Sustainable Living in London: Eco-friendly Spots and Travel Tips
London is one of the most expensive cities in the world to live in, and visiting the city can mean that you end up paying far more than you should for simple things like a cup of coffee or a sandwich. If you are an eco-conscious person, you also would be considering the fact that staying at a typical hotel or bed and breakfast can see you using a lot of disposable items and single-use plastics, something which can increase your personal carbon footprint dramatically. Let’s have a look at how to live sustainably in London, no matter if it’s a long-term move or a short-term visit.
Where Will You Stay?
One way to avoid the single-use plastics, protective wraps and hygienic packaging is by booking a serviced apartment for your stay. Not only will you be able to bring some of your own items along with you (if you are travelling by car) which will save you a small fortune and will help you feel home from home, your stay will be more sustainable than that at any major hotel chain, avoiding using single use products and using daily housekeeping. London aparthotels – such as those found here: https://londonservicedapartments.co.uk/aparthotels-london/ – is a good place to start with great range of conveniently situated accommodation for your London adventure.
Where Will You Go?
Wherever you do decide to stay, try and pick accommodation that is close to all the places that you will be visiting during your stay. If you can walk or cycle to each destination, so much the better for the environment. A lot of TfL (Transport for London) vehicles are electric or otherwise more eco-friendly than they were previously, but walking and cycling is not just good for the environment, but for your health and wellbeing and a great way to discover London.
What Will You Eat?
Restaurants are moving towards sustainable practices like nose-to-tail eating (in which every part of the animal is used), only buying produce from local suppliers, and paying attention to cooking processes and wastage, all of which are great. However, being able to buy your cereal from refill stations, where you take along your reusable containers to fill up on dry goods is even better!
What Will You Wear?
Fast fashion has been all the rage for about the last twenty years or so, with cheap disposable fashion trends filling up landfills all over the world. Fortunately, there is a lot of awareness around this subject with the younger generation and people are starting to revert to the old ways of buying clothing: choosing high-quality materials, sustainably made, which will last for many years and would stay timelessly elegant. These signature pieces also mean that you can travel with a relatively small capsule wardrobe, only occasionally adding good quality accessories (belts, scarves, hats, etc.) to customize your outfits.
London is a bustling, high-carbon footprint city – but it is also a cutting-edge cosmopolitan hub, with some amazing efforts by many communities to embrace the reality of climate change, who are actively working to reduce and mitigate it. All of which makes it a brilliant and exciting place to live in and explore!
