This episode touches on sustainable fashion — but it’s not only about fashion.

It’s a conversation about how we think about clothes, how we relate to what we already own, and how everyday decisions around getting dressed connect to consumption, care, and creativity.

I’m joined by Sabs Katz, the creator of Sustainable Sabs and a cofounder of Intersectional Environmentalist, for a thoughtful, wide-ranging conversation about personal style, overconsumption, and what it looks like to slow down without turning sustainability into a rulebook.

We talk about clothing as memory and legacy, why reducing consumption matters more than chasing “better” products, and how practices like mending, swaps, and intentional limits can actually make style clearer — not more restrictive.

This episode is for anyone who wears clothes — which is all of us.

Takeaways

• Why fashion can be such a complicated entry point into sustainability
• What “sustainable fashion” can look like in real life
• Clothing as memory, inheritance, and care
• Reducing consumption without rigidity
• Mending, swaps, and community-based alternatives
• Finding creativity outside of constant trends
• Some excellent challenges to curb your consumption and recharge your creativity

One Small Shift
Pause before buying something new. Save it, sit with it, and see how you feel about it a week later.

Connect With Sabs

Instagram

Website

Substack

Resources

Intersectional Environmentalist

Indyx

Hot or Cool Institute

Drive to Target - poems by Hayley DeRoche

How to Host a Clothing Swap (blog post)

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Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio

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.

Paper towels are one of those everyday items most of us don’t think twice about — until we do. They’re convenient, familiar, and deeply embedded in our kitchen routines. But when you slow down and look at what goes into making something designed to be used once and thrown away, it becomes worth questioning.

In this solo episode of Sustainable in the Suburbs, I’m talking about how to quit (or significantly reduce) paper towel use in a way that’s practical, flexible, and rooted in real life. I share how paper towels quietly disappeared from our home years ago, why they’re so easy to overuse, and what actually works instead.

We dig into the environmental and financial cost of paper towels, how ideas about cleanliness and convenience shape our habits, and why changing what’s within reach can naturally change behaviour. I also walk through realistic reusable alternatives, storage and laundry concerns, edge cases where disposables still make sense, and what to do if you already have paper towels at home.

The focus is on choosing reusables where they make sense, and how small changes add up over time in everyday life.

Takeaways

• Why paper towels are designed to be overused — and why that’s not a personal failure.
• The environmental impact of single-use paper products.
• Practical alternatives to paper towels that work in everyday homes.
• How small behavioural changes can reduce waste.
• Why using fewer paper towels still matters, even if you don’t eliminate them entirely.

One Small Shift

Take the paper towel roll off your counter and put it somewhere else — under the sink, in a cupboard, or the pantry. Just notice what you reach for instead over the next week or two.

Related Episodes

8: 5 Easy Plastic-Free Kitchen Swaps for Sustainable Living

11: Money, Enoughness, and Community Care with Women's Personal Finance

33: Fewer, Better Things — How to Reduce Kitchen Clutter and Waste

Resources

What to Use Instead of Paper Towels (all my favourite products)

How to Knit a Dish Cloth (free PDF pattern)

10 Zero Waste Kitchen Swaps That Save You Money (blog post)

A Beginner's Guide to a Sustainable Kitchen (use code PODCAST20)

Support the show

Connect With Me

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Newsletter

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Support the Show

Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio

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.

Our homes are full of things we barely notice until they start to feel heavy. Duplicate pantry items, forgotten gadgets, drawers that are full of junk... And suddenly, everyday life feels harder than it needs to be.

In this episode, I’m joined by Sasha Mazzuca, founder of Disch and a professional organizer, for a thoughtful conversation about our relationship to stuff — and how choosing fewer, better things can make daily life feel calmer, more functional, and more sustainable.

Sasha shares how years of organizing clients’ kitchens led her to a surprisingly universal problem: the towel drawer. From there, she walks us through how thoughtful design, simple systems, and well-made tools can reduce clutter, decision fatigue, and waste — without requiring a full lifestyle overhaul.

We talk about why eco-friendly products don’t have to be boring or expensive, how paper towels quietly add up in both cost and resources, and why the kitchen is often the easiest place to start building more sustainable habits. This conversation is especially timely for anyone feeling the pull to declutter, reset, or simplify — without chasing perfection.

Takeaways

• Why clutter often comes from delayed decisions and forgotten duplicates
• How professional organizing intersects with sustainability
• Common myths about eco-friendly products — including cost and aesthetics
• Why the kitchen is a natural gateway to sustainable living
• Why paper towels are one of the easiest places to reduce waste
• How fewer, better-designed tools can support lasting habits

One Small Shift

Sasha suggests starting with one drawer — especially the towel drawer. Choosing tools that actually work, fit neatly, and get used every day can reduce clutter, waste, and mental load far more than we expect.

Connect With Sasha / Disch

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Resources

What To Use Instead of Paper Towels (blog post)

10 Zero Waste Kitchen Swaps That Save You Money (blog post)

A Beginner's Guide to a Sustainable Kitchen (e-book - use code PODCAST20)

5 Easy Plastic-Free Kitchen Swaps (previous episode)

Support the show

Connect With Me

Website

Newsletter

Shop

Instagram

Support the Show

Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio

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.