MONOCHROME.style

BASICALLY, A SUSTAINABLE LIVING STARTER PACK.

I’ve been going on about slow fashion for years now, but when it comes to #SUSTAINABLELIVING, last year was the catalyst I needed to really kick it up a gear.

2020 started off great, right? I had just entered a new phase in my career, consulting for brands that followed my sustainable style and culturally conscious ethos, and I had high hopes of travelling and working from every corner of the globe [I even wrote a piece on where I wanted to go — you can read my TRAVEL MANIFESTATIONS here].

Then came March and it felt like the world was ending, but I survived the intense lockdown in Dubai, only to relocate to London, and have to endure another in November. Then came what felt like the light at the end of the tunnel, a new year full of hope and positivity. No need to tell you how 2021’s going so far, you know. So, in an attempt to do something positive, something that feels like a tiny step in the right direction — socially, ethically, and ecologically — I’m on a serious zero-waste kick… It’s been time, girl.

Then last month came the headline ‘code red for humanity’ — the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released a report on the state of the world, and how fucked we already are. The crisis is already here. Here’s hoping it’s the kick up people’s arses we need.

So, as it just so happens to be ZERO-WASTE WEEK, I thought I’d share the environmental love… I’ve been doing my research since moving back to London, searching for the best eco-friendly solutions this city has to offer. From plastic-free food deliveries to refill stations, socially responsible and ethical coffee shops to reusable cotton buds. Here’s what I’ve found so far…

REFILL STATIONS

bring your own is nunhead’s zero-waste destination. with two quaint shops on the same street – one for food, and one for household goods – BYO is catering for all its neighbours’ needs. BRING YOUR OWN [nunhead]

liberte cherie is a zero-waste grocery store that focuses on fine food on portobello road. the choco haze spread is a must try. LIBERTÉ CHÉRIE [portobello road]

re:store opened in hackney downs studios in february 2019, when owner Megan Adams recognised a need for more conscious shopping. RE:STORE [hackney downs]

CAFFEINE

compostable coffee pods GRIND [starting from £15]

arguably the best coffee around. they have house-roasted beans and also offer job training for the homeless OLD SPIKE ROASTERY [peckham]

all female, south london-based, speciality coffee roastery LOMOND [deptford]

coffee and baked goods made from the raw materials supplied by farms that subscribe to “a sustainable and soil positive regenerative system” JOLENE [shoreditch]

GROOMING

one of the best body exfoliators i’ve used. the scrub is made with top-quality arabica coffee grounds sourced from artisan coffee shops around london UPCIRCLE [£14.99]

organic reusable make-up pads TABITHA EVE [£6]

refillable natural deodorant WILD [from £12]

this nail salon and treatment room based in east london uses only natural, vegan and cruelty free products STILL LONDON [dalston]

mani and pedi treatments use their ‘free from’ polish and gel brands that are up to 90% natural, 10-free, vegan and cruelty free. putting nail care first AMA THE SALON [brixton]

HOME

bamboo toilet paper with plastic-free delivery. for every box sold, they provide a person in need with clean drinking water for a year WHITE + GREEN CO [£22]

dishwasher tablets that come through the letter box. no plastic. SMOL [from £4 a month]

basically, a sustainable living starter pack for all your homeware needs DECORUM [crystal palace]

SECOND-HAND BOOKSHOPS

a bookshop owned by a poet. need i say more? CROFTON BOOKS [brockley]

the first black-owned bookshop and publisher in the uk, new beacon books launched in 1966. more than 50 years later, it continues to celebrate and share literature with a focus on africa and the caribbean, and hosts a variety of talks and readings NEW BEACON BOOKS [finsbury park]

this cute lil space on lower clapton road is much more than a second-hand bookshop PAGES OF HACKNEY [hackney]