Sustainable in the Suburbs
Want to waste less, save more, 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
22 episodes
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
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...
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Episode 11
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1:06:04
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 ...
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Episode 10
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21:14
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 sust...
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Episode 9
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37:57
8: 5 Easy Plastic-Free Kitchen Swaps for Sustainable Living
The kitchen is one of the biggest sources of household waste — but it’s also one of the easiest places to start making a change. In this episode of Sustainable in the Suburbs, Sarah shares five practical, affordable, and genuinely usef...
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Episode 8
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16:53
7: Rethinking Zero Waste and Building Community Care (with April Dickinson)
When we talk about sustainability, we often focus on what we’re buying—or not buying. But what if it’s really about something much deeper?In this episode, I’m joined by April Dickinson (...
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Episode 7
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48:13
6: Overwhelmed by Climate Change? Start Here.
Climate change feels HUGE — and it is. The problem is urgent and complex. And when you start looking for solutions, it can seem like there’s an endless list of things you should be doing. All of them are important, and that can feel completely ...
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Episode 6
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20:39
5: How to Navigate Climate Emotions and Build Community Around You (with Jen Knoch)
How do we hold the grief, rage, and love that come with caring deeply about the climate crisis and still keep going? In this conversation, I’m joined by my friend Jen Knoch, a Toronto-based sustainability advocate and the creator of the Climate...
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Episode 5
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1:05:02
4: How to Do a Household Waste Audit
What we throw away tells a story. When we take time to look at what’s going into the bin (and why), we can start making more intentional choices, one small shift at a time.This week on Sustainable in the Suburbs, I’ll guide you ...
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Episode 4
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14:52
3: From Trash to Treasure: Finding Joy in Upcycling (with @SustainablyAmber)
How do you turn “trash” into treasure and find joy in the process?In this conversation with Amber (@sustainablyamber), we explore how upcycling, thrifting, and creative reuse can s...
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Episode 3
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1:00:01
2: What Is Plastic Free July? (And Why Zero Waste Isn't the Goal)
Plastic Free July isn’t about perfection — it’s about paying attention. In this episode, Sarah discusses where this global movement came from, why it matters, and how small shifts in your everyday habits can help tackle our plastic probl...
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Episode 2
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15:18