Sustainable in the Suburbs | Reduce Waste, Sustainable Habits & Intentional Living
Want to waste less, save money, and build a more sustainable home life?
Do you care about sustainable living but feel overwhelmed by all the advice, products, pressure, and endless lists of things you are supposed to change?
If that sounds like you, you’re in the right place. Sustainable in the Suburbs helps you reduce waste, build sustainable habits, and make intentional living feel more doable at home — in a way that works for real people, real families, real budgets, real routines, and real homes.
Hosted by Sarah Robertson-Barnes — sustainability educator, writer, speaker, former high school science teacher, suburban mum, and founder of Sustainable in the Suburbs — the show offers practical, non-judgmental guidance to help you waste less, spend more intentionally, buy less, use what you already have, and make thoughtful changes at home. Sarah’s background in science education and technical writing helps her make complex sustainability topics clear, approachable, and useful in everyday life.
Because sustainable living is not just about eco-friendly products or making every possible swap. It is about creating a home life that is better for the planet while also working for your budget, energy, family, routines, and capacity.
On the podcast, you’ll hear practical conversations and ideas about:
Low waste living and reducing waste at home
Sustainable habits that fit real life
Reducing food waste and building low-waste kitchen routines
Buying less, using what you have, and reducing overconsumption
Sustainable parenting and sustainable living with kids
Composting, decluttering, plastic-free living, and eco-frugal living
Making holidays and celebrations less wasteful
Bringing more slow living and intentional living into everyday life
Building a more sustainable home life without adding more pressure
Choose an episode and hit play. Follow or subscribe for practical ideas to help make sustainable living feel more doable at home.
Next steps:
Free Household Waste Audit Workbook
A Beginner’s Guide to a Sustainable Kitchen
Read the Sustainable in the Suburbs blog
Join the Sustainable in the Suburbs newsletter
Start where you are, use what you have, and live a little greener — one small shift at a time!
Sustainable in the Suburbs | Reduce Waste, Sustainable Habits & Intentional Living
Latest Episodes
58: How to Quit Amazon, Buy Less, and Break the Cycle of Overconsumption
Overconsumption is built into the way we shop and Amazon makes buying more, faster, almost frictionless.This episode of Sustainable in the Suburbs originally aired in August 2025, but I wanted to bring it back now because ...
57: Connecting With Nature — Everyday Ecosystem Restoration with Tim Christophersen
Connecting with nature starts with understanding that we aren’t separate from the natural world — we are part of it.This week, I’m joined by Tim Christophersen, author of Generation Restoration and a leading global voice on ecos...
56: Food Preservation for Beginners — How to Save Money on Groceries with Kris Bordessa
If you want to reduce food waste, save money on groceries, and learn about easy and practical food preservation, this conversation with Kris Bordessa is a great place to start.In this episode, I’m joined by Kris Bordessa, author of A...
55: Use What You Have — A Simple Way to Reduce Waste
Sustainable living is increasingly being marketed as something we need to shop for. We are constantly being shown greener products, better materials, and more sustainable versions of things we already own—but for most of us, the best place to s...
54: Litter Prevention and Community Action — What the 2026 National Litter Study Reveals with Keep America Beautiful
Litter is one of the most visible forms of waste in our communities. It shows up along roads, in parks, on trails, near schools, and in the places we move through every day. But it is also a clue — about our habits, our infrastructure, our syst...
Contributors
Podcasts we love
Check out these other fine podcasts recommended by us, not an algorithm.
Sustainable Minimalists
Stephanie Seferian
How to Save a Planet
Gimlet
Simple Families
Denaye Barahona Ph.D.
Outrage + Optimism
Persephonica and Global Optimism
A Matter of Degrees
Dr. Leah Stokes, Dr. Katharine WilkinsonHow To Be A Minimalist (The Sustainable Way)
Defying Space
Plugged In
Megan Bennett