5 Inspiring Sustainable Organisations in London
At HERE, we are conscious of how our daily choices impact the world around us, and aim to illuminate these issues through our eco-mindfulness platform!
We can use our mindfulness tools to connect with our breath, bodies and minds, and also to those around us. But we want to expand on this by bringing awareness to how we can better connect with the environment and earth too. Through mindful practices, we can make a difference on planet earth through simple lifestyle tweaks and choices.
It is important for us not only to share the amazing work of others to help us make more sustainable choices, but also to educate our friends, colleagues and families about how to live a more eco-friendly life by becoming more aware of the world that surrounds us.
In this post, we are highlighting five organisations in London who we feel are doing their part at operating sustainably, by reducing their waste (and even making use of others waste!), having transparency in their production lines, and are helping greater worldly causes.
Some of our favourite eco-friendly and sustainable london small businesses and organisations
UpCircle : Vegan, cruelty-free beauty
That old saying ‘one’s trash is another’s treasure’ couldn’t be more fitting for this inspiring skincare company. UpCircle is helping to reduce waste not only by up-cycling old coffee beans into face scrubs, chai tea spices into soap, and reusing old fruit stones, but they are also 99% plastic free, and provide plastic free re-fill options too!
UpCircle Instagram:
“Transforming leftover natural ingredients into quality skincare products. Good for you. Good for the planet. What a good idea. Vegan and cruelty-free.”
(Images via UpCircle Instagram)
people’s fridge
Image via People’s Fridge Instagram
This is an incredible project run by dedicated volunteers, and is based in the very same place that our HERE co-founders held their first meeting!
This project in Pop Brixton, South London, is a community fridge which is available for all to contribute towards or take from. They have partners who bring food to the fridge which can no longer be sold and anyone can help themselves. They are also keen to educate and support others in setting up their own fridges to help reduce food waste and give back to the community, whether in need or not. Click on their helpful guide here for tips on how to get set up!
(Be sure to check their website or social accounts for information on when Pop Brixton and People’s Fridge reopens as a result of Covid restrictions being lifted.)
BBC News: “The people’s fridge provides food for free.”
caulibox: London’s First reusable lunchbox scheme
Image via CauliBox Instagram: Follow here!
They are just about to launch, so watch this space! This innovative company is helping to tackle the big issue of single use plastics from takeaways. A recent study showed that the carbon footprint of those who spend £42 a week on food takeaways is up to 450% higher than those that don’t, so CauliBox is here to help. You order, they deliver, and then once finished you leave your containers outside the door and let them know when to collect! It couldn’t be simpler, and seems like a big step in the right direction with helping to reduce plastic waste in our landfills.
“We started grabbing after-work drinks and meeting for weekend brainstorming sessions to find the answer. Countless hours of ideas later, we had it! Armed with 20 lunch boxes, a clipboard and the dream of London’s first reusable lunchbox scheme, we marched over to a food market to recruit members for the first trial. We want to help big and small food businesses of all cuisines make the simple step of switching to reusables.”
Image via Shelter
Shelter: organic chocolate emergency gift range
Shelter are dedicated to supporting the homeless and those with housing issues, and have found a new way of fundraising to help their mission through creating some tasty produce. Every organic ‘Emergency Chocolate’ bar, also wrapped in compostable packaging, means donating £5 towards the charity and helping those in need, while also being aware of the impact of non-organic cocoa farming and reducing plastic waste. Shelter’s Emergency Chocolate range has been made with ethically and sustainably sourced ingredients, such as soya, cocoa butter and vanilla.
Self care co. CANDLES “HEALTHY HOME, HEALTHY MIND”
This lovely company was founded on the premise of wanting to create products to help with anxiety, stress and low mood. We are all about the importance of self-care too, so this company resonates greatly! Specialising in making candles, they use soy wax and high quality oils, and hand pour each candle in their London studio. They have now begun expanding into other self-care products alongside workshops you can attend such as their ‘mindful candle making’ so you can learn how to make your own! (Vegan and Eco-Friendly)
Follow on Instagram here.
Images via Self Care Co. Instagram
Just a little reminder, that those who shown kindness often have 23% less cortisol (our stress hormone) and age slower than the average population! So this is just one more reason to our list of why a greater sense of awareness, kindness and mindfulness in our daily habits and choices can help. We can all help support our own well-being with self-care practices, support the health of our planet by reducing waste and support charities, while helping ourselves in the same breath!
