Becoming more conscious consumers is a pivotal step in building a more sustainable economy, but how do we deconsume in a consumerist world? When we buy less, we save money, cut down on clutter, and lower our emissions. This collective shift has another big impact — helping us to steer the economy away from disposable products, unsustainable resource use, and dangerous supply chains.

On this episode of Second Nature, we hear listeners' take on overconsumption and their tips for deconsumption. We also chat with climate activist and educator Lauren Bash about Buy Nothing groups, Repair Cafes, and her own deconsumption journey. Plus, we find out who's doing all this overconsuming and the impact it's having on the rest of the world.

🌎 To see photos of our contributors as well as citations, and further reading, check the full show notes.

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A great way to cut down on overconsumption is to get a handle on what you’re consuming. If you want a sustainable spending buddy to help you track the emissions of every purchase and gives you personalized tips, try the Commons app.

Episode credits

• Listener contributions: Alyssa Barber, Amea Wadsworth, Andrea Reno, Caitlyn Luitjens, Daria Panova, Jonas Schäfer, Mac Hansen, Madeline Streilein, Nicole Collins, Rachel Orenstein, Timmin Vooijs, Willa Stoutenbeek‍
• Featuring: Lauren Bash and Sanchali Seth Pal‍
• Editing and engineer: Evan Goodchild‍
• Hosting and production: Katelan Cunningham

Stoops, balconies, and windowsills are ripe for growing food. Today, we're riding out the ripple effect that urban gardening can have on our lives and the planet.

Second Nature is your community for practical, sustainable living. On this episode, we're getting inspiration and practical tips to start small, fruitful home gardens in urban spaces. We're also talking about the carbon footprint of home gardens and realizing the ripple effect that growing our own food can have on our lives and the environment.

🌎 To see photos of our contributors and their gardens as well as citations, and further reading, check the full show notes.

📞 We'd love to hear from you! Submit to the show.
📱 To join the Commons community, download the app.

📷 Follow Second Nature on Instagram.

Second Nature is a podcast by Commons, the sustainable spending app that tens of thousands of people use to track their footprint. Earn rewards for climate-friendly purchases and find new, action-based content in the app every week. Download the app and join our June Collective Challenge: Sustainable Transit.

Episode credits

• Listener contributions: Sameera Mokkarala, Lindsay Kerns, Daria Panova, Brian Stancheski, Tara Haug, Rooey
• Featuring: Nelson ZêPequéno and Sanchali Seth Pal
• Editing and engineer: Evan Goodchild‍
• Hosting and production: Katelan Cunningham

Fast fashion is cheap, but the low cost to customers comes at a high cost to garment workers, communities, and the environment. So, how do we break free from the fast fashion cycle?

Second Nature is your community for practical, sustainable living. On this episode, we're commiserating with listeners over the allure of fast fashion and getting real tips to break free from it. Plus, we're doing the math on the impact of buying less fast fashion and talking to Kestrel Jenkins (journalist and host of Conscious Chatter) about the human cost of fast fashion.

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On this episode, you'll hear:

• Practical guidance from real-life, former fast fashion shopaholics.
• An interview with journalist and Conscious Chatter host Kestrel Jenkins about the human cost of fast fashion and how to recenter the supply chain in our buying habits.
• What happens when get this right? Commons CEO and founder Sanchali Seth Pal does the math on how ditching fast fashion can make a real carbon impact.

🌎 To see photos of our contributors, citations, and further reading, check the full show notes.
📞 We'd love to hear from you! Submit to the show.
📱 To join the Commons community, download the app.

📷 Follow Second Nature on Instagram.

Second Nature is a podcast by Commons, the sustainable spending app that tens of thousands of people use to track their footprint. Earn rewards for climate-friendly purchases like plant-based restaurants, and join collective challenges. Download the app and join May's collective challenge, Secondhand Shopping.

Episode credits

• Listener contributions: Alyssa Barber, Drew Crabtree, Freya Dumasia, Hattie Webb, Kellie Rana, Lawrence Hott, Madeline Streilein, Miriam Jornet, Romina Román, Rozalia Agioutanti, Tavia Anon, Willa Stoutenbeek
• Featuring: Kestrel Jenkins and Sanchali Sate Pal
• Editing and engineer: Evan Goodchild
• Fact checking: Sophie Janaskie‍
• Hosting and production: Katelan Cunningham

Plant-based eating is one of the most impactful climate actions we can take, but changing our diets can be overwhelming. How can we get started and stick with it?

Second Nature is your community for practical, sustainable living. On this episode, we're hearing from listeners about how they've started adding more plants to their plates, finding inspiration in delicious recipes, and getting motivated by the carbon impact of collective action.

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On this episode, you'll hear:

• Motivation and practical tips from listeners across the plant-forward spectrum: flexitarians, vegetarians, and vegans.
• An interview with food writer Alicia Kennedy about how the food industry needs to reckon with the environmental impact of meat, plus delicious plant-based recipes to try.
• How our collective shift to more plant-based meals can impact the meat industry.

📞 We'd love to hear from you! Submit to the show.
📱 To join the Commons community, download the app.

🌎 For citations and further reading, check the full show notes.
📷 Follow Second Nature on Instagram.

Second Nature is a podcast by Commons, the sustainable spending app that tens of thousands of people use to track their footprint. Earn rewards for climate-friendly purchases like plant-based restaurants, and join collective challenges. Download the app and join this month's collective challenge, Secondhand Shopping.

Episode credits

• Listener contributions: Amea Wadsworth, Caitlyn Luitjens, Daria Panova, Drew Crabtree, Jacqueline Elliott , Joëlle Provost , Kimberly Foley, Lawrence Hott, Melissa Athina, Timmin Vooijs, Willa Stoutenbeek
• Featuring: Alicia Kennedy and Sanchali Sate Pal
• Editing and engineer: Evan Goodchild
• Fact checking: Sophie Janaskie‍
• Hosting and production: Katelan Cunningham

Can we live sustainably in an unsustainable world? Second Nature is a new podcast from Commons exploring how sustainable choices impact our lives and the planet.

Every week, hear how listeners around the world take action every to combat climate change and create the kind of world they want to live in. We'll get expert answers to your burning climate questions and calculate the potential carbon impact of collective action.

Subscribe so you don't miss an episode!