Zero-waste living with Kathryn Kellogg

Kathryn Kellogg's journey toward sustainable living began unexpectedly. A trained actor, she initially adopted eco-friendly practices out of financial necessity and for health reasons. As she transitioned to a zero-waste lifestyle, Kathryn discovered that these changes were not only beneficial to her health but also had a significant positive impact on the environment. This sparked the creation of Going Zero Waste, her blog dedicated to making sustainable living accessible, fun, and practical for everyone. She started creating videos soon after, sharing actionable, eco-friendly tips that her followers could apply to their daily lives, on topics such as plant-based diets, reducing waste, and sourcing sustainable products. Since then, she has become a prominent voice in the zero-waste movement.

Kathryn's work is redefining what it means to live sustainably, challenging the idea that it is all about sacrifice. Instead, she shows that it's about making intentional, thoughtful choices that benefit both people and the planet. Through her book, 101 Ways to Go Zero Waste, and the follow-up Zero Waste Kitchen, she breaks down eco-friendly living into approachable steps with a sense of optimism and empowerment. What sets Kathryn apart is her refreshing honesty. She admits she once struggled with guilt over every piece of plastic waste, but realized over time that striving for perfection wasn't sustainable. These days, she emphasizes progress over perfection, focusing this year on repairing and repurposing, highlighting that sustainability is an ongoing journey. In a world where young people often feel overwhelmed by eco-anxiety, Kathryn's message is a welcome breath of fresh air, showing that living sustainably is possible for everyone.

Now, Kathryn Kellogg has teamed up with UNESCO Green Citizens to highlight individuals and communities taking tangible steps toward a greener planet. UNESCO Green Citizens is a global initiative that amplifies local projects addressing climate change in their own contexts. By connecting these citizen-driven efforts with UNESCO's scientific expertise, the initiative aims to inspire a worldwide network of actors committed to sustainable development. The 150 UNESCO Green Citizens projects are innovative, duplicable, and impactful, embodying the transformative power of collective action. For this collaboration, Kathryn recently published a video about the UNESCO Green Citizens project #QuartierVertChallenge. Founded by Abdou Touré in Dakar, Senegal, this project encourages communities to transform urban spaces into green, sustainable environments, and encourage others to do the same. By leveraging her platform to promote such initiatives, Kathryn is helping to create a ripple effect and inspire others to take action for our shared planet.

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By championing sustainable lifestyles in an accessible way, Kathryn directly supports UNESCO's goals of empowering individuals and communities to protect the planet. UNESCO plays a crucial role in targeting climate change through its education and biodiversity initiatives. Its Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) program equips learners with the knowledge and skills needed to address critical global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, and unsustainable resource use. By integrating local knowledge and scientific expertise, UNESCO fosters innovative solutions and strengthens communities' ability to protect their environments. From its work on biodiversity conservation through programs like Man and the Biosphere, to supporting grassroots actions, UNESCO demonstrates that collective action and education are key to safeguarding our planet's future.

Read more about UNESCO's Education for Sustainability Framework