularly waste) is becoming more in vogue than ever before.
Maybe you’ve seen A Plastic Ocean or Blue Planet II. Perhaps you’ve even seen your own neighborhood in need of change or even your own home.
Well, thanks to these individuals, conscious consumerism and living a less wasteful or zero waste lifestyle is now becoming a well-trodden path. There are guides, maps, hacks, plans, challenges and beautiful pictures to help get you on your way.
We wanted to share some of the best zero waste blogs that have inspired us on our own zero waste journey. These individuals have also inspired tens of thousands (dare we say, millions?) around the world.
To the ultra-busy folk, the following quick links are for you!
QUICK LINKS FOR ORIGINAL ZERO-WASTE BLOGGERS
QUICK LINKS FOR UP AND COMING ZERO-WASTE BLOGGERS
QUICK LINKS FOR ZERO WASTE BLOGGING SPECIALISTS
QUICK LINKS FOR ZERO WASTE MOM AND FAMILY BLOGGERS
QUICK LINKS FOR LARGER SCALE ZERO WASTE BLOGS
THE ORIGINAL ZERO-WASTE BLOGS
About Zero Waste Home
Bea Johnson is THE OG of Zero Waste.
She’s a French Native now living in California with her family.
Her “vocation is to shatter mis-conceptions associated with the Zero Waste lifestyle, proving that waste-free living can not only be “stylish”, but also lead to significant health benefits, and time and money savings”.
Bea’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
- Bea’s book Zero Waste Home is one of the most comprehensive resources on all things Zero Waste. It’s now been translated into 20+ languages!
- Bulk Finder app which we’ve used dozens of times when traveling to new places.
- Recommended products to get you started on your journey (with the reminder to try find second hand first!).
About Trash is For Tossers
Even though Bea Johnson did it first, Trash is for Tossers (TIFT) founder, Lauren Singer (as far as we could tell) really made the trash jar famous.
If you haven’t seen it, watch this video to see what we mean.
Lauren was inspired by Bea and decided to “live like I love the environment”. She is super active on Instagram and pretty damn inspiring. Especially given she lives in New York City and really shows that small urban spaces are no reason not to be eco-conscious.
Her blog is jam packed full of great ideas, very specific ‘how to do X zero waste’ articles and videos.
Nowadays, Lauren runs not just her blog, but a natural laundry detergent company called The Simply Co. and the zero waste store Package Free.
Lauren’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
- List of useful swap outs (zero waste alternatives).
- Video of Lauren showing us how to do package-free shopping.
- Lauren’s inspiring 2015 TEDxTeen talk that launched her popularity.
About Going Zero Waste
Going Zero Waste founder Kathryn Kellogg started her journey in 2015 after a health scare and now wants to “help others improve their personal health, improve the health of the planet, and most importantly I wanted everyone to know their choices matter”.
Together with her husband and doggy, she provides uplifting support and guidance to her community, both remotely and in her home base of San Francisco.
While she does track her annual waste with the famous waste jar technique, she believes “it’s not about perfection; it’s about making better choices”. We couldn’t agree more!
Kathryn’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
About Wasteland Rebel
We highly recommend reading the Wasteland Rebel About us page and dare you to not be inspired.
From Germany but now residing in Vancouver, Founder Shia is one of the most down to earth bloggers we’ve had the pleasure of doing a zero waste collaboration with and her story is so relatable.
We especially love that she and her husband Hanno are into the simple stuff that works – no fluff, guff or unnecessary stuff. They’re all about minimalist recipes and super simple zero waste swaps.
She covers all things waste-related, both on the website and Instagram. We were really inspired by her thoroughly researched article on dental floss. She is also exhaustive in her research on greenwashing claims. If Shia says it, you’d better believe it.
Oh, and on the side, she runs a SECOND blog called Cake Invasion, dedicated to vegan recipes and baking. This woman does everything!
Shia’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
- For a portable zero waste manual of DIY recipes, check out Shias’ book: Zero Waste: Simple Life Hacks to Drastically Reduce Your Waste
- Her recipes for DIY Mouthwash, Deodorant, and Dishwashing liquid
- Ideas for Zero Waste Kids
- For global zero wasters, she has an interactive map of the best zero waste blogs around the world.
5. MORAL FIBRES
About Moral Fibres
“Sustainable Living that’s hip, not hippie”. A quote that really demonstrates why Wendy is another one of our favorites.
She’s been blogging about how to live a greener life for years. She’s tried and tested all the tips, tricks and hacks (and believe us there are many) to living a less wasteful life.
She covers basically all the categories of life, from health & beauty to food & drink to families and much more.
We’ve also had the pleasure of doing a collaboration with her too on how to compost in a flat.
Like Shia, she is as real as you get, she’s like you and me and even better – she breaks down her years of wisdom into easy to understand and actionable, takeaway steps.
If you never visit another zero waste blog, you’d be absolutely fine with just hers.
Wendy’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
- Her book Fresh Clean Home has many tried and tested recipes for natural cleaning products.
- Her blogs on zero waste teenagers and kids are unique – not many bloggers tackling these areas!
About My Plastic Free Life
Meet Beth Terry: accountant by day, and activist, public speaker, writer, and plastic fighting superwoman by night.
In June 2007, Beth starting crunching numbers outside work, by tallying all her plastic waste (you can see a detailed record of over the years here). By 2011, she was producing only 2% as much plastic as the US average.
Beyond just writing about ethical companies and reviewing sustainable products, Beth seeks to drive company change: “Personal responsibility is crucial. But even greater results are achieved when consumers come together to demand change from the corporations that produce the stuff.”
She often directly contacts companies requesting less packaging, including her successful 2008 Take Back The Filter campaign, where she got Clorox to accept Britta filters for recycling.
On My Plastic-Free Life, formerly known as Fake Plastic Fish, you find so many zero waste product guides, and lots of other resources, like plastic-free challenges, recommended reading and an ethical product supplier list.
Beth’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
- Beth’s book, Plastic Free: How I Kicked the Plastic Habit and How You Can Too
- Her compilation list of plastic trash artists. Refreshing to see something so devastating can be made into something meaningful and even beautiful.
- 100 Steps to a Plastic-Free Life
- How to Move Long Distance Without Plastic
THE ZERO WASTE BLOGGING UP AND COMERS
The up and comers are customizing and strengthening a library of zero waste resources, often for their local area but also applicable to everyone. They are creative and resourceful and definitely worth learning from.
About Reusable Nation
Full disclosure, these guys are our great friends!
They are also awesome.
Reusable Nation founders, Vix and Dave, are originally South African and grew up with a deep respect for the environment. We can personally confirm that they have taken their path to Zero Waste living very seriously and based on their very fast rise on Instagram, they are also providing a huge amount of value to many people through their ultra-practical daily advice.
Today, they are based in Melbourne Australia and have the place scoped for Zero Waste everything (including the low-down on local recycling).
Vix and Dave’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
- How to Do Your Weekly Grocery Shop Plastic / Waste Free
- How to Avoid Plastic Water Bottles When You Can’t Drink the Tap Water (extra useful for you wild travelers out there)
- If you happen to be Melbourne based, here is a super useful map of useful Zero Waste places to shop
8. ECO-BOOST
About Eco Boost
Here’s a great one for those in London!
Kate Arnell was one of the first people to inspire us to live more consciously while we were living in London.
She’s super upbeat and doesn’t take herself too seriously (which is pretty refreshing amid the eco-doom and gloom we hear so much of). On top of all that, she has some very useful and inspiring blog posts and a fun YouTube channel with practical how-to guides on how to do things greener.
She hasn’t posted anything new on Eco Boost within the last year, but this site is still chock full of older goodies and excellent zero waste guides.
Kate’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
About The Rouge Ginger
The Rogue Ginger is Erin Rhoads, another Melbourne-based Australian Eco-lifestyle blogger who writes about all things zero waste and like Reusable Nation provides some really good, detailed local zero waste knowledge.
She also helps to create change by having a voice on things like policy change in Australia and organized activism events there.
On top of all those achievements, she often appears on the radio and, like many of these knowledgeable bloggers, has written a book.
Erin’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
10. LITTERLESS
About Litterless
Chicago’s Celia Ristow writes “about striving for zero waste both imperfectly and joyfully, as a way to work toward a more sustainable future.”
Celia is a bit different from other iconic zero waste bloggers. She doesn’t track her trash because trash jars “[don’t] take into account the fact that trash often accumulates in the production stream before products end up on store shelves.” A super important perspective!
Her blog Litterless and Insta are both ultra-minimalist and pretty. In addition to blog posts, the “Where to Shop” and “Where to Compost” guides can help you find local zero waste resources in your community.
Visit Litterless if you want to be inspired by the beautiful side of less!
Celia’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
- Getting started with Zero Waste
- Where to Shop (USA) and Where to Compost (USA) – both very thorough!
11. ZERO WASTE NEST
About Zero Waste Nest
Founder Morgane Beernaert keeps it real for her readers: “I still wouldn’t qualify myself as being ‘zero waste’ today, but much rather ‘low waste’. To me, it represents an ideal to work towards rather than a static state.”
A big YES to all that. Zero waste doesn’t have to be so darn intimidating.
London-based Zero Waste Nest is out to promote zero waste through a slow and steady mindset. The goal is to reduce waste little by little… without having the effort totally consume your every waking moment.
Find helpful and lighthearted guides about fashion (see also Morgane’s ethical fashion guide), home, and beauty, as well as recommendations for podcasts, books, documentaries, and blogs. Just in case your zero waste hunger isn’t totally sated by their site.
Morgane’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
- 17 Tips for Low Waste Living as a Student
- The zero waste shop, full of products carefully selected for their durability. Every product goes through a rigorous 2-week vetting process by Morgane herself.
- How to Cut Back Energy Waste in the Bedroom
12. GREENIFY ME
About Greenify Me
Few zero waste bloggers are as consistently dedicated as Ariana Palmieri. She started Greenify Me in 2015 to document her shift to green beauty.
But when she discovered the zero waste movement in 2017, the blog turned from green beauty recipes to an absolutely huge range of zero waste goodies.
Find all sorts of unique recipes and lesser covered topics such as zero waste contact lenses and glasses (did you know you can recycle your old prescription glasses?!). Be on the lookout for a new post every Friday.
Ariana’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
- Ariana’s ebook on How to Reduce Food Waste
- How to Shop without Bulk Options
- 6 Zero Waste Health Tips to Keep You Healthy Year Round
- This huge, concise list of starter product recommendations
13. ZERO WASTE NERD
About Zero Waste Nerd
Zero Waste Nerd is the brainchild of Kansas City’s Megean, who started this zero waste lifestyle blog in 2016 to document her war on plastic from day 1.
She writes, “I feel that our lives have gotten so disposable. […] We’ve learned to value things more than experiences and relationships. Well, I’ve had it! I deserve better, you deserve better, future generations deserve better!”
She now has blogs across so many zero waste categories and publishes at least one new guide per week, but usually more. She’s definitely one of the most frequent posters of our top zero waste bloggers.
She also runs the sister zero waste online shop Plastic Less.
Keep an eye out for Megean’s book An (Almost) Zero Waste Life – Learning How to Embrace Less to Live More coming out March 2020.
Megean’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
- Bulk Location Map
- Planning a trip but no idea how you’ll manage your zero waste shopping there? Send a message via the Bulk Travel Planner and Megean will do the research for you. Seriously!
- 21 Genius Ways to Repurpose Old Clothing
- 5 Ways to Reduce Energy Waste
- So many delicious zero waste recipes!
About The Picture of Mary
Gittemary Johansen hails from Denmark. She started her zero waste journey in 2015 by stopping all impulse buys and starting to make plastic-free swaps.
On The Picture of Mary, you’ll find over 400 posts, including zero waste holiday guides, vegan recipes, green fashion guides, and eco beauty.
Gittemary also posts tons of life updates to remind readers that she’s not some perfect zero waste ideal; just a person trying to make a difference. We love that she’s super positive and celebrates all the victories along her zero waste journey.
When she’s not blogging or vlogging, Gittemary hosts lectures and workshops across Europe to inspire others to find joy in non-materialistic values.
Mary’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
- Why I Don’t Have a Trash Jar (Really important for those of you feeling discouraged by those yearly trash jars… The spirit of zero waste doesn’t exist in a jar)
- Guide to Bulk Shopping in a Small Town
- Her zero waste YouTube channel is chock full of hilariously informative videos.
THE SPECIALIST ZERO WASTE BLOGGERS
These folks are specialists in that they’ve taken the zero waste ethos and made it their own by infusing it with their passions and skills. Great resources for those looking for specific resources.
About Zero Waste Chef
In addition to the usual zero waste good stuff, Anne-Marie Bonneau focuses on going zero waste in the kitchen. Namely: zero waste cooking!
Food waste is a huge problem in our extra consumptive societies. So thinking about zero waste from a food perspective makes a ton of sense. She writes about how to meal prep, cut out processed foods, and use fermentation to make things like Kombucha. Who doesn’t love a good Kombucha!
The absolute best thing about this blog is the many zero waste recipes and menus – we will be trying all of these in due course!
Anne-Marie’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
- 7 day menus
- Recipes (and other things)
16. ZERO WASTE GUY
About Zero Waste Guy
Ok, to be fair, being a “guy” isn’t “specialist” but we needed to put the LA-based Jonathan Levy somewhere different. He does seem to be one of very few men talking about zero waste (where’s the gender diversity, guys?).
We like that Jonathan builds waste considerations into his work as a business consultant and keynote speaker to help companies adopt more sustainable business practices. He has a nice repertoire of impact in this regard.
On Zero Waste Guy, Jonathan writes about how to waste less (including some indirect forms you might not think about) and provides amusing and/or matter-of-fact commentary on environmental related news.
For the wanderlust stricken, he also writes zero waste travel guides.
His even more active Insta also provides some nice inspiration from a slightly different perspective.
Jonathan’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
About Treading My Own Path
Blogger and inspirational speaker Lindsay Miles began treading her own path to zero waste in 2012 after seeing a simple flyer with a month-long plastic-free challenge. Now she’s a worldwide inspiration and has her own TEDx talk.
Lindsay started living more minimally, which is why this zero waste minimalism blog is as much about less waste as it is about less stuff (in general):
“[T]here is a better way to live than accumulating more and more, and tossing it in the trash when we’re done. Letting go of the excess means making room for new experiences and time for doing what we truly love.”
Lindsay gets real about the zero waste struggle, while staying positive and quick-witted. Whether it’s an article on DIY, clean eating, ethical consumption, or zero waste as a community, these articles are helpful and hilarious.
Linsday’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
18. WILD MINIMALIST
About The Wild Minimalist
Unlike other blogs on this list, The Wild Minimalist started as a store, which we’ve featured before as one of the best zero waste online stores. California couple Max and Lily started this store because in their own transition to zero waste, they found the number of one-stop-shops abysmally low.
Their hope is that you’ll try to reuse and find things second hand first. For everything you can’t, they’ve got you covered while keeping their products uncovered (in plastic, that is!).
Their blog has only been active since 2017, but they’ve got a range of unique zero waste guides that are refreshingly different. We particularly like their zero waste event planning guides, like how to plan a zero waste wedding or zero waste baby shower.
Once the shower is over and the baby arrives, check out their helpful child care tips! Lily is a new-ish mom herself so she’s got the inside scoop.
Max and Lily’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
About Conscious By Chloe
Chloé Lepeltier is the brilliant voice of Conscious By Chloe. Originally from France, Chloé now dwells somewhere in between Portland, Oregon and France (when she’s not traveling, that is).
Since starting the blog in 2015, Chloé has written hundreds of articles on everything from minimalist product guides to productivity tips so you can live more minimally, too.
We like that she not only writes articles about products and companies out there in the market, but about the products she owns and uses. For instance, she has general ethical fashion guides, as well as a My Closet section where she dives into her own fashion habits and choices.
Between that and her blissful bubbly tone, she definitely has a way of putting a personable spin on sustainability.
Chloe’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
- Zero Waste PDX: Chloe lives in Portland part-time and if you do too, she’s got a full-on zero waste manual for you to keep Portland weird AND waste-free.
- Her zero waste Amazon shop gives you all sorts of rigorously vetted product recommendations across everything from home furnishings to cold remedies.
- Zero Waste Bloggers Around the World
ZERO WASTE MOM AND FAMILY BLOGGERS
These low waste ladies can really do it all, from cleaning up after their kiddos to greening the planet. These mom sustainability superstars are out to inspire. If they can make zero waste work, so can we all!
20. PAREDOWN HOME
About PAREdown Home
Since 2014, this Canadian zero waste home blog has been featured by Mind Body Green, The Huffington Post, Tree Hugger, and more.
And no wonder. Founders Katelin LeBlond and Tara Smith-Arnsdorf do a fantastic job of making zero waste accessible to everyone, from working moms to poor college kids.
They focus on appealing to the ordinary person, juggling the many pressures of everyday life all while trying to reduce personal impact. They give all sorts of zero waste guides as well as tips to stick with when it gets tough.
Check out a super cute illustration animation video on Katelin and Tara’s Zero Waste Journey. They’re both moms who want to live in such a way that they can create meaningful, healthy futures for their children and others.
Katelin and Tara’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
- Their “Shop Cities” tab allows you to find zero waste shops in just about every major Canadian metropolis. And it’s even sorted by product type.
- Zero Waste Finances. Show me the Money! – That’s right, zero waste saves you money!
- Forget Failure. Why You Should Too – Seriously a great read for anyone struggling with staying motivated through the failures and frustrations of a zero waste lifestyle. Know you’re not alone!
- If you’re looking for any plastic replacements, they have their own zero waste online store.
21. THE RENZ NEST
About The Renz Nest
Another great UK zero waste home blog, Jessica Renz started going zero waste in 2017, when she made a New Year’s Resolution to only use her reusable cup for the year.
Even though her blog is relatively new (similar to Sustainable Jungle), she has tons of posts across a wide range of categories that are especially friendly for zero waste newbies.
She’s an adorably proud mom to Baby Aaron and Puppy Luna. See her more recent posts documenting pregnancy and infant rearing with a zero waste twist. Great for new or expecting moms wondering how their little one will affect their zero waste habits.
Jessica’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
- The idea that started it all for Jessica: What Are You Saving With A Reusable Cup?
- The Reusable Nappy Guide
- Not Just About the Plastic
- Visit her new zero waste online shop, filled with plastic and chemical alternatives she used to only sell at festivals and events.
About Gippsland Unwrapped
Gippsland Unwrapped started in 2015 with the now famous Plastic Free July Challenge.
Zero waste family blogger Tammy Logan is proud to call Gippsland Australia home for herself, her husband, and two children. She writes extensively about sustainable living in the context of a “not-so-eco-conscious family” and how they compromise to make changes that matter. Especially great reads for those wondering how to incorporate zero waste in a household that maybe doesn’t share your goals.
We love how this site is particularly aimed at rural, dispersed communities like Gippsland itself, where bulk stores and other zero waste resources are limited. It’s super helpful and inspiring to see that zero waste isn’t just for urbanites and city-dwellers.
Tammy was also recently diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, and now writes about the challenges of living zero waste with a chronic illness. It’s a unique and useful perspective to the zero waste blogging community.
Tammy’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
- Our Plastic Free Family Home (Your Complete Guide)
- They’ve got some really specific but very applicable articles like Using a Menstrual Cup While Camping (a must read for eco-minded camping lovers out there, along with their zero waste camping guide)
- How to Help Environmental Awareness in 2019 (regardless of the year you read this, it’s relevant for all your environmental activism motivations)
LARGER SCALE ZERO WASTE BLOGS
These are the zero waste living blogs that have slightly outgrown the title of mere blog. With a panel of writers on staff and a wider network of sustainability outreach, these zero waste websites have a lot to offer.
About Eco Warrior Princess
Eco Warrior Princess was founded in 2012 by writer and off-grid organic farmer Jennifer Nini. Unlike many other zero waste living blogs here that are run by one-woman (and man) wonders, Jennifer now works with a global team of inspiring folks.
That’s how they churn out a TON of quality content on a regular basis. A quick site search for “zero waste” brings up over 350 articles under that tag alone.
And they go way beyond just zero waste with an activist bent. You can find tons of hard-hitting articles about sustainability and social justice issues, like politics, sustainable fashion, mental illness, and feminism.
Read a good sample of their honest voice in the article, “I’m More Sustainable Than You.” How Did the Eco Community Become So Intolerant and Competitive?
The idea is “moving beyond the granola-hippie cliche and dismantling ethical elitism, to bring you media that matters.”
Jennifer and Co’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
- 10 of the Best Sustainable Lifestyle Apps to Help you live Clean, Green and Ethical
- 5 Useful Tips to Cope with Climate Anxiety
- Their Insta is a great source for a daily quick fix of inspiration
- We Can’t ‘Recycle’ Our Way to Zero Waste
About Sustainability Tribe
Zero waste has truly gone global.
From Dubai, Sustainability Tribe is a social initiative founded by Amruta Kshemkalyani that is single-handedly pioneering the zero waste movement of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Amruta could make anyone feel like an eco-underachiever. Her background is in mechanical engineering, specifically in sustainable project management and green building development. With that, she advises businesses toward sustainable transformations and volunteers for many local sustainability initiatives.
Amrata and her grassroots “Sustainability Tribe” are some seriously dedicated individuals. Their website provides both Middle East-specific sustainability guidelines as well as globally applicable tips and tricks.
Their articles are wide-reaching, including green parenting, eco-friendly DIY recipes, sustainability industry news, and conscious consumer guides on sustainable products and services.
Amruta and her Sustainability Tribe’s Helpful Zero Waste Resources
- Their Ecotourism is amazing for anyone planning a sustainable trip across the Middle East, Asia, Europe, or Australia.
- What Is Sustainable Transportation
- Since biodiversity preservation is just as much a zero waste concern as actual plastic, they have tons of tools to get involved in wildlife conservation and other global sustainability campaigns.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON BEST ZERO WASTE LIVING BLOGS
We originally published this article about two years ago, back when the number of zero waste minimalism blogs was quite a bit more… minimalist. Since then, the number of zero waste bloggers truly exploded. So we felt it was time to revisit the zero waste blogging community.
The problem this time was narrowing down the choices to just the top zero waste bloggers. What a fantastic problem to have.
We’re taking this as an incredibly encouraging sign of the times. It’s proof that not everything environmental needs to be seen through the window of doom and gloom. We’re moving in the right direction as more and more people are recognizing that zero waste is the future.
It takes a whole lot of good work to make behavioral change like this happen on a global scale. We hope you find some inspiration from these individuals to go out there and become your own zero waste hero.
If you think a friend or family member could also use a bit of inspiration, feel free to give this article a share.
And tell us in the comments… who inspires you when it comes to wasting less?
Thank you for this list!
They are all so inspiring!
– Chloe
https://consciousbychloe.com
Thanks Chloe!
There are many things one can do to reduce their impact on the globe.. From making your own children’s toys, to diapers, to our own soap! Check out this blog where a traveling couple spends 2 weeks working on a zero waste farm in Turkey: https://www.ditchthemap.com/travel-blog/a-reflection-on-zero-waste-living-in-a-consumer-driven-capitalist-world
Wow, sounds amazing, thanks for sharing!