As we become increasingly conscious of the effect our mere existence has on the planet, many of us are trying to make eco-friendly fashion, beauty and homeware choices.
Still, it almost goes without saying that it’s easier to be green in some cities than others. And according to a new study, Brighton and Hove is the greenest of all.
Garden of Life compiled its list of the UK’s most eco-friendly cities by taking six factors into consideration. These are the number of allotments, the number of vegan and vegetarian restaurants, the number of charity shops, the recycling rate, and the number of people who cycle at least once a month.
Brighton finishes top largely because it has the most vegan and vegetarian restaurants per 100,000 inhabitants. In second place, Bristol has a recycling rate of 47.4%: one of the highest in the top 10.
With 23.1 allotments per 100,000 inhabitants – more than any other city in the top 10 – Newcastle finishes third. The highest recycling rate of 59.2% can be found in Cardiff.
London, with just 8.1 allotments per 100,000 inhabitants and a disappointing recycling rate of 33.4%, places 22nd overall. Manchester, with 5.6 allotments per 100,000 inhabitants and a 40.1% recycling rate, finishes 11th.
“Due to climate change it’s now important more than ever that we all start to make some eco-friendly choices in our lives, whether that’s growing our own food, making sure we recycle or cutting down our meat intake in our diet,” a Garden of Life spokesperson said.
“As we can see from our research, some areas of the UK are very environmentally aware and are leading the way with their greener choices. It’s great to see Brighton ranked top in the top 30 eco-friendly towns and cities and we hope other areas of the UK follow suit.”
Check out the full list of the UK’s 30 most eco-friendly cities below.
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