Sustainable in the Suburbs | Reduce Waste, Sustainable Habits & Intentional Living

So much of sustainable living is still presented to us as an individual project — something we are supposed to manage inside our own homes through how we shop, how much we throw away, and all the habits we build around those choices.

But what if sustainability is actually asking something bigger?

In this conversation, I’m joined by Laura Danger, author of No More Mediocre: A Call to Reimagine Our Relationships and Demand More, to talk about what changes when we start thinking about sustainability through the lens of care, community, and interdependence.

We begin with something seemingly simple: hand-me-downs. But circulating clothes, toys, bikes, and other resources requires labour, connection, and a willingness to participate in the life of a community. From there, we talk about why care work remains so deeply gendered and undervalued, and how those same patterns show up in environmental work and the systems behind what we buy, use, and throw away.

We also get into hyper-individualism, consumption, and the idea of weaponized incompetence on a cultural scale — what happens when we are taught not to know or care where things come from, where they go when we are finished with them, or who absorbs the costs along the way.

And we talk about what it means to build something different: sharing resources, participating in mutual aid, showing up for neighbours, and recognizing that interdependence is not a failure of independence. It is how healthy communities work.

If low waste living was your own doorway into questioning consumption, or if you’re trying to build a more intentional life that is less isolated and more connected to the people around you, this conversation asks a bigger question: what are we actually trying to sustain?

Takeaways

• Why circulating hand-me-downs is radical care work
• The connection between gendered labour and sustainable living
• Why care work is essential infrastructure in our homes and communities
• How hyper-individualism keeps us isolated and overburdened
• What cultural “weaponized incompetence” can look like in sustainability
• Why understanding systemic problems does not mean our individual choices stop mattering
• Reciprocity, mutual aid, and the difference between community and transaction
• Why sharing resources can strengthen both social connection and community resilience
• Why sustainable communities cannot be built through individual self-sufficiency alone
• What it means to be a villager, rather than simply wishing for a village

One Small Shift

This week, choose one small way to participate more actively in the community around you. That could mean joining or using your local Buy Nothing group, passing something along instead of throwing it away, checking in on a neighbour, sharing food or another resource, or simply noticing where you have the capacity to make someone else’s day a little easier.

Connect With Laura

No More Mediocre: A Call to Reimagine Our Relationships and Demand More (book)

Time to Lean (podcast)

Website

Instagram

Related Blog Posts

Climate Venn Diagram: A Simple Framework for Climate Action

How to Organize a Clothing Swap

10 Tips for Going Zero Waste with Kids

Related Podcast Episodes

Ep. 7: Rethinking Zero Waste and Building Community Care with April Dickinson

Ep. 11: Money, Enoughness, and Community Care with Women’s Personal Finance

Ep. 32: Overstimulation, Overconsumption, and the Pressure to Do More with Gillian Gabryluk

Ep. 36: How to Host a Clothing Swap — Sharing Clothes & Building Community

Ep. 42: Overwhelmed by Climate Change? The Climate Venn Diagram Can Help

Ep. 58: How to Quit Amazon, Buy Less & Break the Cycle of Overconsumption

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What if intentional living really begins with examining what we already have, what we consume, and how we relate to the world around us?

This episode is a different lens on many of the questions at the heart of sustainability: Why do we always want more? How do we know when we have enough? And what might change if we slowed down long enough to ask ourselves why?

This week, I’m joined by my yoga teacher, Aarti Inamdar, for a conversation about the connections between yoga and sustainable living. Aarti is a student and teacher of classical hatha yoga who has spent nearly 20 years studying and sharing these traditions.

We talk about yoga far beyond the physical practice, and what yogic teachings can offer us in a culture that is constantly encouraging us to want more, buy more, and do more. Aarti introduces the principles of ahimsa (non-harm), pratyahara (sensory withdrawal), and aparigraha (non-possessiveness), and we explore how they connect to overconsumption, enoughness, and the pull so many of us feel toward a slower, simpler way of living.

We also talk about connection to nature — and what changes when we stop thinking of nature as somewhere we go and begin recognizing ourselves as part of it. From the food we eat to the birds in our own backyards, this conversation explores what it might look like to pay closer attention to our relationships with the living world and to question some of the habits of modern life that keep us disconnected from it.

Takeaways

• How yoga extends far beyond the postures on your mat
• What ahimsa, pratyahara, and aparigraha can teach us about sustainable habits and consumption
• Why seeking fulfilment through more stuff can keep us wanting more
• How enoughness connects to intentional living and a less consumption-driven life
• Why slowing down can help us notice our existing connection to nature
• What traditional ways of preparing, sharing, and eating food can teach us about waste and consumption
• How questioning what we actually need can help us step outside the constant push toward more

One Small Shift

Notice where you feel connected — to yourself, another living being, or the natural world around you. Maybe that means taking your coffee outside and listening to the birds, paying closer attention to the food you're eating, or simply noticing the other living beings you share your neighbourhood with.

Connect With Aarti

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Related Blog Posts

A Simple Framework for Climate Action

25 Ways to Live a More Sustainable Lifestyle

Becoming a Zero Waste Family

Related Podcast Episodes

Ep. 5: How to Navigate Climate Emotions and Build Community Around You

Ep. 7: Rethinking Zero Waste and Building Community Care

Ep. 11: Money, Enoughness, and Community Care

Ep. 32: Overstimulation, Overconsumption, and the Pressure to Do More

Ep. 42: Overwhelmed by Climate Change? Start Here

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Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio

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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 the conversation feels even more relevant today.

I’m talking about how to quit Amazon (or at least drastically reduce your reliance on it) in a way that’s actually doable.

We look at the real cost of convenience, from plastic waste and overconsumption to the pressure Amazon’s business model puts on local and independent businesses. I also share how my family has mostly moved away from Amazon, what we do instead, and the few situations where we still use it.

We also talk about the power of boycott. One person choosing to spend differently might feel insignificant, but collectively, where we spend our money matters. Choosing to buy less, shop locally, support independent businesses, buy secondhand, borrow, or simply wait before purchasing are all ways to push back on a system designed to keep us consuming.

This isn’t about pretending everyone can completely avoid Amazon. It’s about finding the places where you do have some wiggle room and building sustainable habits that feel realistic for your life.

Because intentional living doesn’t have to mean overhauling everything overnight. Sometimes it starts with pausing before you click “buy.”

Takeaways

• How Amazon’s business model encourages overconsumption and makes convenience hard to resist.
• Quitting Amazon is about spending in ways that better reflect your values and support your community. 
• The environmental cost of convenience, including packaging, plastic waste, and unnecessary purchases.
• Why boycotts and collective consumer choices can have real power.
• Practical ways to buy less without making your life harder.
• How shopping local, choosing independent retailers, buying secondhand, borrowing, and using what you already have can reduce your reliance on Amazon.
• The three mindset shifts that helped my family: Pause, Buy Local, and Shop Secondhand.
• Why even reducing how often you order can be a meaningful step toward more intentional living.

One Small Shift

Try a “pause rule” for online shopping. Choose one day each week — or even each month — to place online orders, and let everything sit in your cart until then.

You may be surprised by how many things you no longer want or need by the time ordering day rolls around.

Resources

• Buy Less, Buy Better: My Favourite Canadian Brands
• Facebook Marketplace
• Buy Nothing Project
• Poshmark (invite code SUSTAINABLESRB)
• DePop
• ThreadUp
• Kijiji 
• LEND-IT.CA

Related Episodes

Ep. 11: Money, Enoughness, and Community Care with Women’s Personal Finance

Ep. 32: Overstimulation, Overconsumption, and the Pressure to Do More

Ep. 37: Sustainable Decluttering — Why Letting Go Isn’t Neutral

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Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love it if you followed the show, shared it with a friend, or left a rating and review. Every little bit helps more people find Sustainable in the Suburbs — and live a little greener.

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 ecosystem restoration, to talk about ecological literacy, our relationship with nature, and what it means to restore that relationship in our everyday lives.

We talk about what it actually means to be ecologically literate — knowing where our food and water come from, understanding the role nature plays in our communities, recognizing the species we share those spaces with, and beginning to see ourselves as part of those systems rather than separate from them.

We also look at what this means closer to home, including the potential of suburban yards and neighbourhoods, nature as infrastructure, community restoration, regenerative agriculture, and how ordinary people can participate in restoring the ecosystems around them.

And while the challenges facing the natural world are enormous, this is ultimately a hopeful conversation about agency, reciprocity, and why rebuilding our relationship with nature can change the way we approach sustainable living.

Takeaways

• What ecological literacy means and why we need to relearn it
• How the language we use can unconsciously reflect how we see nature
• What reciprocity can look like in our relationship with the natural world
• Why trees, wetlands, soil and other ecosystems are essential infrastructure
• How connecting with nature can begin right outside your own front door
• The role suburban yards, native plants and citizen science can play in ecosystem restoration
• Why community action and local policy matter
• Our shared belief that there is still so much reason to hope

One Small Shift

Get curious about one part of the natural world you encounter every day. Ecological literacy grows through curiosity and observation — and simply paying closer attention can begin to change our relationship with the living world around us.

Connect with Tim

LinkedIn
Website
Generation Restoration: How to Fix Our Relationship Crisis with Mother Nature

Related Blog Posts

Safe Nesting Materials for Birds

A Simple Framework for Climate Action

10 Sustainable Living Mistakes to Avoid

Related Episodes

Ep. 20: Wildlife Conservation, Birding, and Finding Hope in Nature

Ep. 51: Can You Be Sustainable in the Suburbs?

Ep. 54: Litter Prevention and Community Action with Keep America Beautiful

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Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love it if you followed the show, shared it with a friend, or left a rating and review. Every little bit helps more people find Sustainable in the Suburbs — and live a little greener.

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 Attainable Sustainable and Attainable Sustainable Pantry, to talk about ‘old-fashioned’ kitchen skills that are still incredibly useful in modern life. We talk about using what you already have before heading back to the grocery store, stocking a more useful pantry, preserving seasonal abundance, and why safe canning matters.

Kris also shares why these skills are not just for homesteaders or preppers. They are practical tools that can help ordinary households stretch food budgets, reduce waste, and feel more capable when life gets unpredictable.

This conversation is about building a more sustainable kitchen in a way that feels realistic, not overwhelming. You do not need to preserve everything, make every pantry staple from scratch, or completely change the way you cook. But learning a few simple sustainable habits in the kitchen can make low waste living feel more doable.

Takeaways

• Starting with what you already have in your fridge, freezer, and pantry can help you reduce food waste, save money on groceries, and avoid unnecessary grocery runs.
• A more useful pantry does not have to be complicated. Staples like beans, grains, broth, potatoes, onions, garlic, and oil can make flexible cooking easier.
• Food preservation can start small. Freezing, quick pickling, dehydrating herbs, making herb salts, and preserving in salt or oil are all practical ways to use seasonal abundance.
• Safe canning matters. Water bath canning and pressure canning are used for different foods, and trusted, tested recipes are important.
• You do not need to make everything from scratch. Some things, like salad dressing, may be worth making at home, while others, like tomato paste, may not be worth the time.
• Preparedness does not have to mean fear-based prepping. A stocked pantry and the skills to use it can help ordinary households feel more capable when routines, budgets, or supply chains are disrupted.
• Self-reliance does not mean doing everything alone. Sharing food, recipes, tools, and skills is part of building more resilient communities.

One Small Shift

Before your next grocery shop, start with what you already have.

Take a few minutes to look through your fridge, freezer, and pantry, and choose one or two things that need to be used before you bring more food into the house. Maybe it’s leftover rice, soft fruit, wilting vegetables, or something you bought with good intentions and then forgot about.

If you want a little more guidance, my Simple Kitchen Audit is a good place to start. It’s a 10-page workbook that walks you through what’s working in your kitchen, where food and packaging waste are creeping in, and what small changes could help your kitchen feel more organized, lower-waste, and easier to use.

Connect With Kris

Attainable Sustainable: The Lost Art of Self-Reliant Living (book)

Attainable Sustainable Pantry: A Back-to-Basics Guide to Stocking Your Kitchen (book)

Website

Facebook

Pinterest

Instagram

Related Blog Posts

A Beginner’s Guide to a Sustainable Kitchen

How to Use Beeswax Wraps (Plastic Free Food Storage)

Plastic Free Pantry — How to Refill in Your Own Containers

Creating a Sustainable Kitchen: 11 Ways to Reuse Food Scraps

Related Podcast Episodes

Ep. 13: Plastic Free Food Storage with Hive to Home

Ep. 38: Things I Don’t Buy Anymore

Ep. 45: How to Spend Less on Groceries by Reducing Food Waste 

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Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love it if you followed the show, shared it with a friend, or left a rating and review. Every little bit helps more people find Sustainable in the Suburbs — and live a little greener.

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 start is by using what is already in our homes more fully.

In this episode, I’m talking about why waste begins long before something reaches the landfill and why using what we already own is one of the most practical sustainable habits we can build.

Takeaways

• Eco-friendly products now seem to follow the same trend cycles as everything else.
• Waste also includes when we buy more than we can realistically use, maintain, store, or even remember we own.
• Once something is in our home, much of its environmental impact has already happened. The next question is how much value and use we can get from it.
• It is okay for useful things to look repaired, scratched, mismatched, or even a little ugly.
• Shopping your own house first can help you find the exact item you need, a workable substitute, something that can be repaired, or something you have simply forgotten about.
• Using what you have does not mean never buying anything. It gives you better information so you can shop more slowly and deliberately when you genuinely need something.
• Creating use-first areas, keeping a pause list, repairing things quickly, borrowing rarely used items, and using the good stuff now are all practical ways to reduce waste.
• Low waste living becomes easier when the things we already own are visible, accessible, cared for, and actually used.

One Small Shift
Take stock of what is under your bathroom sink.

Pull everything out and see what is already open, what needs to be used up, and what you have duplicates of. Then choose one product to finish before you replace it or try something new.

Related Podcast Episodes

Ep. 12: How to Quit Using Amazon (And Why You Should)

Ep. 23: Borrow Before You Buy — Sharing, Renting, and the Circular Economy

Ep. 47: Sustainable Bathroom Swaps That Save Money and Reduce Waste

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Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love it if you followed the show, shared it with a friend, or left a rating and review. Every little bit helps more people find Sustainable in the Suburbs — and live a little greener.

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 systems, and how we care for where we live.

In this episode, I’m joined by Jenny Lawson, President and CEO of Keep America Beautiful, for a conversation about the 2026 National Litter Study, what it reveals about litter in communities across the United States, and why litter prevention is about more than picking up garbage.

We talk about why litter matters, how social norms and infrastructure shape behaviour, what has changed since 2020, and how individuals, businesses, local governments, and community organizations all have a role to play in creating cleaner, healthier public spaces.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by big environmental problems, this conversation is a reminder that you can take action in a very practical place: your own neighbourhood.

Takeaways

• Litter is connected to community care, shared responsibility, and how people feel about the places where they live.
• The 2026 National Litter Study shows real progress, while also making clear that there is still work ahead.
• Infrastructure, access, education, enforcement, and local programs all shape litter prevention.
• Social norms play an important role in how people care for shared spaces.
• Businesses, producers, local governments, and communities all have a role to play in litter prevention.
• Community cleanups are a great starting point for broader environmental action.

One Small Shift

Choose one shared space you pass through regularly and notice it differently.

Look at what kind of litter shows up, whether there are bins nearby, and whether the space feels cared for. Then choose to help reduce waste by picking up few pieces of litter and look for the nearest bin.

Connect With Keep America Beautiful

Website

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

Twitter

Related Podcast Episodes

Ep. 18 - Community Communities Through Green Spaces

Ep. 42 - Overwhelmed by Climate Change? Start Here

Ep. 51 - Sustainable Living in the Suburbs

Related Blog Posts

50 Ways to Be More Sustainable

How to Start Living More Sustainability

How to Do a Trash Audit (With Kids!)

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Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love it if you followed the show, shared it with a friend, or left a rating and review. Every little bit helps more people find Sustainable in the Suburbs — and live a little greener.

If you are trying to reduce plastic waste at home, you might be wondering what to do with the plastic you already have. The answer is not to throw it all away and buy a new set of eco-friendly swaps. It is to use what you have, rethink the plastic that moves through your home, and start noticing where single-use plastic shows up in your daily routines.

In this episode of Sustainable in the Suburbs, Sarah talks about reducing single-use plastic in real life: using the containers, bags, bins, and Tupperware you already own; choosing reusables that actually fit your habits; giving so-called disposable plastic one more job before it hits the garbage; and using your voice to ask for better systems.

Plastic itself is not the whole problem. Waste is the problem. Disposability is the problem. And this episode is a practical reset for anyone who wants to reduce plastic waste, keep materials in circulation, and make small shifts that actually fit real life.

Takeaways

• Plastic itself is not the problem. Single-use plastic is often the problem.
• Reducing plastic waste does not mean throwing away every plastic thing in your house. Use what you already have until it is no longer usable.
• A reusable product only works if you actually use it. Choose reusable products that fit your real habits, not the ones that look the most sustainable online.
• Individual habits matter, but they are not the whole story. Ask businesses why plastic packaging is there in the first place, and use your voice as well as your wallet.
• Systems are made of people, and people can be influenced.

One Small Shift

Before you throw away a piece of plastic, ask whether it can do one more job. It’s only single-use if you use it once!

Resources

Plastic Free July

31 Easy Swaps to Reduce Plastic Waste 

10 Zero Waste Kitchen Swaps That Save You Money

Plastic-Free Pantry: How to Refill in Your Own Containers

How to Pack a Zero Waste School Lunch

Related Episodes

Episode 8: 5 Easy Plastic-Free Kitchen Swaps

Episode 47: Eco-Friendly Bathroom Swaps

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Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love it if you followed the show, shared it with a friend, or left a rating and review. Every little bit helps more people find Sustainable in the Suburbs — and live a little greener.

Climate action begins at the kitchen table — and a more sustainable kitchen starts with knowing where to focus.

In this episode of Sustainable in the Suburbs, Sarah talks with Naomi Hansen, author of Building a Sustainable Kitchen: A Practical Guide to Prioritizing the Planet from the Heart of Your Home, about what actually matters when it comes to food, waste, and climate action at home.

Together, they explore why the kitchen is such a powerful place to begin, how food waste connects to bigger climate solutions, and why the most sustainable choice is not always the one that looks the most sustainable from the outside.

Takeaways

• Why the kitchen is a meaningful place to start with climate action
• How food waste connects to sustainability and climate impact
• Why some popular sustainable swaps only scratch the surface
• How to think about trade-offs, like packaging versus wasted food
• Why individual action still matters, especially when it spreads through families, friends, and communities

Connect with Naomi

Website

Instagram

Building a Sustainable Kitchen (book) 

Resources

Drawdown:The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming - Paul Hawken (book)

How to Prevent Food Waste With Kids (blog post)

11 Ways to Reuse Food Scraps (blog post)

10 Zero Waste Kitchen Swaps That Save You Money (blog post)

Related Episodes

Ep. 4 - How to Conduct a Household Waste Audit

Ep. 13 - Beeswax Wraps 101

Ep. 45 - How to Spend Less on Groceries by Reducing Food Waste

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Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love it if you followed the show, shared it with a friend, or left a rating and review. Every little bit helps more people find Sustainable in the Suburbs — and live a little greener.

Can you be sustainable in the suburbs? Well, yes and no.

Suburban life can make sustainable living complicated — especially when communities are built around cars, convenience, private space, and consumption. But the suburbs are also where so many of us live, raise families, volunteer, vote, garden, organize, and build community.

So what does climate action actually look like here?

This episode looks at sustainable living in the suburbs beyond eco swaps and bigger purchases, and asks what becomes possible when we start thinking about our neighbourhoods, local politics, shared resources, and community resilience.

Takeaways

• Why suburban sustainability is complicated, but very doable
• How car dependency shapes the landscape and our daily choices
• Why the suburbs should not be written off in climate conversations
• How sustainable living goes beyond buying greener products
• Why free, inexpensive, and investment-level actions all matter
• How community resilience and local politics shape what comes next

One Small Shift

Choose one free action that connects your household to your community.

Sustainability is something we practise, share, and build where we live — and sometimes that starts with one small step outside our own front door.

Related Episodes

Ep. 7 - Rethinking Zero Waste and Building Community Care

Ep. 12 - How to Quit Using Amazon (and Why You Should)

Ep. 24: 5 Sustainable Living Mistakes to Avoid (and What to Do Instead)

Ep. 36: How to Host a Clothing Swap

Ep. 42: Overwhelmed by Climate Change? Start Here.

Ep. 45: How To Spend Less on Groceries by Reducing Food Waste

Blog Posts

50 Ways to Be More Sustainable

How to Drive Less in the Suburbs

How to Start Living Sustainably

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Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio

If you enjoyed this episode, I’d love it if you followed the show, shared it with a friend, or left a rating and review. Every little bit helps more people find Sustainable in the Suburbs — and live a little greener.