Embracing Sustainability in our Throwaway Culture | Zero Waste Expert Tara Button, BuyMeOnce.com

#249 • How do we shop with a sustainable mindset? Cozy in for this comforting chat with British zero-waste expert Tara Button, a former advertising copywriter who couldn't stomach that she was selling people stuff they didn't actually need. She founded BUYMEONCE.com as a consumer guide for those of us who want to buy a quality item once and learn how to care for it. We discuss how to shop with a sustainable mindset, how to care for the things we already have, and her book A Life Less Throwaway: The Lost Art of Buying for Life (Ten Speed Press). 

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Crib Notes (AKA Episode Research)

  • A Life Less Throwaway: The Lost Art of Buying for Life by Tara Button - Buy Me Once

  • Buying to Last: Back to a Bygone Era - Written by Tara Button - The New York Times

  • 10 Books to Inspire Your Zero-Waste Home & Lifestyle - Green Garden

  • How Sustainable-Living Queen Tara Button Organized the Perfect Waste-Free Wedding - Daily Mail UK

  • Mom Talk: Raising Kids in a Zero-Waste Family - Mother Magazine

  • The Zero-Waste Handbag: How To Be Clutter Free on the Go - Tara Button


About Our Guest: Tara Button

You can connect with Tara on her LinkedIn, Instagram, and the Twitter

Tara Button worked in advertising until 2016, but she became uncomfortable in a job that pushed people to buy things they didn’t necessarily want or need. On her 30th birthday, she was given a Le Creuset cooking pot by her sister. Every time she used this pot, she thought, “If only all my possessions were like this, I’d never have to replace anything.” The idea stalked her for months until finally (despite having close to zero technical ability) she gave in and started building a basic website. In January 2016, a journalist found BuyMeOnce on Twitter and pitched a story to The Telegraph. Over the next few days, the article went viral and Tara’s world (and inbox) exploded. She quit her job and committed to spreading the BuyMeOnce message globally. Since then she has come to oversee a team of eight, all passionate about the BuyMeOnce mission; the team even includes her old boss.


#248 • Minimalist expert Courtney Carver, Project 333 capsule wardrobe founder, and mother with MS shares how reassessing our relationship to “stuff” can be a powerful first step towards newfound confidence and financial independence, as well as overall health and happiness. Sound too good to be true? I can’t wait for you to take a listen.