Do you want to have a more sustainable life in London, but struggle to find a way to make it happen?

This article will give you some useful information on how to live, little by little, a more sustainable life in London.

Let’s start from…

Food

You can bring your reusable containers and cotton bags to buy organic groceries and natural beauty products in shops, bulk stores and farm markets where most of the food products are sold loose, which means no packaging! 

Farm Markets take place one day per week, usually on Saturday or Sunday from 9/10 am to 2 pm.

Those kinds of markets put you in direct contact with farmers, fishermen, growers and bakers and make you learn what means seasonal eating. Plus, it is the easiest place to buy without plastic wrapping!

Bulk store chains:

• Whole Food Market
• Planet Organic
• The Source Bulk Food
• Earth Natural Foods

Regarding online food shopping, there is a good article to read here about the best sustainable options.

Must have app

Too Good to Go, to fight food waste. The app allows you to pay a lower price for unsold food from restaurants and bars around you, before they get to the bin after closing time.

Every Day Care

Products that can help you make a step in your sustainable everyday care are: solid shampoo and conditioner, shower gel bars and natural body/facial creams.

They are getting popular thanks to big companies such as Lush, a shop for vegan and cruelty-free soap and beauty products with only recyclable packages (if none), and other small independent shops such as Bottega Zero Waste, that sells zero-waste and plastic-free bars and creams.

Clothes

The first rule to have a sustainable wardrobe is to look after the clothes we already have.

After that, If you still need to shopping, you can think about… Vintage!

Vintage has been always a trend in London. And what is the best way to find a bargain if not going to one of the thousand second-hand shops?

There are weekly events in different neighborhoods known as ‘Vintage Kilo Sale‘, where you can buy directly from the wholesaler at competitive prices, not per item but per kilo!

Another suggestion is that instead of going to a popular second-hand shop (that might be also expensive), you can have a look first at any charity shop as Oxfam, Royal Trinity Hospice, Marie Curie, Cancer Research etc.

The items they sell are donated (you can bring your clothes as well during decluttering) and part of the profit support a specific organization/ project to help the most vulnerable and in need.

Must have App

Depop, to buy and sell clothes with your smartphone.

Recycling

Recycling can be confusing when it is not clear what goes in which bin. Thanks to the official website dedicated to recycling in London, everything about which products can be recycled is explained clearly through articles and videos. 

Moreover, there is a section called ‘Local recycling’ to know by postcode where is the nearest recycling station and where exactly you can bin specific items such as batteries, laptops etc.

Must have app

Refill, to help you find the nearest public place where you can refill for free your (reusable) water bottle.