Our towns and cities becoming more environmentally friendly is fundamental if we’re to stand any chance in curbing the global temperature rise. From more cycle paths to planting trees, there’s a number of ways our towns and cities can become the greenest they can be.
Today I wanted to share some of the towns and cities in the UK that have gone the extra mile to help our planet. Some have a zero waste shop on every corner. Some have the best air quality. Whilst some have initiatives in place that really sets them apart from the rest. So, if you’re planning a trip this summer to a UK town or city, is it one of these?
Brighton
It won’t take you long to realise why Brighton is on this list of greenest towns and cities. As soon as you begin walking the streets of the seaside town you are hit instantly with zero-waste shops aplenty. A couple of years back I posted a ‘Sustainability Tour of Brighton‘ post which details the towns many eco-friendly shops and cafes. Brighton also is famous for having a long-running Green Party Leader, Caroline Lucas who have extremely strong policies to maintain the towns sustainable status.
Bristol
A second well-known city to be one of the greenest in the UK is Bristol. Not only has it been revealed 1/5 of its residents walk to work, it ranks highly for air quality and materials being recycled. Adding to this, in 2015 it was voted the European Green Captial. As well as being the 6th greenest capital in Europe. Bristol, similar to Brighton, has an array of sustainable shops and cafes. As well as its businesses regularly coming together to maintain sustainability for the city.
Cardiff
The capital of Wales, Cardiff, ranks very well nationwide for its Sustainability, as a city. Not only is it ranked highly for its air quality, Wales, as a nation, has been named the 3rd best recycler in the world. Adding to this, Cardiff has two of the most sustainable cafes in Wales too. Penylan Pantry and The Secret Garden Cafe have earned the Green Key Award in recent years. Following efforts with using local produce, using secondhand materials for interiors and other eco-friendly practices!
Sheffield
The northern town of Sheffield proves to be incredibly sustainable. It surprisingly has the most tree planet in the whole of Europe, at around 2 million! With this, only around 1% of the cities household waste is sent to landfill. These statistics mean the city has one of the lowest landfill percentages globally. An incredibly feat for the planet!
Beaumaris
A little town in North Wales, a simple walk from the village where I am original from, is Beaumaris. You may have heard of it (I’ll let you off if you haven’t!) but if not, it’s a beautiful little seaside town. Minuscule in comparison to your Brightons and Bristols but charming nonetheless! The town has recently been awarded ‘plastic-free’ status following a campaign by local residents. Where businesses in the town have been encouraged to reduce single-use plastic!
Of course, as previously mentioned too, Wales are incredibly good at recycling – which puts Beaumaris in good stead too!
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Featured article image by Pexels.
I appreciate when places I visit do as much as they can for the environment! We are planning a trip to the UK in the next few years and I will definitely consider these as places to visit. Thanks for sharing.
I love vising places like this too – so important for towns and cities to be environmentally focused! thank you for your comment:)