Bulk up: Buying in bulk will reduce your packaging waste, transport costs and pointless pollution.
Local is better: Using local, seasonally available ingredients will minimise your food transport and storage costs and reduce energy use. Visit the the Soil Association for more information .
Always read the label: Look out for products that cause the least damage to the environment, such as organic or LEAF Marque produce, and choose meat, eggs and dairy products produced to high standards of animal welfare.
Don’t bin it:Buy reusable cutlery or swap plastic for products made from more environmentally-friendly wooden or paper-based materials.
Something fishy? Exclude fish species most at risk of being over-fished and replace with fish stocks accredited by the Marine Stewardship Council.
Less is more: Livestock farming produces more greenhouse gases than all the cars, lorries and trains in the world put together – so serving less meat is one of the most environmentally friendly changes you can make to your menu. See here for hundreds of meat-free recipe ideas
If you don’t ask you don’t get: Tell your suppliers about the sorts of sustainable foods you would like to buy so that they can start to offer them to you. Why not also ask them to reduce their packaging and to deliver your supplies in re-usable crates to cut down on waste. Contact London Food Link to find suppliers of sustainable products.
Switch to green and see the benefits: Replacing light bulbs when they burn out with an energy-efficient variety will save you approximately 10% of lighting costs as they last longer.
