The Globe and Mail interviewed Prof. Kate Parizeau for a Sept. 7 story about the popularity of zero-waste social media “influencers” who promote a more ecologically conscious lifestyle.

The article says Instagram accounts have rebranded the sustainability movement, with pretty pictures offering tips on how to live with less, including taking your own containers to the grocery store and making your own soap.

A professor in the Department of Geography, Environment and Geomatics, Parizeau said environmental issues and climate change can feel overwhelming for many people, and that adopting a zero-waste lifestyle at home can help people feel as though they’re doing their part.

She also said she hopes that the popularity of the sustainability movement and its “zero-wasters” is more than a passing trend.

Parizeau studies the social context of waste and waste management.