Sustainable Minimalists

Not so long ago, humanity’s main pursuit was finding food and staving off hunger. But these days, we’re throwing out strawberries. We’re letting salad greens go bad in the crisper. And when it comes to transforming those broccoli stalks or potato peels into something delicious, we’ve lost the know-how.

In an age where the average home discards enough edible meals to sustain an entire extra person, reclaiming our kitchens from unnecessary food waste has never been more urgent. On today’s show, author Teralyn Pilgrim explores what our wastefulness says about us as a culture—as well as her foundational framework for reframing our relationship with the food in our refrigerators.

Here’s a preview:

• Why food waste stands as one of today’s largest environmental issues, and the stark contrast between historical food scarcity and modern excess
• How disconnection from food production and changing home-cooking habits contribute to everyday waste
• The Rules of Food Waste: A step-by-step walkthrough of Teralyn’s core principles for running a waste-free kitchen
• Never shop hungry! Sweep out the fridge before adding more! And other top tips for reducing food waste once and for all

Resources mentioned:

• No Scrap Left Behind (via Bookshop.org)
• Want another episode on food waste that’s chock full of tips? Check out episode #437: Breaking Food Waste Norms.
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• Say hello! [email protected]

A quiet revolution is starting in our backyards.

News headlines are certainly frightening at the moment, and watching billion-dollar corporations harm people and the planet in the name of profit is infuriating. But don’t let yourself slide into hopelessness. Whether you have a small urban balcony or sprawling rural acreage, you can reclaim your power as an activist through the small-scale choices you make every day.

On today’s show, author and homesteader Devon Ballard-Hudson walks us through her hopeful, accessible framework for reshaping the systems harming the planet, starting in our own homes and backyards.

Here’s a preview:

[6:30] On the importance of re-learning those “lost skills”

[10:00] Moving beyond headline-grabbing protests toward grounded, daily habits

[13:00] Applying the seventh generation principle and long-term ecological stewardship to household decisions

[18:00] Step one? Rewild!

[29:00] Life is noisy. So go on and reset your baseline

Resources mentioned:

• Backyard Climate Activist: Healing the Planet from Home (releases Nov. 8)
• The Myth of Normal by Gabor Maté
• Next Book Club! Nov. 4 7:30pm EST Book: TRASH! A Garbageman’s Story
• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
• Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
• Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists
• Say hello! [email protected]

We live our lives surrounded by smart phones, smart devices, Wi-Fi networks, and wireless wearables. But as our homes become "smarter", the constant electropollution these devices emit carries risks for our long-term health.

Your home should be a sanctuary, not a radiation zone. On today's show, radiologist and author Dr. Rob Brown offers simple ways to dramatically reduce your daily electropollution load without giving up modern technology.

Here's a preview:

[5:00] A doctor explains why he believes electropollution is "the secondhand smoke of our generation"

[13:30] Should our children wear Airpods or smart watches? Should we?

[25:00] Five low friction ways to reduce electropollution in your home

[29:00] Why this medical doctor suggests that we shut our wifi router off each night, plus: other ways to support rest and cellular recovery

Resources mentioned:

• Unplug: A Radiologist Explores the Damage Caused by Electropollution and How You Can Prevent It
• DefenderShield phone case
• Next Book Club! Nov. 4 7:30pm EST Book: TRASH! A Garbageman's Story
• DefenderShield EMF blocking cell phone case

• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
• Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
• Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists
• Say hello! [email protected]

Reaching for your phone out of habit rather than necessity isn't a failure of self-discipline—and the fix isn't raw willpower. If you find yourself on your phone more than you'd like, it's likely time to make your phone far less enticing to pick up in the first place.

On today's show, author Ruby Ryba shares how decluttering your home screen can quiet the impulse to scroll, restore your personal boundaries, and build a peaceful analog environment at home.

Here's a preview:

[4:00] Is your phone a neutral tool you happen to overuse, or is it a precisely engineered attention trap?

[10:00] How to make your phone less appealing in five easy steps

[24:00] Why keeping your phone on your nightstand or within arm's reach drains your daily willpower—and why it's unrealistic to expect willpower alone will keep you off your phone

[31:00] Flow before phone! How late-night scrolling destroys energy levels (and why reserving your high-energy hours for deep focus or personal priorities is critical)

Resources mentioned:

• How To Stop Scrolling
• Clear Space app
• Brick
• What Nature Teaches Us (podcast episode)
• Ruby's weekly newsletter 

• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
• Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
• Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists
• Say hello! [email protected]

Our economy is built to keep us consuming on autopilot. Between frictionless digital checkouts, targeted algorithms, and subscription traps, buying has become effortless. So effortless, in fact, that we rarely register it as an active choice anymore.

But what happens when we slow down and reclaim that awareness?

On today’s show, author David Gaines makes a case for moving away from isolated, guilt-driven consumerism and toward community-based choices that have the power to transform our buying habits for the better.

Here’s a preview:

[6:30] Why algorithms and one-click buying strip away our intentionality—and how regaining awareness is the first step toward values-aligned spending

[13:30] What to do when you want to buy better but you just can’t afford it

[14:00] On the importance of savoring more so as to consume less

[23:00] Ethics under capitalism? Is it possible?

[28:00] How to evaluate brand claims and recognize common marketing red flags

[31:00] On elephants, ants and the significance of small, daily actions, plus: One low-friction adjustment you can make this week for maximum impact

Resources mentioned:

• Why We Buy and Why it Matters (releases Oct. 27)
• Certified B Corporation (episode from the archives!) 
• Book Club! September 23, 7:30pm EST

• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
• Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
• Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists
• Say hello! [email protected]

In a world filled with endless digital noise, it’s easier than ever to lose touch with the natural world.  Children are drawn to the excitement of screens, parents are increasingly anxious about real-world outdoor risks, and our culture far too often views the earth as a commodity to be bought and sold, not valued and preserved.

How do we rebuild our relationship with nature when our schedules are packed and our kids don't self-identify as "outdoor kids"?

On today's show, author Amber Vilhauer reminds us that nature isn't just a place to visit—it’s one of our greatest teachers.

Here's a preview:

[6:30] It's our responsibility as parents to give our kids ample time outside, and here's why

[10:00] How to help children put down the screens and appreciate the quiet rhythms and intrinsic wonders of nature

[15:00] Two ways in which time outside provides the backdrop for creating simple core memories

[23:00] What the the natural world can teach us about resilience, generosity, emotional balance, and community (if we let it)

[28:00] How spending intentional, unscripted time outside pushes back against a culture that treats the earth as something to buy and sell

Resources mentioned:

Extreme heat, wildfires, flash floods, and poor air quality are no longer abstract future projections—they form the backdrop of our kids' childhoods. Right now, extreme weather and their subsequent environmental factors are directly impacting our children's physical health, brain development, and outdoor play.

On today's show, national climate advisor Dr. Laura Schifter offers urgent, practical advice for protecting our children, fostering resilience, and moving from climate anxiety into meaningful family action.

Here's a preview:

[11:00] Should we send our kids to summer camp during a heat wave? Play outdoor sports?

[16:00] Every school district should have plans in place for both extreme heat and extreme weather. Here are the questions to ask

[15:00] Moving beyond "stop, drop, and roll" to age-appropriate responses for flash floods, poor air quality days, and extreme heat

[24:00] For the sports moms and dads: Three things to keep in mind

[26:00] Exactly how to explain climate change to your children, word-for-word

[38:00] We really need to be talking about climate change more, and here's why

Resources mentioned:

• EPA Releases Report Showing Health Impacts of Climate Change on Children in the United States
• Floods are Becoming More Common. Here’s What I Tell my Daughters (via Time Magazine)
• Students, Schools, and Our Climate Moment: Acting Now to Secure Our Future
• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
• Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
• Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists
• Say hello! [email protected]

In a world dominated by digital noise, reclaiming our peace has become one of the most urgent challenges of modern life. For parents, the stakes are even higher. How do we set healthy screen boundaries for our tech-obsessed kids? Where do we draw the line as artificial intelligence inserts itself in our homes and routines?

On today's show writer, father, and dumb phone user Andrew Broman explores what it really takes to disengage from the smartphone ecosystem and cultivate an intentional approach to emerging technology for both ourselves and our families.

Here's a preview:

[6:00] Is the tech serving you, or are you serving the tech?

[11:00] On the importance of taking your attention span and stretching it like a rubber band

[15:00] Advice for parents with tech-obsessed kids

[26:00] Bring back the landline! Seriously!

[33:00] What 18 pints of Ben & Jerry's taught Stephanie about self-control

[38:00] From attention to affection and attachment: When it comes to AI, where's the line?

Resources mentioned:

• The Resisters by Gish Jen
• Frugalmatic.com
• The Social Dilemma
• The Light Phone
• Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal Newport
• This show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!
• Join our (free!) Facebook community here.
• Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalists
• Say hello! [email protected]

Ever wonder where your bags of donated clothes actually end up?

Most of us treat dropping off a bag at a donation bin like a magic trick. We hand it over, walk away, and assume it finds a good home.

But very often, away is Kantamanto Market in Accra, Ghana, where 15 million secondhand garments arrive every single week.

On today’s show, contemporary artist Emmanuel “DoTT” Kunfaa pulls back the curtain on the dark side of donating and highlights they ways in which the illusion of charity is feeding waste colonialism.

Here's a preview:

[6:30] What really happens to your donated clothes once they leave your hands

[11:00] Kantamanto used to be a success story in circularity. What changed? (Hint: fast fashion.)

[15:00] Musings on expensive handbags. What purpose do they actually serve?

[22:00] Five things we can all do better when it comes to buying and donating clothes

Resources mentioned:

When the world is burning, finding joy can feel impossible—or worse, selfish. How do we make space for celebration without turning a blind eye to reality? Why would we even want to?

On today’s show, author Cheryl Leutjen dives into the idea that choosing delight counters the oppressive systems that thrive on our exhaustion, isolation, and apathy.

Here’s a preview:

[5:30] Are we dancing while the Titanic sinks?

[10:00] Grief and anger are essential catalysts for change, but they’re terrible long-term fuels

[15:00] We’re so much more than consumers! Here’s how joy helps us reclaim our full humanity which has been lost under capitalism

[18:00] Community is medicine. We aren’t meant to carry the weight of the world alone!

Resources mentioned: