Sustainable Home Practices In London: 9 Easy Eco Tips

Home to museums, galleries, iconic buildings, and cultural hotspots galore, London deserves a top spot on anyone’s bucket list. And for conscious capital dwellers, London’s eco-scene is blossoming. Think: bustling markets, scenic cycle routes, regenerative restaurants, and more secondhand clothing shops than you can shake a stick at.

It might also literally be the greenest city in Europe, thanks to its 3000 parks and greenspaces—great news for nature in an age of global biodiversity loss.

Wondering how to live sustainably in London?

Whether out and about enjoying all the city has to offer or getting a handle on sustainable living practices at home, here are our top tips for Londoners seeking a low-impact lifestyle.

In a country with a wealth of farm shops popping up over every hedgrow, it’s no shock London has a wealth of thriving farmer’s markets, each offering a slightly different flavor to eco-conscious foodies looking to stock up on fresh, local, seasonal produce and homemade goodies. Take along your reusable produce bags and food storage containers and fill them up with fresh bread, organic fruit and veg, local honey, and much more.

The benefits of farmers markets include:

• Healthier, tastier (often organic) food
• Supporting small-scale, environmentally-minded growers and producers
• (Way) fewer food miles
• Minimal or no packaging
• A great atmosphere (and a chance for a good old chinwag!)

Local community markets are an integral part of a sustainable food future, and supporting yours is an easy, fun, and delicious way to achieve a more sustainable lifestyle.

You can find details about many markets online via Local Food London and London Farmers Markets. For something available year-round, Borough Market is a favorite stop of ours. With an expansive covered floor space and many, many vendors, you never know what you’ll find, from fresh local product to fine locally produced cheese.

Thanks to the zero waste movement, an increasing number of refill stores have been popping up around the capital. They typically sell dry goods (like flour, nuts, and seeds), liquids (like honey, vinegar, and olive oil), cleaning products, and personal care items (like soap, shampoo, and washing liquid). Take along your own reusable containers (finally, a use for all those jars you’ve been saving) and stock up on plastic-free pantry essentials.

Some of the best zero waste shops in London for jar-filled goodness include:

• Kilo (Holloway).
• The Source (six locations across the city)
• Jarr Market (Herne Hill and Stoke Newington)
• Get Loose (Hackney City Farm)
• Swop Market (Lee Green)
• Gather (Peckham)
• Naked Larder (Herne Hill)
• Greener Habits (Walthamstow)
• Unpackaged at Planet Organic (9 locations across the city)

London is well set up for cycling, so leave the car at home (or forgo one altogether) in favor of this green mode of transport. Many employers offer the Cycle to Work Scheme, which makes access to a quality bike much more affordable.

Even if you do it once a week to work, you’ll lower your carbon footprint, reap the health benefits, and save money. For weekends and days off, it’s also a great way to explore the city and surrounding areas, with plenty of interesting cycle routes to choose from.

Here are some ideas to make riding easier in London:

• Folding Bikes: With a folding bike, you can ride part of the journey and take your bike on public transport for the remainder (or the return journey). According to Transport For London: “You can take folded cycles anywhere, at any time on all our transport services. However, on buses the driver can decide not to let you travel if it’s too busy.”

• Research routes: Find the best cycle routes using the TFL’s Routes & Maps, Google Maps and Citymapper.

• Hire a Bike: If you don’t want to invest in your own bike or are just visiting the city, London has an excellent network of Santander Cycles across central London available from £3 a day. Choose between an electric or pedal bike and use the app to save queuing at the docking station.

If you can’t get around on a bike for any reason, London is also stepping up its green transport with zero-emission buses on several routes across the city.

London is a sustainable fashionista’s dream. Buying pre-loved clothing is both posh and one of the best ways to help reduce the 92 million tonnes of textile waste created each year.

Whether you’re seeking something upcycled, designer pieces at an affordable pricepoint, or vintage threads, London thrift stores have something for everyone:

• Beyond Retro in four locations across the city.
• Atika in Spitalfields.
• Picknweight in Covent Garden.
• Rokit in four stores across the city.
• Reworked Camden in Buck Street Market.

If you want to refresh your sustainable wardrobe while supporting a good cause, head to one of the best charity shops in London for some bargains that give back. Here are our top picks:

• FARA in 40 shops across the city
• TRAID in 12 locations across the city
• Boutique By Shelter in Turnham Green Barnes and Wimbledon
• Oxfam (multiple locations)
• Crisis Charity Shops (multiple locations)
• Octavia Foundation (multiple locations)
• Mary’s Living and Giving (multiple locations)

One of the benefits of sustainable living in London is the proximity to theaters, museums, art galleries, and stunning parks and gardens.

Toss the fossil fuel powered, electricity-intensive passtimes, since there’s no shortage of eco-conscious entertainment opportunities for those seeking low-impact leisurely London pursuits. Highlights include:

• The Lexi Cinema (Kensal Rise): Catch a film at London’s volunteer-run, social enterprise cinema. 100% of profits support the work of the Sustainability Institute in South Africa.

• Parks and Greenspaces: Go green (literally) by visiting one of London’s many parks, city farms, or rooftop gardens. Don’t forget Kew Gardens with its Treetop Walkway and Kitchen Gardens showcasing sustainable gardening methods.

• Terra Hale fitness center: For an eco-friendly workout head to Terra Hale (in Chelsea, Fulham, and Notting Hill), where your spin class helps power the studio.

• Community Gardens: Alternatively, skip the gym and volunteer at your local community garden. It’s a great way to keep fit, share gardening skills, and meet new people. London has dozens of community farms and gardens, so you’re bound to find one nearby.

• Punting: Oxford isn’t just for uni students, so hop on the Oxford Tube bus (public transportation is always more sustainable, after all!) for a day of lazy punting on the Cherwell. There are several places you can rent punts, like the Cherwell Boathouse.

Looking for places to eat or drink?

With botanical bars, conscious high tea cafes, and regenerative restaurants, this is sustainable living London style. You can support local businesses and sustainable farming while enjoying some of the best of London’s food and drink scene:

• Farmacy (Notting Hill): This plant-based restaurant has its own certified biodynamic farm in Kent that delivers produce to the kitchen by electric van.

• Silo (Hackney Wick): The world’s first zero waste restaurant, Silo has some impressive sustainability practices. They ferment food scraps, source seasonal, local, organic, and package-free produce, and embrace eco-friendly materials right down to the cork flooring and crockery made from upcycled wine bottles.

• Midnight Apothecary (Rotherhithe): Hire your own fire-pit or gather round the communal fire at this rooftop garden cocktail bar above the Brunel museum. The award-winning homemade botanical cocktails use herbs and veggies grown in the garden.

• The Culpeper (Spitalfields): Head up to the roof of this London pub and restaurant and you’ll find that it has its very own vegetable farm that supplies the kitchen.

• Kiss The Hippo. One of London’s responsible roasters, carbon negative company Kiss The Hippo has several outlets across the city where you can sip ethically sourced, organic coffee.

Remember to reduce your food waste by taking along a reusable food storage tin to take any leftovers home in.

Speaking of food waste…

The UK produces a whopping 10 million tonnes of it every year. After you’ve done what you can to reduce yours, it’s time to cut these numbers and compost whatever can’t be reused or recycled. Composting has a ton of benefits, and for those exploring sustainable home practices in London (or anywhere!) it’s one of the easiest and most impactful changes you can make.

You can compost at home, even if you don’t have an outdoor space, thanks to clever indoor compost bins.

Alternatively, many of London’s councils collect food waste as part of their weekly waste collection service. Simply collect your food waste in a caddy and put it out for collection each week. Check your local council website to see if they offer this service.

Tired of fighting the traffic on High Street?

Join the 2 million other Londoners that hop on the Tube for a sustainable ride through the city! London is widely considered to have one of the best public transportation systems in the world. Choosing public transport like the London Underground isn’t just about convenience; it’s about minding the gap between our urban areas and the planet. With fewer cars on the road, you’re reducing harmful emissions and congestion while saving energy and resources.

In 2019, the average carbon emissions from Tube riders were 44 gCO2e per passenger per km—compared to 640 gCO2e per passeger vehicle per km traveled. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to soak in the sights and sounds of London without adding to its carbon footprint.

Switching to a green energy supplier is another way to achieve sustainable living in London, and it only takes a few minutes. We’ve been passionate about exploring renewables since we interviewed Bulb founder Hayden Wood, who has played a big role in expanding use of renewables in the UK.

By switching providers, you can help support the shift to a cleaner energy future. Some companies like Ecotricity and Octopus Energy specialise in renewables only, and you can how ask for renewable plans from major UK power companies like British Gas, and E.ON.

Still, energy mindfulness is key. Switching to renewable doesn’t mean you can continue to use power willy-nilly. You should still measure your consumption and cut back as much as possible. Simple actions like taking shorter showers, dealing with draughts, and investing in energy-efficient appliances are some of the most impactful.