Sustainability is the zeitgeist of social media today, with people left and right dropping ‘eco’, ‘green’, ‘ethical’ and ‘sustainable’ into every other sentence. I’m excited about more and more people talking about saving our planet – when I was younger people thought I was crazy for wanting to save water and electricity – but now brands as big as H&M and Primark are jumping on the sustainability bandwagon.
It may appear that everyone on Instagram is an expert on the matter, but there are several true experts we should all be listening to, whether on Instagram, Twitter or long-form blogs. With the rise of misinformation and ill-researched facts thrown about online, it’s important to know where to go for the real facts and figures. Here are some of my favourites!
Give them a follow, share their posts and show your support – we can all do our bit.
Clare Press
Clare Press aka ‘Mrs Press’ is Australian Vogue’s editor-at-large, and host of the ‘Wardrobe Crisis‘ podcast. In 2018, she was made Global Ambassador for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s Make Fashion Circular initiative.
She talks extensively about circular fashion and how modern fashion needs to catch up with the way the world is changing, especially in regards to supply chain ethics and legislation around clothing production. She is a journalist and author of three books, her latest of which, ‘Rise & Resist, How to change the world‘, was published in 2018.
Aja Barber
Journalist and fashion consultant Aja Barber writes about intersectionality in feminism and ethical fashion, both of which are closely connected. Follow her on Instagram for knowledgable and honest stories and posts about sustainability and intersectionality.
My only critique would be that she doesn’t have a blog or podcast, but her captions could be described as ‘micro-blogging’ – if you want to learn and want to think, Aja is for you.
Venetia Falconer
A name that keeps appearing on my ‘to follow’ lists, Venetia is a very vocal advocate of slow fashion, sharing hints and tips to reduce waste and live more sustainably. Venetia pulls no punches when taking about the ‘sustainable collections’ of fast fashion brands, so if you’re looking for an honest voice that cuts through a lot of noise, Venetia is your woman.
If you prefer to listen rather than scroll, Venetia also hosts the ‘Talking Tastebuds‘ podcast, in which she interviews various guests about their relationship with food, sustainability, mental health and well-being.
Natural Resources Defense Council
Not a person but an organisation committed to safeguarding the Earth. The NRDC works on a broad range of issues, from race to gender equality to sustainability projects. Follow them on Instagram to see what they’re up to and show your support.
My favourite thing about this account is that it shares a huge amount of easily digestible information, that if you so wish, you can visit their ‘like shop’ page and read up on. It’s a clever way of linking pages, petitions, blog posts and charities in one place.
Greta Thunberg
The girl of the moment, 16 year old Greta Thunberg shot to fame last August, when she began protesting outside Swedish Parliament during school hours with a sign painted with the words, “Skolstrejk for Klimatet” (“School Strike for Climate”).
Follow Greta on Instagram to keep up to date with her powerful speeches and activism. Following Greta is truly humbling – this 16 year old does more than the vast majority of us and can act as an inspiration to all. Read more about #ChildrenVsClimateCrisis here, and if you’d like to strike too, follow Fridays for Future, the page for international weekly climate strikes.
Blue Ollis
Blue is a low-waste vegan who shared advice on how we can all cut plastic, eat better and reduce our environmental impact. Whether you’re into Instagram, YouTube or would prefer to read a blog, Blue has it all.
If you’re looking for inspiration of vegan recipes, she has also launched a range of ebooks, perfect for anyone looking to reduce the environmental impact of their diet, or just incorporate some more veggies!
Bea Johnson
Described as the “Mother of the Zero Waste lifestyle movement”, Bea has been waste-free since 2008 – long before zero-waste was known to the average consumer! Her book, Zero Waste Home provides ways of reducing household waste and shared how she transformed her family’s home to the zero-waste lifestyle, with an amazing one litre of rubbish put out per year!
Read her 100 top tips here, or follow her on Instagram to keep up to date with what she’s up to – recently she has packed up and will be touring the US and Canada to share her message.
James Whitlow Delano
Photographer and climate activist James founded Everyday Climate Change, a collective of photographers who are capturing the everyday effects of climate change. His page acts as a quasi-photo journal, each picture with a short story behind it.
Both pages share information from experts about a particular topic, from racism in India to receding glaciers, accompanied by a beautiful (and often concerning) photo. Follow James on Instagram or check out his website.
Thank you for reading! Who are some of your favourite people to follow on this subject?