53: What to Do With the Plastic You Already Have — Practical Ways To Go (Almost) Plastic-Free At Home

53: What to Do With the Plastic You Already Have — Practical Ways To Go (Almost) Plastic-Free At Home

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 [https://www.plasticfreejuly.org/] 31 Easy Swaps to Reduce Plastic Waste [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/plastic-free-swaps/]  10 Zero Waste Kitchen Swaps That Save You Money [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/10-zero-waste-kitchen-swaps-that-save-you-money/] Plastic-Free Pantry: How to Refill in Your Own Containers [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/plastic-free-pantry-how-to-refill-bulk-store/] How to Pack a Zero Waste School Lunch [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/how-to-pack-a-zero-waste-school-lunch/] Related Episodes Episode 8: 5 Easy Plastic-Free Kitchen Swaps [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/podcast-5-easy-plastic-free-kitchen-swaps-for-sustainable-living/] Episode 47: Eco-Friendly Bathroom Swaps [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/podcast-eco-friendly-bathroom-swaps-that-save-you-money-and-reduce-waste/] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2501019/support] Connect With Me Website [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/] Newsletter [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/newsletter/] Shop [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/shop/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sarah.robertson.barnes] Support the Show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2501019/support] Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio [https://cardinalstudio.co/] 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.

52: Building a Sustainable Kitchen — What Actually Matters with Naomi Hansen

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 [https://www.naomihansen.ca/], 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 [https://www.naomihansen.ca/about] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/naomihansenwrites/] Building a Sustainable Kitchen [https://www.naomihansen.ca/buildingasustainablekitchen] (book)  Resources Drawdown:The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming - Paul Hawken [https://bookshop.org/a/113945/9780143130444] (book) How to Prevent Food Waste With Kids [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/how-to-prevent-food-waste-with-kids/] (blog post) 11 Ways to Reuse Food Scraps [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/sustainable-kitchen-reuse-food-scraps/] (blog post) 10 Zero Waste Kitchen Swaps That Save You Money [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/10-zero-waste-kitchen-swaps-that-save-you-money/] (blog post) Related Episodes Ep. 4 - How to Conduct a Household Waste Audit [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/podcast-how-to-conduct-a-household-waste-audit/] Ep. 13 - Beeswax Wraps 101 [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/podcast-beeswax-wraps-101-plastic-free-food-storage-with-hive-to-home/] Ep. 45 - How to Spend Less on Groceries by Reducing Food Waste [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/podcast-reduce-food-waste-save-money/] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2501019/support] Connect With Me Website [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/] Newsletter [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/newsletter/] Shop [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/shop/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sarah.robertson.barnes] Support the Show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2501019/support] Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio [https://cardinalstudio.co/] 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.

51: Can You Be Sustainable in the Suburbs?

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 [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/] 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 [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/podcast-rethinking-zero-waste-and-building-community-care/] Ep. 12 - How to Quit Using Amazon (and Why You Should) [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/podcast-how-to-quit-using-amazon-and-why-you-should/] Ep. 24: 5 Sustainable Living Mistakes to Avoid (and What to Do Instead) [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/podcast-sustainable-living-mistakes-to-avoid-and-what-to-do-instead/] Ep. 36: How to Host a Clothing Swap [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/podcast-how-to-host-a-clothing-swap-and-build-community/] Ep. 42: Overwhelmed by Climate Change? Start Here. [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/podcast-climate-action-venn-diagram/] Ep. 45: How To Spend Less on Groceries by Reducing Food Waste [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/podcast-reduce-food-waste-save-money/] Blog Posts 50 Ways to Be More Sustainable [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/50-ways-to-be-more-sustainable/] How to Drive Less in the Suburbs [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/how-to-drive-less-in-the-suburbs/] How to Start Living Sustainably [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/how-to-start-living-sustainably/] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2501019/support] Connect With Me Website [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/] Newsletter [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/newsletter/] Shop [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/shop/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sarah.robertson.barnes] Support the Show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2501019/support] Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio [https://cardinalstudio.co/] 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.

50: Practical(ly) Zero Waste with Elsbeth Callaghan

Back in 2020, I was a guest on the now inactive podcast Practical(ly) Zero Waste, hosted by Elsbeth Callaghan. At the time, my kids were little, the zero waste movement online was deep in its “trash jar” era, and many of us were trying to figure out what sustainable living looked like outside of perfectly curated Instagram squares. Six years later, a lot has changed. Kids are older, life looks different, and both of us have let go of a lot of the pressure and aesthetics that surrounded zero waste in those early online days. But underneath all of that, the values are still very much the same. In this full-circle conversation for Episode 50 of Sustainable in the Suburbs, Elsbeth and I talk about what sustainable living looks like now: parenting teenagers and young kids, balancing low waste goals with real life, navigating burnout and social media, building community, and why consistency matters a whole lot more than perfection. We also talk about what we’ve kept, what we’ve let go of, and how many of the “small shifts” we started years ago have quietly become lifelong habits. Takeaways * Why sustainable living looks very different after years of actually living it * The shift from perfection and aesthetics toward values and consistency * Raising eco-conscious kids through everyday habits rather than pressure * How composting, secondhand shopping, and reusables became family routines * The connection between sustainability, community, and raising responsible citizens * Why slowing down is often the most sustainable choice * How “eco-frugal” living can save money while reducing waste * Navigating low waste living with celiac disease and accessibility needs One Small Shift You can always start again. Even if you’ve fallen out of old habits, even if life looks completely different now, small intentional changes still matter. Start with one thing that feels manageable and build from there. Resources Practical(ly) Zero Waste [https://www.youtube.com/@practicallyzerowastepodcas8145] PZW - Ep. 69: Raising Eco Kids [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/069-raising-eco-kids/id1440615273?i=1000465737333] Inkwood Print Shop [https://www.instagram.com/inkwoodprintshop/] Related Episodes 4: How to Conduct a Household Waste Audit [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/podcast-how-to-conduct-a-household-waste-audit/] 11: Money, Enoughness, and Community Care with Women’s Personal Finance [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/podcast-money-and-community-care-with-womens-personal-finance/] 12: How to Quit Using Amazon (and Why You Should) [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/podcast-how-to-quit-using-amazon-and-why-you-should/] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2501019/support] Connect With Me Website [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/] Newsletter [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/newsletter/] Shop [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/shop/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sarah.robertson.barnes] Support the Show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2501019/support] Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio [https://cardinalstudio.co/] 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.

49: Less Stuff, Less Stress — Sustainable Living with Kids (In Real Life)

In this episode, I’m talking about what sustainable living with kids actually looks like in real life. Not the Instagram version — the real version. The conversations, the habits, the overwhelm, the convenience culture, and the small shifts that slowly become part of how your family moves through the world. Takeaways * Kids learn consumption habits by watching us * Sustainable living with kids is about buying less, not buying “eco” products * Convenience culture is deeply connected to overwhelm and mental load * Small habits shape how kids think about waste, spending, and consumption * Involving kids in the “why” helps sustainability become a mindset * Sustainability conversations naturally deepen as kids grow * It’s never too late to start having these conversations as a family One Small Shift Have a family conversation about consumption, waste, or sustainability this week. Ask your kids what they notice, what they care about, and what ideas they have. You might be surprised by the answers. Resources 10 Tips for Going Zero With Kids [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/10-tips-for-going-zero-waste-with-kids/] How to Do a Trash Audit With Kids [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/how-to-conduct-a-trash-audit-with-kids/] Thrift Shopping for Kids [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/thrift-shopping-for-kids/] How to Prevent Food Waste With Kids [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/how-to-prevent-food-waste-with-kids/] Becoming a Zero Waste Family [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/choose-your-own-adventure/] How to Pack a Zero Waste School Lunch [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/how-to-pack-a-zero-waste-school-lunch/] Related Episodes Ep. 16: Sustainable Living with Kids — Save Money and Reduce Waste with Jessica Nakamura [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/podcast-sustainable-living-with-kids-how-to-save-money-and-reduce-waste/] Ep. 17: How to Raise Eco-Friendly Kids with Talayna Zacharias [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/podcast-how-to-raise-eco-friendly-kids-sustainable-living-tips-for-parents/] Ep. 22: From Refills to Resilience — Simple, Real-Life Sustainable Living with Julie Darrell [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/podcast-from-refills-to-resilience-simple-real-life-sustainable-living/] Ep. 32: Overstimulation, Overconsumption, and the Pressure to Do More with Gillian Gabryluk [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/podcast-overstimulation-overconsumption-and-the-pressure-to-do-more-with-gillian-gabryluk/] Ep. 40 – How to Host a Zero Waste Birthday Party for Kids  [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/podcast-eco-friendly-birthday-party-ideas/] Ep. 46: How to Talk to Kids About Climate Change with Brittany Jefferson [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/podcast-how-to-talk-to-kids-about-climate-change/] Support the show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2501019/support] Connect With Me Website [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/] Newsletter [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/newsletter/] Shop [https://sustainableinthesuburbs.com/shop/] Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/sarah.robertson.barnes] Support the Show [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2501019/support] Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio [https://cardinalstudio.co/] 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.