The Brighton guide to being more eco-friendly

The effort to increase sustainability and minimise waste is becoming more present within the media and in conversation; and what better place to start becoming more eco-friendly yourself than Brighton?

As a student, living both sustainably and cheaply can be an incredibly tricky task – but thankfully many Brighton businesses are slowly edging towards lowering their carbon footprint in such a way that students can help out too.

Changes in daily life

A lot of Brightoners are opting to invest in higher quality products that have a longer life span of single-use plastic alternatives. Metal straws are the far more eco-friendly option for pre-drinks, slowly making their way across campus.

The SU also provide free mooncups to students on Wednesdays, meaning you no longer need to buy tampons and pads regularly.

Ditching the plastic – refill yourself

Lots of Brighton businesses are taking a more minimalist approach in terms of both packaging and product quantities – now you can bring your own container and fill up with the exact amount you need.

Hisbe, Hilly Laine, Smorls (which even allows you to stock up on hummus if you bring your own container), Sussex Peasant, Infinity Foods, the Turkish Food Market all do loose paper bags and weigh loose veg for you, eradicating the need for excess plastic packaging. Infinity Foods, Hisbe, and Hill Laine also do refills for detergents.

As summer is just around the corner, Refill Brighton & Hove also provides locations around the city, meaning that you can top up your water bottle for free.

Recycling Co-op

There are recycling co-ops all over Brighton but perhaps the best known one is Magpie Recycling in Shabitat just off of Lewes Road. Volunteers collect cans and glasses, paper from local businesses and recycle them to be put to better use.

They collect waste from both the Univeristy of Sussex and Brighton, and even do kerbside collection from houses too.

Upcycling

Upcycling is becoming more common around Brighton – and what a way to get better use out of your old goods? Vintents upcycle old tents for events meaning that there's no longer a need for buying a cheap one hastily before festival and ditching it there.

There is also Lost & Foundry – perfect for those looking for any unique home decor. Another gem hidden in the Lanes includes Silo, a restuarant that's bespoke decor features furinture made from once discarded materials, and they also claim that "to achieve zero waste, all products that are delivered to us come in re-useable cractes, food grade jerry cans, pails, urns or containers".

The North Laine has banned plastic straws!

Finally, the North Laine no longer allows any of their businesses to use plastic straws – meaning that all your beverages will now be served environementally-waste free. You can sit back and relax knowing that you're doing your bit to help save the planet by just having a G&T.