When it comes to sustainability there are many ways to be sustainable and every little bit 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 is courtesy of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), which gives you an ecological footprint archetype based on four areas food, home, travel and stuff. You may be surprised at what the impact of your personal footprint.

Charity Shop/ Clothing Exchange

Clothing Exchanges involve exchanging items of clothing you have brought, but have never worn or don’t wear anymore.

What can you do?

Arrange a clothes exchange party with friends or family and have fun switching clothes over cocktails. We all have clothes that we have brought and no longer like or have never worn, so get exchanging with friends or family, as one person's trash is another person's treasure!  

Alternatively, you can send your clothing down to a charity shop and whilst you are there you may emerge with your next favourite outfit. London has some very cool charity shops with very unique items. Some of our favourite charity shops in London are as follows: 

Traid (Brixton) 

Sue Ryder (Camden) 

Lama’s Pyjamas (Bethnal Green) 

Fara Charity Shops (Clapham) 

Green Energy

There is an increasing number of energy suppliers offering Green Energy which is also 100 % renewable energy. Green energy is sourced from wind farms, solar panels, tidal and wave and these all help to reduce your carbon footprint. 

What you can do? 

Switch to a renewable energy provider today, and supply your home with 100% renewable energy. Here are some examples of Green Energy Providers:

 Bulb Energy  

Good Energy

Green Star Energy 

Ecotricity 

Green Energy 

Octopus Energy 

Compare prices to ensure you are getting the best deals, and also to clarify if the provider you are switching to is a participant of the ‘Green Certification Scheme’.

What is the Green Certification Scheme? 

OFGEM the regulator for the gas and electricity market in the UK, have a Green Certification Scheme in place, which means providers voluntarily have themselves audited to official certify themselves as ‘Green’. 

Granted Green Energy isn’t always the cheapest or the most affordable option. However, if everyone was demanding green energy supplier competition would ensure it becomes more affordable. Watch this space…

Ditch the Straws

Straws are quite like coffee cups and are very difficult to recycle, they often end up in landfills or polluting our oceans. Plastic waste in the ocean can potentially choke aquatic animals. 

What can you do?

 Opt for non-plastic straws or go without.

Plant Trees with Trees for Cities

Trees for Cities are a very cool charity that works at a national and international level to improve lives by planting urban trees across cites worldwide. 

What can you do?

You can get involved doing anything from planting trees to watering street trees. Visit Trees for Cities to discover when and where you can get involved.