Shows
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast24. Connecting Community through Good, Clean & Fair Food with Slow Food Hunter ValleyHave you heard about the Slow Food Movement? It’s a global movement that believes everyone has the right to good, clean and fair food.
Helping us understand the movement from a localised perspective, I'd like to introduce you to Amorelle Dempster from Slow Food Hunter Valley. The volunteer-led grassroots organisation helps connect their community with the local farming community, plus make available just simple local and delicious food.
A summary, plus the links from this episode are found here at Connecting Community through Good, Clean & Fair Food
The ReNewy Living Podcast is hos...2025-07-1730 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast23. Sustainable Interior Design is Made to Wear In, Not Out with Eco EditionUsing healthy and sustainable materials in your interior design is an overlooked, yet important element in your daily living. In this episode, I'm chatting with Nadine Samwell from Eco Edition. She helps homeowners with better choices for healthy and sustainable materials for new builds and renovations. And it's all with the aim of making it simpler and easier for you. She helps you understand what sustainable interior design means and talks about the myths around sustainable materials and home design.
A summary, plus the links from this episode are found here at Sustainable Interior Design is Made...2025-06-2929 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast22. What's Threatening Lake Macquarie's Green Sea Turtles? With Hunter Wildlife RescueHello, I’m Mardi Lee and Welcome to The ReNewy Living Podcast!
Did you know that right here in Lake Macquarie our local sea turtles are at risk. It's not just something that's happening as part of climate change that you see on the Great Barrier Reef but also here. There are at least three reasons why our sea turtles are being impacted so badly. So what's happening and what can we do about it?
I'm chatting with Tanya Rossiter from Hunter Wildlife Rescue which is an organisation that’s spent more than 45 years rescuing and...2025-06-1828 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast21. Practical Steps to Decluttering after LossDecluttering your home is tough enough, right? Finding the time, energy, and headspace when you're feeling your best is a challenge on its own. But what happens when the responsibility shifts? When a loved one no longer needs their belongings, and suddenly, it’s up to you to sort through it all?
In this episode, I’m chatting with ReNewy Living Community member Rowena from the Central Coast of NSW. She recently navigated the emotional and practical challenges of clearing her dad’s estate after his passing. Rowena’s experience offers valuable insights into steps you can take tod...2025-06-1029 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast20. Sustainable Home Renovation Design That Puts People First with On Home GroundHello, I’m Mardi Lee, and welcome to The ReNewy Living Podcast!
Renovating your home is exciting—but it can also be overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to make sustainable short and long-term choices. Is it possible to create your dream design without a massive environmental footprint?
That’s exactly what we’re talking about with my guest Natalie Van de Merwe from On Home Ground. Natalie’s an eco architect who specialises in renovations over new builds to help suburban homeowners create eco-effective homes that work for them and the planet.
If you’re read...2025-06-0333 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast19. Easy Wins for a More Energy Efficient Older HomeHello, my name's Mardi Lee and Welcome to The ReNewy Living Podcast!
Retrofitting your home for energy efficiency can feel overwhelming, especially when it’s less exciting or visible than other reno upgrades. But when it comes to home comfort and savings, it’s what’s on the inside that counts!
The simplest ways to improve your home's efficiency are often best shared by someone who isn’t trying to sell you something. That’s where my guest, ReNewy Living community member Gayle from Valentine NSW, comes in. Gayle’s an active member of her local Sustai...2025-05-2727 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast18. The Community Garden where Veggies meet Biodiversity with The Groundswell CollectiveHello, I’m Mardi Lee, and welcome to The ReNewy Living Podcast!
Ever wondered whether community gardens are there just for veggie growing? In this episode, you’ll hear how one local community garden is evolving from a growing food-only garden to becoming a biodiversity haven.
Joining me is Katie Ryan from The Groundswell Collective. Katie’s role at The Shelley Street Community Garden is helping guide the garden from purely food production to something more suited to the area. The garden is moving towards building an ecosystem that supports native species, the permaculture principles and th...2025-05-2026 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast17. From Waste to Wake-up Call: Art that Hits Home with Artist Marina deBrisNewcastle, like much of Australia’s coastline, is known for its golden sand beaches and beautiful ocean swimming. However, once you’re at the beach, you see pieces of rubbish amongst the grains of sand and seaweed. You can’t unsee the problem that you know threatens wildlife and mars the beauty of your beach.
In this episode, I’m speaking with Marina DeBris, a Lake Macquarie artist who creates visual story installations to highlight the rubbish problems on our beaches. Over the last decade or so, her solo rubbish-collecting efforts have become a valuable, small-scale commentary about ou...2025-05-0445 min
Yellow Shelf PodcastThe ReNewy Living Podcast, host Mardi LeeWelcome to The ReNewy Living Podcast! The ReNewy Living Podcast is a sustainability show that helps you simplify sustainable living from a localised perspective. Join host Mardi Lee, to learn together how to naturally embed sustainability into our unique lifestyles. Soon to release Season 3, diverse episodes featuring plenty of topics and interesting sustainability stories to get you curious and committed. About ReNewy Living Thinking globally, and acting locally. ReNewy Living believes in the power of local action to create a lasting environmental & social legacy. Our mission is to emp...2025-03-2006 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast16. How a Native Plant Nursery Protects Local Biodiversity with Trees in NewcastleAre you looking to create a garden that's beautiful, low-maintenance and good for the planet? We'll dig into why choosing plants from your local area makes a big difference not just for your garden, but for the natural environment too.
In this episode, I'm chatting with Emma Graham from Trees in Newcastle. They're a non-profit that's been around since 1989 and are dedicated to protecting and promoting native vegetation specific to the Hunter region.
A summary, plus the links from this episode are found here: How a Native Plant Nursery Protects Local Biodiversity
The...2025-03-0331 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast15. Flipping the Concept of Supermarket Shopping with Jayne Travers-Drapes from Box DivvyDo you ever feel frustrated that the traditional large supermarket model isn't working for you anymore?
In this episode, I'm chatting with Jayne Travers-Drapes, founder of Box Divvy. They're flipping the concept of how we think about fruit and veg shopping by changing the way your purchasing power works. Their un-supermarketing approach is all about supporting local communities and cutting down on food waste. Let's find out about this fresh approach to eating well and doing good.
A summary, plus the links from this episode are found here: Flipping the Concept of Supermarket Shopping
2025-02-1232 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast14. What Makes Natural Deodorant Great? With Woohoo BodyIn this episode, I chat with Phoebe and Aaron Breckell, the founders of Woohoo Body. Based in Newcastle, but known across the country, they’ve created a natural deodorant and skincare company that’s making a big difference to the planet, giving you a healthy deodorant that works.
A summary, plus the links from this episode are found here: What Makes Natural Deodorant Great?
The ReNewy Living Podcast is hosted by Mardi Lee, founder of ReNewy Living...
The ReNewy Living Podcast helps uncomplicate sustainability by connecting you with local knowledge, practices, and actions that...2025-02-0436 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast13. Why Fair Trade Matters with Yvie ScottIn this episode, I’m joined by Yvie Scott, fashion entrepreneur and founder of Aware: The Social Design Project. Yvie launched her Fair Trade business to create meaningful change through ethical fashion and social justice. We explore what it means to run a values-driven business, why supporting communities is her passion, and how Fair Trade can inspire meaningful change.
Blogpost and links from this episode are found here: Why Fair Trade Matters
The ReNewy Living Podcast is hosted by Mardi Lee, founder of ReNewy Living...
The ReNewy Living Podcast simplifies sustainability by helping yo...2025-01-1730 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast12. Balancing Collective Living with Individual Ideas with Sally Maguire from Shepherd's GroundLiving in an intentional eco village such as Shepherd’s Ground has an overarching common goal of living smart and simply. Based on a rural property outside of Maitland NSW it would seem that the challenges of living a lighter footprint lifestyle would be the same for everyone. However, even though there’s the common goal of living sustainably, there’s plenty of scope for residents to individualise what sustainability means to them.
Sally Maguire, resident of Shepherd’s Groun shares her insights of what it’s like to live in an eco village, also known as a land shar...2025-01-1028 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast11. Closing the Loop on Food WasteUnlike the availability of recycling and general rubbish collections, commercial kitchens face big challenges with their food waste.
David Sivyer is the founder of Feedback Organic, an organisation focused on reducing food waste from food-based businesses. Starting in Newcastle as a grassroots initiative, Feedback Organic aims to create community-inclusive circular food systems that scale.
Blogpost and links from this episode are found here: Closing the Loop on Food Waste
The ReNewy Living Podcast is hosted by Mardi Lee, founder of ReNewy Living...
The ReNewy Living Podcast simplifies sustainability by helping you...2025-01-0230 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast10. A Sustainable Clothing Journey: From Farm to Fibre with Three Muscats Fibre FarmWhen you buy clothes off the rack, you're buying the final product. The care tag might tell you the basic information - what it’s made of, where it was made and even where it was designed. But decades of globalised production have left us disconnected from our clothes and the journey it takes to get to us.
Rebecca Muscat from Three Muscats Fibre Farm in Singleton, Hunter Valley is a passionate textile and fibre artist. As a first-generation small farm owner , she’s deeply connected to every step of her craft. Her family cares for the anim...2024-12-2740 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast9. Less Plastic Toys for More Sustainable PlayIf you have young kids, do you feel your house has been overtaken by too many toys? Toys that are battery operated, have all the bells and whistles or serve only one purpose. Bringing us good news about the value of less plastic toys for more sustainable play are two highly experienced early childhood educators from Caves Beach Uniting Preschool, Michelle Ryan and Raquel Ayerst. At the heart of their preschool practice is sustainability, social justice and creativity.
Blogpost and links from this episode are found here: https://renewyliving.com.au/less-plastic-toys-for-more-sustainable-play/
The ReNewy Living P...2024-12-1937 min
Practical Permaculture | Gardening and Intentional LivingEpisode 70- Mardi Lee I ReNewy Living I Values-Aligned Sustainability I Mindful consumptionIn this episode of the Practical Permaculture Podcast, we chat with Mardi.
Mardi shares her journey into sustainability through her business, ReNewy Living. We explore the importance of community empowerment, creative workshops and the principles of permaculture in daily life. The conversation also touches on sustaining habits, understanding personal values and addressing skepticism around sustainability practices.
We also dive into the beauty of gifting secondhand and pre-loved items, the stigma surrounding them, and how to navigate these perceptions. A must listen to with the upcoming Christmas season.
Lastly, our conversation also highlights the significance of fostering community connections, respecting...2024-11-071h 06
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast8. Repair Cafes Help to Fix, Mend & ConnectRather than stockpiling your growing needs-to-be-repaired collection at the back of the garage, consider taking it to your local repair cafe. Repair cafes are dedicated to helping you extend the life of your belongings. Thanks to local volunteers, Sam Doove and Gabrielle Clappison, places like the Lake Mac Repair Cafe ensure your items get a second chance, lasting for many more days and years to come.
For the blogpost and links mentioned in this episode, head to https://renewyliving.com.au/repair-cafes-help-to-fix-mend-connect/
The ReNewy Living Podcast is hosted by Mardi Lee, founder of ReNewy Living...2024-10-2830 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast7. Natural Soap Making Inspired by Nature with Honeybee House Skin Co.Have you ever thought about how your soap is made? Soap making has been around for thousands of years, but the rise of industrialisation, globalisation, and cluey marketing means we've lost that connection with real soap ingredients and soap making. Someone who does know what's in her soap is Mel Magill from Honeybee House Skin Co. Mel's a Lake Mac soap maker who uses the cold soap making process to produce soap that's beneficial, not just for your body, but also the planet.
The ReNewy Living Podcast is hosted by Mardi Lee, founder of ReNewy Living https...2024-10-2125 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast6. Circular Economy from a Localised Perspective with Bianca Bartlett & Thomas Michel from The Full Circle CollectiveYou frequently hear the phrase “circular economy” from governments and businesses. But do you know what it really means from a local community perspective? Sharing their perspective are Thomas Michel and Bianca Bartlett from the Newcastle nonprofit startup, The Full Circle Collective.
For the blogpost and links mentioned in this episode, head to https://renewyliving.com.au/circular-economy-from-a-localised-perspective/
The ReNewy Living Podcast is hosted by Mardi Lee, founder of ReNewy Living https://renewyliving.com.au/
ReNewy Living empowers people in local communities who want to live sustainably, to take a values-aligned approach for an a...2024-10-1437 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast5. What Makes a Beauty Salon Sustainable? With Slow Skin Co.Walking in for a waxing treatment, tinting or facial at a sustainable beauty salon has all the benefits of going to a normal beauty salon. But by far the greatest benefit is knowing that a beauty salon who cares about your skin and body also cares deeply about our planet.
Emma Summerhayes is a local Newcastle business owner from Slow Skin Co. She is serious about looking after your body by using natural skincare, choosing local products and embedding sustainable business practices into her services.
For the blogpost and links mentioned in this episode, head to...2024-10-0730 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast4. How Smokva Community Garden Cultivates Connection & GrowthCommunity gardens are green spaces that serve a purpose beyond simply growing fresh food. They're about cultivating connections and are a rich solution to tackling big issues. Today we're joined by Adrian Garner from Smokva Community Garden in Wickham. Adrian shares his local knowledge and experience on how community gardens are more than just a space for plants.
For the blogpost and links mentioned in this episode, head to https://renewyliving.com.au/how-smokva-community-garden-cultivates-connection-growth/
The ReNewy Living Podcast is hosted by Mardi Lee, founder of ReNewy Living https://renewyliving.com.au/
ReNewy Living e...2024-09-3030 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast3. The Library of Things: Reducing Waste Through Sharing with The Share Shop NewcastlePressure washers are excellent for your big outside jobs, but after that once in a blue moon cleaning event, they're bulky to store and can seem like money down the (Karchered) drain. But it's places like The Share Shop in Newcastle that helps you rethink whether you need or actually want to own goods you rarely use.
For the blogpost and links mentioned in this episode, head to https://renewyliving.com.au/the-library-of-things-reducing-waste-through-sharing/
The ReNewy Living Podcast is hosted by Mardi Lee, founder of ReNewy Living.
ReNewy Living empowers people in local communities...2024-09-2332 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast2. Behind the Op Shop Donation DoorTwo people who know about running successful op shops are Lifeline retail employees, Dalys Harper and David Ison. They explain how op shops are better for your budget and the planet as well as how supporting preloved first has a positive impact in your community. Behind the Op Shop Donation Door When you're decluttering the house or having a clear out, donating to your local op shop is a great first choice. Donating your stuff gives you the feel-goods, knowing the op shop will sell your stuff to help others. But what really happens behind the scenes of the...2024-09-1729 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living Podcast1. A Local Tiny Forest with Big Benefits with Anna Noon of The Groundswell CollectiveAnna Noon of the Groundswell Collective is instrumental in establishing Lake Macquarie's first tiny forest. With her team, she aims to bring people together to create a better planet, and shares her expertise & insights on tiny forests.
A Local Tiny Forest with Big Benefits
You know that feeling when it's a super hot day. You're in a built up environment surrounded by hard surfaces such as roads, car parks and buildings jam-packed together. The radiating heat is overwhelming.
Now, imagine a place where native trees, plants and creatures flourish. You feel and see t...2024-09-0735 min
The ReNewy Living Podcast: A Sustainable Living PodcastThe ReNewy Living Podcast TrailerHello and welcome to The ReNewy Living Podcast! Join Mardi Lee from ReNewy Living, as we learn together how to naturally embed sustainability into our unique lifestyles.
2024-08-3101 min