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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 excessHow disconnection from food production and changing home-cooking habits contribute to everyday wasteThe Rules of Food Waste: A step-by-step walkthrough of Teralyn’s core principles for running a waste-free kitchenNever shop hungry! Sweep out the fridge before adding more! And other top tips for reducing food waste once and for allResources 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.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 @sustainableminimalistsSay hello! [email protected] Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists2448/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 MatéNext Book Club! Nov. 4 7:30pm EST Book: TRASH! A Garbageman’s StoryThis show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!Join our (free!) Facebook community here.Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalistsSay hello! [email protected] Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists2448/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 ItDefenderShield phone caseNext Book Club! Nov. 4 7:30pm EST Book: TRASH! A Garbageman's StoryDefenderShield 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 @sustainableminimalistsSay hello! [email protected]  Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists2448/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 ScrollingClear Space appBrickWhat 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 @sustainableminimalistsSay hello! [email protected]  Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists2448/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 @sustainableminimalistsSay hello! [email protected] Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists2448/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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: What Nature Teaches Us (releases Oct. 13) 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] Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists2448/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 StatesFloods 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 FutureThis show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!Join our (free!) Facebook community here.Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalistsSay hello! [email protected] Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists2448/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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 JenFrugalmatic.comThe Social DilemmaThe Light PhoneDigital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World by Cal NewportThis show is listener-supported. Thank you for supporting!Join our (free!) Facebook community here.Find your tribe. Sustainable Minimalists are on Facebook, Instagram + Youtube @sustainableminimalistsSay hello! [email protected] Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists2448/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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: Trash of Fame DoTT on Instagram   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] Book Club! Wed. Sept 23. 7:30pm EST. Birding to Change the World (by Trish O'Kane) Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists2448/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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? While it can feel like a heavy lift, practicing joy is, in fact, an act of resistance. Joy prevents burnout, moves energy, builds solidarity, and promotes resilience. 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: Party on Purpose: Your Complete Guide to Eco-Chic Entertaining Chloë Meyer, graphic designer and book designer The Eco-Worrier on Substack 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] Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists2448/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Are we treating the symptoms of modern life while simultaneously ignoring our habitat? The average American now spends 93% of their life indoors. But humans evolved for millennia alongside the natural world, and research suggests that our indoor lifestyle is disrupting our sleep, focus and long-term health. You don’t need a gym membership or expensive workout gear to get your health back on track. On today’s show, Dr. John La Puma argues that all you need is a 17-minute dose of nature, every single day. Here’s a preview: [4:00] Modern medicine tends to prioritize intervention over prevention. But why? [7:30] We’re taught to fear the outdoors, but indoor living can be directly harmful in ways we’re only beginning to understand [11:30] Why it’s time to view “screen time” as “ultra-processed time” [16:00] Exactly how a daily dose of morning sunlight resets insulin sensitivity, hunger timing, and prefrontal cortex function [30:00] Outside exercise is better for you than inside exercise, so take your movement outdoors! Resources mentioned: Indoor Epidemic: 93% Inside Steals Sleep, Focus & Years—The 7% Outdoor Rx Restores Them The Summer Challenge: Touch Grass (via The NY Times) 7-Day Outdoor Reset (via IndoorEpidemic.com) Birding to Change the World (by Trish O’Kane) 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]. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists2448/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What started in 2011 with just one woman and a small local government has exploded into a worldwide movement of over 174 million people. That movement is Plastic Free July. Yet 15 years after the challenge’s inception, plastic production continues to exponentially grow. It’s all-too easy to dismiss the challenge as little more than an opportunity to post a picture of a bamboo toothbrush on social media. But we aren’t just facing a litter problem anymore; we’re facing climate and health crises. A July that’s free of plastic is about building permanent habits, changing your relationship with “stuff,” and sending a clear message to corporations that you don’t want all this plastic junk. On today’s show, challenge leader Emily Emond joins us to share her top tips for cutting through the overwhelm and setting yourself up for success during Plastic Free July.   Here's a preview: [6:15] Is Plastic-Free July beneficial, or purely performative? [9:00] On why using less plastic is supports your family’s health [13:30] Set yourself up for success: Five things you can do right now [23:00] Nothing changes if nothing changes! Resources mentioned: Plastic Free July Emily's challenge 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]. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists2448/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Every week, we drag our trash bins to the curb, close the lid, and forget about them. But where does "away" actually go? And does the mere existence of waste "management" mean we can continue to consume more and more without major consequence? On today's show, author and sanitation worker Simon Paré-Poupart discusses what he's learned in his 20 years on the back of a Montreal haul truck. He's here to pull back the curtain on the grueling yet essential work of waste collection. He's also here to offer a  sociological reflection on modern consumerism, systemic waste, and the human cost of hiding our cultural detritus. Here's a preview: [5:00] We didn't always have all this trash, and we didn't always have a need for "waste management" [12:00] A society's trash reveals an awful lot about a society. What does our trash reveal about us? [19:00] Recycling might give us a boost of moral satisfaction, but that moral satisfaction is ultimately just fuel to buy more stuff [22:00] On why waste management is integral to maintaining the status quo [27:30] The mere existence waste management is a symptom of this much larger problem Resources mentioned: Trash! A Garbageman's Story The Books Times Readers Are Most Excited About This Summer (via The New York Times) Waste and Want: A Social History of Trash (by Suzanne Strasser) Book Club! We're reading Beyond Decluttering: Forty Days to Simplicity Through Connection for our Wednesday, June 24 meeting at 7 pm EST. Join us! Details here. 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].   Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists2448/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

New things are everywhere—and they’re causing us to disconnect from what we value most. In a world that constantly tells us that new is better, our relentless pursuit of material wealth is costing us money, time and happiness. Worse, when we define ourselves by what we own rather than who we are, we reduce our lives to a single, superficial dimension. On today’s show, New York Times journalist Eric Athas offers advice for stepping away from the cycle of constant buying, saying no to shallowness, and discovering the right kind of “new” in our lives. Here's a preview: [8:00] We're wired to become bored the familiar, and other truths to newness [16:00] Consumption has costs! (In fact, it robs us of our finite attention, dilutes our capacity for genuine enjoyment, and misaligns our pursuit of happiness.) [26:00] Musings on the ways in which overconsumption leads to superficiality [37:00] Put down the trinket! Redefining what it means to experience novelty, growth, and freshness without relying on a transaction Resources mentioned: Saying No to New: Why New Things Are Stealing Your Time, Money, and Happiness―And How to Take Back Your Life This episode is sponsored by Fearless Finance. Use code SUSTAINABLE to get $50 off your first meeting. Book Club! We're reading Beyond Decluttering: Forty Days to Simplicity Through Connection for our Wednesday, June 24 meeting at 7 pm EST. Join us! 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]. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists2448/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The plastic-drenched, disposable world we live in didn’t happen by accident. It was slowly, methodically built by Big Oil. They’re doing everything in their power to get people to use as much plastic as possible, all so they can make money from every single molecule they extract from the ground. And right now, they’re pouring billions of dollars into plans to double, or even triple, plastic production by 2050. This week, award-winning environmental journalist Beth Gardiner joins us to pull back the curtain on who’s behind all this plastic and why. We explore why production is skyrocketing despite consumer pushback, how the myth of recycling keeps us distracted, and why naming the real culprits is the first step toward true systemic change. Resources mentioned: Plastic Inc: The Secret History and Shocking Future of Big Oil’s Biggest Bet Beyond Plastics This episode is sponsored by Fearless Finance. Use code SUSTAINABLE to get $50 off your first meeting.   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]. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/sustainable-minimalists2448/exclusive-content Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy