Sustainable in the Suburbs

What does sustainable living actually look like in the suburbs — in places designed around cars, convenience, and big box shopping?
Laura Newton is the founder of The Kind Matter Company, a Canadian eco-boutique and refill store focused on low waste living, eco friendly products, and non-toxic household essentials. What began as a personal search for safer products after her daughter developed severe allergies has grown into a retail business built around making sustainable living more accessible for everyday families.
Kind Matter now has multiple locations across Ontario, including a flagship store in Mississauga’s Heartland Town Centre — a typical suburban shopping plaza where refillable products, Canadian brands, and plastic-free options sit alongside everyday errands.
This conversation explores how refill stores and low waste shopping fit into suburban life, what customers are actually looking for, and how eco friendly products become part of real, everyday routines — without requiring a complete lifestyle overhaul.
Takeaways
Why accessibility is one of the biggest barriers to sustainable living and low waste living
What customers are most curious — and hesitant — about when they first encounter refill stores and refill systems
Why cleaning products are often the gateway into refilling and eco friendly home swaps
How placing refill shops inside suburban shopping plazas changes everyday shopping habits
The role Canadian and women-owned brands play in Kind Matter’s product curation
The importance of community-focused sustainability and local shopping in suburban areas
Connect With Laura
The Kind Matter Company
Terra Greenhouses
Products Mentioned
Birch Babe
Cheekbone Beauty
The Bare Home
Notice Hair Co. (see in store)
Routine Cream (see in store)
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Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio
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This episode originally aired in the very first month of Sustainable in the Suburbs. I’m revisiting it now because this idea remains one of the clearest ways to find your place in climate action — and sometimes returning to the foundation is exactly what helps us feel re-energized.
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 overwhelming.
But meaningful climate action doesn’t happen because one person does everything. It happens when many people each find their place — in their homes, their neighbourhoods, and their communities.
In this episode, I’m sharing a simple framework I often come back to refocus my efforts: the Climate Action Venn Diagram from Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. We’ll talk about how your skills, your joys, and the needs of the world can come together to help you find your own personal starting point — one that feels meaningful, realistic, and sustainable for the long haul.
Takeaways
The Climate Venn Diagram helps identify a meaningful starting point for climate action by looking at what brings you joy, what you’re good at, and what the world needs.
Sustainable living isn’t about doing everything — it’s about doing something that feels right for you.
Joy is a powerful motivator in climate work and there are countless ways to contribute your skills.
Climate action often happens at the community level — through local advocacy, shared resources, and collective resilience.
Building habits that feel good and fit your life helps make climate action sustainable for the long term.
One Small Shift
Download a copy of Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson’s Climate Venn Diagram worksheet, grab a pencil, and just see what comes up. You might be surprised by how much clarity this one little exercise can bring.
Resources
How to Start Living Sustainably: A Simple Framework for Climate Action
Climate Action Venn Diagram
How to Find Joy in Climate Action (TED Talk)
What If We Get It Right? (website)
All We Can Save - Ayana Elizabeth Johnson & Katharine K. Wilkinson (book)
What If We Get It Right - Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson (book)
Buy Nothing Project
Related Epiosdes

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Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio
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What does sustainability look like in a fast-moving industry like film and television?
In this episode, Canadian actress Erin Karpluk shares how growing up in Jasper shaped her connection to nature, how the 2024 wildfires impacted her community, and how those experiences inform the way she approaches sustainability — both personally and professionally.
We talk about eco-friendly habits, secondhand fashion, sustainable travel, and what waste and sustainability look like behind the scenes on film sets. This is a conversation about environmental awareness, resilience, and the small shifts that can influence culture at work.
Takeaways
How growing up in Jasper shaped Erin’s connection to nature and community
The impact of the 2024 Jasper wildfires on memory and resilience
What sustainable living looks like in everyday routines
How sustainability in film production is evolving — and where it still needs work
Practical eco-friendly travel habits for people who live on the road
How small workplace habits can shift culture over time
Why connection to people and place fuels environmental awareness
Connect With Erin
Instagram
Facebook
IMDb
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Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio
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I can’t be the only one who has complicated feelings about goody bags… right?
Kids' birthday parties have quietly escalated. The venues. The décor. The goody bags. The expectation that every year has to be a little bigger than the last.
But most kids don’t actually need all of that.
In this episode, I’m sharing how we’ve kept birthday parties simple, low waste, and still genuinely fun — from smaller guest lists to reusable decorations, bulk food, experience gifts, and activities that don’t end up in the trash.
If you’re looking for practical, eco-friendly birthday party ideas that feel realistic for busy families, this episode walks through exactly how we do it.
Related Episodes
Ep. 16: Sustainable Living with Kids with Jessica Nakamura
Ep. 22: Simple, Real-Life Sustainable Living with Julie Darrell
Ep. 23: Borrow Before You Buy with LEND-IT.CA
Ep. 26: Holiday Food Waste — Simple Ways to Reduce Waste and Save Money
Resources
How to Have a Zero Waste Birthday Party for Kids (blog post)
Should You Give Secondhand Gifts (blog post)
Eco-Friendly Gift Ideas for Kids (blog post)
Balloons Blow
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Sustainable in the Suburbs is mixed and edited by Cardinal Studio
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We talk a lot on this show about the small daily habits inside our homes. But every so often, the choices get bigger.
Renovations bring in materials, demolition, budgets, trades, and long-term decisions all at once. They shape how a home functions — and how it holds up — for years.
In this episode, I’m joined by Brittany Steptoe Wright, Founder and Principal of BSW Design and COO of Steptoe Carpentry, for a practical and thoughtful conversation about what sustainable design actually looks like inside real projects with real budgets.
If you’re planning a renovation — or simply thinking about your home with a longer lens — this conversation offers a steady framework for building and living in a way that lasts.
Takeaways
What sustainable design actually looks like inside a renovation
Where renovation waste comes from — and where it can realistically be diverted
Why durability often matters more than trend cycles
How antiques and inherited pieces can anchor a renovation
How professionals weigh sourcing, longevity, and budget together
Why maintenance plays a key role in sustainability
One Small Shift
Take care of your things — loved things last!
Maintain them. Repair them. Clean them properly. Loved things last — and extending the life of what’s already in your home is one of the simplest and most meaningful sustainability decisions you can make.
Connect With Brit
Website
Instagram
Podcast
Resources
Habitat for Humanity 
Forest Stewardship Council (FSC)
Sustainable Waste
Farrier Home 
RC Home 
HanStone
Jairpur Living
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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.