This Week: 4 Ways You Can Be More Sustainable In London
When it comes to sustainability there are many ways to be sustainable and every little ounce of it counts! Here are 4 things you can adopt this week to be that little bit more sustainable in London.
Before we dive in, take the Environmental Footprint Questionnaire to work out how big your environmental footprint is. The Questionnaire courtesy of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), gives you an ecological footprint based on four areas food, home, travel and stuff. You may be surprised at what your footprint really is.
Farmers Markets
Farmers markets are a great location to get tasty and fresh produce which is farmed using organic farming methods with less exposure to harmful insecticides, pesticides and chemicals. More importantly, farmers markets help to support your local economy and encourage community partnerships.
What you can do?
Shop at your local farmers market and reduce your ‘food mileage’. Your food mileage is the amount of waste and pollution created from the transportation of your food, including to supermarkets. When you head to your local farmers market with your fabulous multi-use tote bag in hand, you will also be avoiding the plastic packaging we are inundated with at supermarkets . Who doesn’t love the great atmosphere of a market?
Find out where your nearest farmers market is on the London Farmers Market Website.
River Clean up with Thames21
Thames 21 organise River Clean events where teams of volunteers help to remove litter along the foreshore of the River Thames, other smaller tributary rivers and water bodies elsewhere in London. This beyond cool organisation works with communities for a chance to make an immediate improvement to rivers and canals for people and wildlife.
What can you do?
Visit Join a River Clean on the Thames 21 website to discover when and where you can get involved in a River Clean and help make an immediate improvement to the environment we live in!
Cycle to Work
Ditch the fuel-burning car for an eco -friendly cycle to work. Not only will you be helping the environment you also get to avoid the rush hour madness of the tube whilst getting a good work out at the same time. If you don’t have time to hit the gym as much as you would like to, this is a Win-Win!
What you can do?
Check the Transport for London Website for locations of ‘Boris’ bikes and start planning your route to work (A ‘Boris’ Bike is also known as a Santander Bike, but ‘Boris’ if you’re nostalgic).
More and more employers are offering a cycle to work scheme providing incentives to get you to cycle to work. Find out from your employer what is on offer to you.
What is the Cycle to Work Scheme?
The cycle to work scheme is designed to help you save money on a new bike and allows you to spread the cost of a bike and accessories over a period of time, paying monthly tax-free instalments through your employer.
Zero Waste Stores
Zero-waste stores operate on the concept of eliminating/reducing the need for plastic packaging. There are several zero waste store popping up in London from large chains such as Whole Foods to smaller stores such as Source Bulk Foods. In our experience, there is always really great conversation and friendly service at zero waste stores.
What you can do?
Start zero-waste grocery shopping today! Get your own reusable jars/containers and pay per weight for what you buy. Here are some of our favourite zero waste stores in London:
Source Bulk Foods (Battersea and Chiswick)
Bulk Market (Hackney)
Hetu Vegan Zero Waste Store (Clapham Junction)
Harmless Store (Wood Green)
