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Sustainable in the Suburbs
Sarah Robertson-Barnes
29 episodes
2 days ago
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 cultural stigma around secondhand gifts, why it lingers, and why it’s slowly shifting. This episode explores what makes a gift meaningful in the first place — and why secondhand gifts, whether thrifted, vintage, or passed down, often hold the most heart. Sarah shares listener st...
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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 cultural stigma around secondhand gifts, why it lingers, and why it’s slowly shifting. This episode explores what makes a gift meaningful in the first place — and why secondhand gifts, whether thrifted, vintage, or passed down, often hold the most heart. Sarah shares listener st...
Show more...
Home & Garden
Education,
Kids & Family,
How To,
Leisure,
Parenting
Episodes (20/29)
Sustainable in the Suburbs
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 cultural stigma around secondhand gifts, why it lingers, and why it’s slowly shifting. This episode explores what makes a gift meaningful in the first place — and why secondhand gifts, whether thrifted, vintage, or passed down, often hold the most heart. Sarah shares listener st...
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2 days ago
29 minutes

Sustainable in the Suburbs
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 @sibster and Charming Woodland Crafts: 50 Fun and Easy Projects Made from Natural and Recycled Materials. Sibia shares how her upbringing shaped her creativity and resourcefulness, and how those early lessons in “making do” evolved into a lifelong love of turnin...
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1 week ago
36 minutes

Sustainable in the Suburbs
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 Suburbs, Sarah Robertson-Barnes shares simple, sustainable ways to reduce food waste, save money, and plan mindful, eco-friendly holiday meals. From meal planning and low-waste hosting tips, to getting kids involved in the kitchen, you’ll learn how to plan for enough, use what you have, and enjoy the season without overspending or overbuying....
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2 weeks ago
20 minutes

Sustainable in the Suburbs
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 nearly every part of sustainable living along the way. From going all-in on zero waste and launching an oat milk business, to working in sustainable investing, and now community-based environmental advocacy, Kristy’s story is a reminder that our definition of su...
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3 weeks ago
57 minutes

Sustainable in the Suburbs
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 worked beautifully (at least for a while), others were total disasters! This episode is a look back at a few of those lessons — the cutlery kits, the trash jars, the guilt, the burnout, and the pressure to both reduce waste and make it all look perfect online. Bec...
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1 month ago
25 minutes

Sustainable in the Suburbs
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? For Circular Economy Month, this episode looks at how sharing, renting, and borrowing can strengthen our communities while cutting down on overconsumption. This week I am joined by Tim Sattler, the founder of LEND-IT.CA, a rental marketplace that conne...
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1 month ago
39 minutes

Sustainable in the Suburbs
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. Since 2017, Julie has been helping her community cut down on single-use plastics, rethink consumption, and find approachable ways to live more sustainably. We talk about what really happens inside a refill shop — from the first-time nerves to the “aha” moment when you realize how easy and empowering re...
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1 month ago
56 minutes

Sustainable in the Suburbs
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 straight to landfill. It’s expensive and wasteful — but it doesn’t have to be that way. In this episode of Sustainable in the Suburbs, I’m sharing how to celebrate Halloween in a way that’s festive, affordable, and low waste. You’ll hear ideas for costum...
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1 month ago
22 minutes

Sustainable in the Suburbs
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 wildlife biologist, writer, and engaging voice on how we connect with the natural world. Matt has worked everywhere from a tiny island in Alaska to California wind farms, and he now brings that deep ecological knowledge into everyday conversations about birds, frogs, and even the gear we think we need to enjoy the outdoors. We ...
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1 month ago
1 hour 7 minutes

Sustainable in the Suburbs
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, where she shares slow, nature-led travel experiences rooted in beauty, intention, and connection. We talk about everything from glamping and family road trips to Canadian landscapes and creator community — and what it really means to travel consciously in today’s world. Renee’s storytelling is gentle and grounded, and her ph...
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2 months ago
51 minutes

Sustainable in the Suburbs
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 Director of TD Friends of the Environment Foundation (TD FEF). Carolyn has spent more than a decade supporting community development through urban greening and community gardening initiatives across Canada. Today, she leads TD FEF’s national granting programs — including...
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2 months ago
23 minutes

Sustainable in the Suburbs
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 and content creator based in Alberta, to talk about what it really means to raise eco-conscious kids in a culture that pushes convenience and consumption. We dig into parenting with sustainability at the core, how to model care and connection through small, everyday actions, and why curiosity, nature, and im...
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2 months ago
49 minutes

Sustainable in the Suburbs
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 Jessica Nakamura — a local realtor, mom of three (including twin toddlers), and self-described “kinda eco mom.” We sat down in my living room (sharing a mic in a DIY pillow fort) to talk about what sustainable living with kids really looks like in the thick of suburban parenting. Jess...
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2 months ago
40 minutes

Sustainable in the Suburbs
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 joined by Tasha Medve, the gardener and creator behind The Purposeful You. Tasha shares her passion for creating a “food oasis” at home, her best tips for beginners, and why gardening is about so much more than summer harvests. From fall crops to companion plant...
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3 months ago
53 minutes

Sustainable in the Suburbs
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 and clothing to tech and litterless lunches, you’ll hear practical tips for: Starting with what you already have before buying new.Teaching kids the difference between needs and wants.Shopping secondhand first and making use of community resources.Tips for thrifting ...
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3 months ago
29 minutes

Sustainable in the Suburbs
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 creates beautiful handmade beeswax wraps as a sustainable, renewable alternative to plastic food storage — but that’s just the beginning. She’s also a backyard chicken keeper, bread baker, waste diversion enthusiast, and all-around eco-nerd in the best possible way. We talk about what inspired her to start Hive to Home,...
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3 months ago
1 hour 1 minute

Sustainable in the Suburbs
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 that’s actually doable. We dig into the real costs of convenience, from environmental harm to the engineered scarcity of Amazon’s business model. But more importantly, I’ll walk you through how my family has shifted away from using Amazon — and how you can, too. The goa...
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3 months ago
18 minutes

Sustainable in the Suburbs
11: Money, Enoughness, and Community Care with Women’s Personal Finance
Money choices are climate action too. This week, Regina Moore and Angela Rozmyn from Women’s Personal Finance join me for a thoughtful, honest conversation about the overlap between money, sustainability, and community care. We talk about spending in alignment with your values, why “enoughness” can be such a powerful mindset shift, and how boycotts and intentional choices can be forms of protest. We also explore the role community plays — not just in sharing resources, but in building resilie...
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4 months ago
1 hour 6 minutes

Sustainable in the Suburbs
10: How to Refill in Your Own Containers for a Plastic-Free Pantry
Bringing your own containers to refill shops, markets, or even cafés is one of the easiest ways to cut down on single‑use packaging. It saves money, keeps your pantry organized, and helps shift the way we think about consumption. In this episode of Sustainable in the Suburbs, I’m sharing how to make refilling feel like second nature as a sustainable living practice. You’ll hear practical tips for overcoming barriers to refilling (including how to choose the right containers and understanding ...
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4 months ago
21 minutes

Sustainable in the Suburbs
9: From the Land, Not a Lab — Skincare, Sustainability, and Self-Care with Rebecca Ogilvie
This episode is an invitation to slow down — to reconnect with yourself, with nature, and with what truly matters. Sarah sits down with Rebecca Ogilvie, founder of The Detour Co., a sustainable skincare brand rooted in care and connection. Together they explore the quiet magic of routines that nourish rather than extract — from sourcing ingredients to creating space for rest in a culture that pushes us to hustle. They talk about the complexities of sustainable packaging, what it means to buil...
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4 months ago
37 minutes

Sustainable in the Suburbs
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 cultural stigma around secondhand gifts, why it lingers, and why it’s slowly shifting. This episode explores what makes a gift meaningful in the first place — and why secondhand gifts, whether thrifted, vintage, or passed down, often hold the most heart. Sarah shares listener st...