Sustainable in the Suburbs
Want to waste less, save money, and make your home a little more eco-friendly? Sustainable in the Suburbs is your go-to podcast for practical, judgment-free tips and real-life stories to help you build sustainable habits that actually stick.
Hosted by Sarah Robertson-Barnes — a suburban soccer mum, sustainability educator, and founder of the blog Sustainable in the Suburbs — this weekly show brings doable advice, honest conversations, and actionable ideas to help you waste less, spend smarter, and live more sustainably at home.
Because sustainable living doesn’t have to be perfect to matter — and you don’t have to do it all to make a big impact.
Start where you are, use what you have, and live a little greener.
Episodes
37 episodes
36: How to Host a Clothing Swap — Sharing Clothes & Building Community
We all have clothes we don’t wear. Pieces that might fit again someday, that were expensive, or that feel too nice to just drop into a donation bin. When those clothes start piling up, donation often becomes the default solution. And once those...
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Episode 36
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25:15
35: Rethinking Sustainable Fashion, Consumption, and Personal Style with Sabs Katz
This episode touches on sustainable fashion — but it’s not only about fashion.It’s a conversation about how we think about clothes, how we relate to what we already own, and how everyday decisions around getting dressed connect to consum...
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Episode 35
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58:33
34: How to Quit Using Paper Towels (and What to Use Instead)
Paper towels are one of those everyday items most of us don’t think twice about — until we do. They’re convenient, familiar, and deeply embedded in our kitchen routines. But when you slow down and look at what goes into making something designe...
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Episode 34
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27:09
33: Fewer, Better Things — How to Reduce Kitchen Clutter and Waste with Sasha Mazzuca
Our homes are full of things we barely notice until they start to feel heavy. Duplicate pantry items, forgotten gadgets, drawers that are full of junk... And suddenly, everyday life feels harder than it needs to be.In this episode, I’m j...
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Episode 33
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51:59
32: Overstimulation, Overconsumption, and the Pressure to Do More with Gillian Gabryluk
If the week between Christmas and New Year’s leaves you feeling overstimulated, scattered, or unsure how to move forward without just adding more pressure, you’re not alone. After a season filled with noise, expectations, and stuff, it...
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Episode 32
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51:35
31: What Actually Works (and What Doesn't) in Sustainable Living — Lessons From a Year of Podcasting
After releasing 31 episodes — something I am frankly amazed at — I wanted to take a few minutes to look back on this first year of Sustainable in the Suburbs. What’s worked, what’s been harder than expected, and what I’ve learned along...
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Episode 31
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18:17
30: Sustainable Gift Wrapping — How to Use What You Have and Cut Holiday Waste
Every holiday season, those beautifully wrapped gifts under the tree inevitably results in a giant pile of very fancy garbage in five minutes flat.In this week’s episode of Susta...
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Episode 30
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32:36
29: Sustainable Holidays with Kids — Minimalism, Presence, and Doing Less with Stephanie Seferian
If the holidays seem to get louder and more overwhelming every year, you’re not imagining it. From endless ads to the pressure to make everything “magical,” it’s easy to get swept into a season that feels more stressful than joyful. And for par...
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Episode 29
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46:14
28: Is It Okay to Give Secondhand Gifts? Why Thrifted Gifts Are the Most Eco-Friendly Choice
Some of the most meaningful gifts we give (and receive) aren’t new. They’re secondhand.And yet… so many of us still hesitate.In this week’s episode of Sustainable in the Suburbs, Sarah Robertson-Barnes digs into the cultu...
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Episode 28
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29:28
27: Finding Joy in Creative Reuse — Sustainable Crafting for Every Season with Sibia Torres Padilla
What if the things we already have — the scraps, the leaves, the little bits most people throw away — are exactly where creativity begins?This week, Sarah Robertson-Barnes talks with Sibia Torres Padilla, the artist and author behind
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Episode 27
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36:59
26: Holiday Food Waste — Simple Ways to Reduce Waste, Save Money, and Celebrate Sustainably
Festive food and drink are an important part of celebrating the holidays, but food waste shouldn’t be. In this episode of Sustainable in the Suburb...
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Episode 26
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20:16
25: Redefining Sustainable Living — From Zero Waste to Real-World Resilience with Kristy Halderman
What happens when your life changes completely — but your commitment to living sustainably stays the same?This week, I’m joined by Kristy Halderman, whose sustainability journey has taken her from Washington, DC to Montana — touching nea...
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Episode 25
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57:11
24: 5 Sustainable Living Mistakes to Avoid (and What to Do Instead)
Sustainable living isn’t a straight path — it’s a practice that shifts and changes as we do.Over the years, I’ve learned a lot about what sustainable living really looks like. I’ve tried just about everything, and while some things worke...
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Episode 24
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25:40
23: Borrow Before You Buy — Sharing, Renting, and the Circular Economy with LEND-IT.CA
Do you really need to own everything? From ladders and camping gear to canning supplies and extra tables, so many of the things cluttering our homes only get used once or twice a year. What if borrowing — instead of buying — became our default?...
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Episode 23
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39:42
22: From Refills to Resilience — Simple, Real-Life Sustainable Living with Julie Darrell
What if stepping into a refill shop for the first time could change the way you see your whole community?This week, I’m joined by Julie Darrell, owner and founder of Bring Your Own Long Beach. Sinc...
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Episode 22
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56:14
21: Zero Waste Halloween — Eco-Friendly Tips for Costumes, Candy, and Pumpkins
Halloween is supposed to be spooky, but the real horror might just be the mountain of waste it leaves behind. Costumes that only last one night, piles of plastic candy wrappers, cheap décor that lasts one season, and millions of pumpkins sent s...
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Episode 21
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22:00
20: Wildlife Conservation, Birding, and Finding Hope in Nature with Matt Howard
What if noticing a chickadee, or spending Sunday offline, could change the way you see your neighbourhood — and yourself?This week, I’m joined by Matt Howard, a wildli...
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Episode 20
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1:07:12
19: Slow, Conscious, and Local — Sustainable Travel with Renee de Ronde
What if travel could be a form of care — for the planet, for ourselves, and for each other?This week, I’m joined by Renee de Ronde, the creator behind Conscious Compass, w...
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Episode 19
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51:49
18: Connecting Communities Through Green Spaces with Carolyn Scotchmer
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” Green spaces strengthen our neighbourhoods, connecting us to nature and to each other.In this episode, I’m joined by Carolyn Scotchmer, Executive Dir...
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Episode 18
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23:58
17: How to Raise Eco-Friendly Kids — Sustainable Living Tips for Parents with Talayna Zacharias
Is it possible to raise kids who care about the planet — without adding more to your already overflowing plate?In this episode, I’m joined by Talayna Zacharias, a sustainability educator...
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Episode 17
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49:37
16: Sustainable Living with Kids — How to Save Money and Reduce Waste with Jessica Nakamura
From cloth diapers and thrifted toys to birthday party overload, this is what sustainable living with small kids actually looks like — the joys, the trade-offs, and what makes it doable.This week, I’m joined by
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Episode 16
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40:55
15: The Purposeful You — Sustainable Gardening with Tasha Medve
Food doesn’t come from the grocery store — it comes from the earth. Sustainable gardening is our most direct connection to nature, and one of the most powerful ways we can take climate action right in our own backyards.This week, I’m joi...
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Episode 15
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53:29
14: Zero Waste Back to School — Simple Ways to Save Money and Reduce Waste
Back-to-school doesn’t have to mean a cart full of new stuff. In this episode of Sustainable in the Suburbs, I’m sharing how to get your kids ready for school without wasting money — or creating a mountain of waste.From supplies...
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Episode 14
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29:26
13: Beeswax Wraps 101 — Plastic-Free Food Storage with Hive to Home
Let your reusables look reused.In this episode of Sustainable in the Suburbs, I’m joined by Chelsey Schmuland, the owner and maker behind Hive to Home in Nova Scotia. Chelsey cr...
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Episode 13
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1:01:21
12: How to Quit Using Amazon — and Why You Should
We know it’s a problem, we just don’t know how to stop. Here’s how to start...In this episode of Sustainable in the Suburbs, I’m talking about how to quit Amazon — or at least drastically reduce your reliance on it — in a way th...
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Episode 12
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18:09