Best Sustainable and Ethical Blogs (for People Who Still Read Them)
In 2021, reading a real live sustainable and ethical blog is not as novel as it used to be. Instead, most content creators find their communities on social media apps like Tik Tok and Instagram.
And I know that these ways of community building have been transformative in their ability to connect people quickly and relatively accurately to topics, issues, and people they care about.
But what’s lacking is the ability to create long form content. Not because people aren’t interested in it, but because social media platforms just aren’t built for it. The result is a lack of fuller context, confusing conversation threads, and, too often, misinformation.
Social media, for all the amazing ways it delivers content, too often attempts community without creating the real intimacy, equality, and accountability that comes with real, lived community. In chaplaincy, we would say that what’s missing is a dialogical relationship: the ability to mutually regard and see one another past stereotypes and personal brands.
While blogging isn’t perfect, the fact that blogs are independent platforms with search functions, longer post formats, and (often) comment threads can make them feel more like sitting in a room with someone. They can build a sense of place.
None of that discounts the amazing work of influencers on social media, many of them Black, Indigenous, people of color, and other creators from communities so often left out of traditional media. For WOC Instagram influencers, I recommend this roundup by sustainable influencer and activist, Dominique Drakeford.
The landscape has changed, sure, but there’s still great content out there in traditional blogging. I think we’re in for a blogging renaissance one of these days. It’s kept me occupied for eight years now!
The bloggers I list here have published new content within the last three months as of today’s date.
13 Sustainable and Ethical Blogs to Read in 2021
Adimay
Aditi is an artist and activist, and uses her blog to share the power and beauty at the intersections. A longtime sustainable fashion advocate, Aditi’s resources are beautiful, well-researched, and always focused on what it means to build an inclusive world that not only acknowledges but celebrates the contributions of women of color.
Old World New
Addie is a longtime favorite because she offers practical, honest, and down-to-earth resources on all things low waste, secondhand, and sustainable living. She describes herself as a sustainability enthusiast, and that enthusiasm comes out in her writing. Addie also offers great resources on Black-owned brands.
EcoCult
Alden and her writing team share thoroughly researched posts on innovations in the fashion industry, along with comprehensive shopping guides. I trust EcoCult to share airtight resources from professionals in the industry.
Sustainably Chic
Natalie and her writing team offer timely and beautiful shopping guides on anything you could think of, as well as reviews of sustainable goods. Natalie has a background in fashion. As such, Sustainably Chic focuses on fashion more than some of the other sites, which I really appreciate.
Going Zero Waste
Kathryn is infectiously optimistic about lifestyle ethics, which gives me hope. She shares practical, achievable zero waste resources, and often partners with organizations that innovate in consumer packaging and recycling. She has also written a book!
Eco Warrior Princess
Based in Australia, Eco Warrior Princess reports on innovations, industry news, and sustainability advice and more with writers from around the world. Editor Jennifer Nini is one of the original sustainability bloggers and has a no-nonsense point of view.
My Green Closet
My Green Closet is the blog that accompanies Verena’s popular YouTube channel, where she shares capsule closets, ethical brands, and sustainability tips. It’s always well-researched and relatable.
Ethical Unicorn
Fran’s commitment to the long read means that each post is incredibly thorough, timely, and helpful. She focuses on ethics, climate change, and social justice issues with a particular focus on UK politics and culture.
Moral Fibres
One of the longest-running green lifestyle blogs, Wendy offers DIY tips for home, garden, and other lifestyle topics. She does’t post super often these days, but when she does, it’s guaranteed to be useful.
Style Bee
Lee (who shares a nickname with me, “Bee”) is a minimalist fashion blogger who created the original 10×10 style challenge. She shares daily fashion, monthly closet roundups, and beautiful home photography. She’s based in Canada.
A Considered Life
Sophie advocates for minimalist, vegan, and low-waste living with a clear voice and aesthetic that makes me aspire to a little more simplicity in my own life. She’s also a caretaker of many beautiful plants and owns a jewelry company.
Simply Liv and Co.
Olivia (Liv) advocates for slow living and real talk about motherhood, ethical fashion, social media, and small business ownership. She owns a low waste coffee shop and features beautiful slow fashion brands.
StyleWise Blog
My own blog is eight years old this year! I feature shopping guides, industry news, personal style posts, and think pieces (time permitting). I hope to do even more to integrate broader ethical conversations into my work this year.
Honorable Mentions
There are some traditional media sites that offer great coverage on issues related to sustainable and ethical fashion…
Have I missed someone? Let me know!
I will always, always, always prefer blogs. Maybe it’s because I’m a crotchety old millenial? Ha! But seriously, though, I think that forums like these are invaluable because like you said, social media is better for pithy sound bites than really nuanced conversations. Thank you for sharing this roundup!
I, too, could be described as a crotchety old millennial, lol. The sad thing is that blogs hold a lot more value when there’s a critical mass of options. More and more are going silent these days, but hopefully that will change.