Anina Mutter in an interview: Naturally sustainable

Anina Mutter is one of the most exciting and most heard and seen voices in the sustainability movement in Switzerland. In this interview, we ask her how she became passionate about a sustainable lifestyle and what motivates her.

Anina, why don't you tell us about yourself: what makes you and Your universe out? What would you like to tell us about with your universe? 

For me, everything revolves around living as holistically and sustainably as possible. I try to do this in the most authentic and honest way possible. For me, sustainability means living on many different levels: be it in my diet, how I get around, how and what I consume in general, how I treat my fellow human beings and the environment, and so on. For me, holistic and sustainable go hand in hand. I share my experiences, findings, experiments and questions online with my community - if I can inspire someone in a playful way to take courage and think in a more sustainable direction, then that makes me very happy. It is extremely important to me to be undogmatic and non-extremist - I live my truth, but never claim that it is the only right one. It is simply an attempt to do things a little better and differently and to take care of myself and the planet. 

You are the author and publisher of ekkoist, a sustainability guide. What inspired you to do this? What particularly surprised you during your research? 

Well, I've always wanted to write a book. Even as a little girl I literally devoured books and I still find it so beautiful to hold a book in my hands. For a long time, I didn't realise what I wanted to write about until I realised that there was something missing on the market. Because whenever I want to go somewhere, I have to do some research beforehand (and it's quite time-consuming) to find places that match my sustainable, vegan, design-affine universe. So I decided to write a list of places that I wish already existed. And so ekko was born. 
During my research, I was pleasantly surprised by how much passion and heart and soul is put into these often very daring and innovative concepts. There are people behind them who dare to dream big and I think that's something really nice. On the other hand, I was surprised (although I already knew this a little) that although the selection is constantly increasing, it is still not what it could be. But I'm optimistic that it will continue to improve. However, I am all the more enthusiastic about all the concepts that have made it into my guide - they offer a sustainable, innovative and stylish experience across the board. So, anti-mainstream and sustainability without the eco-cliché!

How did you come across the topic of sustainability? Was there an occasion, did you see or read something, or what inspired you to dedicate your life and your universe to sustainability? How do you define sustainability for yourself? 

I was brought up with a lot of respect for people, animals and nature from an early age. Empathy and fairness have always been very important factors for me. With this already highly sensitised attitude and clear values, I automatically became more and more involved with sustainability issues. Following the principle of "the more I know, the less I can give back", I became more and more aware of various challenges and then consistently sought solutions in my life and adapted my lifestyle accordingly. So from organic, to vegan, to fair fashion, to reduced consumption, etc. etc. I don't want to be part of this exploitative and destructive economic model of this world myself and do what I can to swim a little against the tide. With regard to a definition of sustainability or my lifestyle, I think the first question already gives a good picture. In short: I want to live as healthy, holistic and sustainable a life as possible by trying to choose the alternatives that have the best possible impact on me, people, animals and the environment. However, I always remain vigilant so as not to become too rigid or too extreme. Sustainability must remain liveable in my eyes. 

Are there areas in which you do not live "sustainably"? 

I think I'm actually pretty good at living a sustainable lifestyle. In principle, however, I sometimes (due to my job or training) put a bit of a spanner in the works, as I have to/want to get on a plane from time to time. But I only really try to fly when there's no other option and always try to compensate for the flights. Apart from that, I think I'm quite an eco-aunt. 

And here are a few quick questions for you: What 3 things are most important to you in life? 

• A fulfilling, balanced, creative everyday life
• Deep, genuine and passionate relationships with people
• The courage to challenge the status quo again and again

Where do you get your inspiration from? 

It's probably a mix of different things: from other projects, from people, from books, from films, from nature, from meditation, but above all from moments of emptiness, with lots of room for new things.

What has surprised you the most in the last few months? 

The incredible potential that lies hidden in me and in every person and where very few people ever really try to realise it.

We would like to thank Anina for the exciting insight into her world and wish her the long-term preservation of her creativity, independence and inspiration.

About Anina

With ekkoist, Anina has succeeded in creating an honest, comprehensive and, above all, sustainable travel guide. The incredibly likeable, natural and animal-loving Anina has an overwhelming need for fairness and tries to create long-term awareness for sustainability and environmental awareness through her social media community. Determined, sometimes stubborn and often passionate, she is constantly challenging the status quo, currently as a sustainability blogger for her universe at ekkoist.