Kingston Green e-Directory

Organisations in alphabetical order - for a full and up-to-date list of local green groups please see https://e-voice.org.uk/kef/links/

XR Kingston, part of the national campaign, meet weekly at Kingston Environment Centre

"Have you got something to say, something for us to hear? Then email us on the link below and you could be on the radio!!"

The Kingston Borough group of London Cyclists, the London Cycling Campaign, promoting cycling in the borough.

...aims to support the development of a sustainable Kingston and provides a base for all kinds of environmental groups, resources and information in Kingston.

KEF is a consortium of local environmental organisations that promote environmental sustainability in Kingston upon Thames.

"Kingston-upon-Thames Freecycle(R) is for all who want to find a new home for reusable items."

Don't throw it away, give it away! You might not want it, but someone just round the corner might.

Kingston's exchange trading scheme: "A community-based barter system ... members pool their skills and resources to form a local network, which allows them to trade goods and services without using money." Phone: 0844 579 6949 and enter the mailbox number 87536; 077 9324 1819 Email: info@kutlets.org.uk c/o LEAH, Siddeley House, 50 Canbury Park Road, Kingston KT2 6LX

Part of the Greenpeace Active Supporter network of thousands of UK volunteers involved in delivering Greenpeace campaigns. The local group meets on the 3rd Monday of the month, halfway between Richmond and Kingston in the Hand and Flower pub Upper Ham Road, Ham TW10 5LA.

Weekly meetings in Ham: “Richmond MakerLabs is for people with an interest in DIY and craft. We want to hear from you if you are interested in carpentry, biohacking, chemistry, gardening, knitting... We are all-inclusive! RML could also be considered as a digitally-enabled arts and crafts club, hackspace, a hackerspace, a makerspace, a making laboratory, and a making community. ...No monthly subscription, just a minimum suggested donation of £1 per visit. Come to learn, teach, ask, make, mend or talk.”

Based at Kingston Environment Centre, Fairfield East, Kingston, KT1 2PT. "Our Mission is to promote environmental action and self-empowerment through humour, art, education and entertainment. SWC aims to promote the protection and improvement of the natural environment by increasing public knowledge and understanding of human behaviour which is not harmful to the Earth." SWC is the source of all those lovely mosaics around Kingston.

Based at 3 Phoenix Wharf, Eel Pie Island, Twickenham, TW1 3DY, SWLEN is "a charity supporting voluntary groups, charities, schools and organisations who protect and enhance the environment and solve environmental problems."

"TTK is a voluntary community-led initiative addressing the twin challenges of diminishing oil and gas supplies and climate change. We seek to raise awareness of these issues and implement practical projects to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and our dependency on oil... TTK acts as a network and catalyst supporting our community to visualise and move towards a low carbon future."

Because we come from the hospitality industry we know how to build a suite of products to help hospitality businesses become more sustainable and profitable.

Emission reporting is a key action for any businesses who want to better understand their impact, and to make real changes for the environment. With this guide, WWF aim to help businesses tackle their emissions

"EcoFirms.org is a green grassroots project that originated in 2005. It is entirely run and operated by like-minded volunteers. Our mission is to connect all eco friendly companies and organizations in the world and inform our visitors of their products and services. Our website is specifically designed to serve as a marketing and promotional tool for our member companies."

"...for corporate leaders at the cutting-edge of positive change. We curate the world's most authoritative voices on corporate sustainability to bring you thought-provoking comment, debate and expert insight."

Launched in April 2012, the Kingston Green Pledge reflects commitment to reducing environmental impact and provides guidance on how organisations, large and small, from all sector, scan contribute. By signing up, organisations will be joining a community united in making a positive difference, will reduce their negative environment impacts while saving money, and will get credit and positive PR for their steps towards environmental sustainability.

Though the publisher/printer is USA-based and all the examples are too, this infographic offers some good advice for small businesses wherever they are.

Advice on purchasing sustainable wood and paper products.

ZEN is a multiple award-winning air quality business liaison initiative. The network is free to join and helps businesses and more recently, residents in London's City Fringe area save money, reduce emissions and improve local air quality. The network offers free advice and services to switch to low emission energy and travel options with the goal of making the City Fringe a better place to live, work and visit.

Woking Borough Council's demonstration property showing the range of energy efficiency and renewable technologies that could be retrofitted into existing houses. You can arrange a visit or explore a virtual house from this page.

"wants to help grow businesses that balance the needs of the planet, its people and prosperity. We aim to provide you with the knowledge you need to make informed choices without prejudice, scaremongering or Greenwash. On this site you’ll find insights into how to invest responsibly, travel sustainably, shop ethically and use cleaner sources of energy."

- and get some advice about how to reduce your carbon impact.

"A voluntary group providing demonstrations of DIY renewable energy and recycling, and 'alt tech' for art projects and education."

"You can use the Climate Counts Company Scorecard to see how serious companies are about stopping climate change - and how they compare to their sector competitors. The annually updated scorecard reflects the self-reported efforts of companies to address climate change - or avoid it altogether.

Those of you who enjoy a coffee might be interested in Which's comparison - on price, taste, composting - of compostable capsules, most of which are compatible with Nespresso machines. ds-for-2019/

Damon Hart-Davis's tips on how to "do your bit at home to improve your quality of life, save money, cut down on waste and carbon pollution and save the planet."

A search engine as good as Google, which invests 40% of their profits on planting trees. The search engine is as good as google.

"EcoFirms.org is a green grassroots project that originated in 2005. It is entirely run and operated by like-minded volunteers. Our mission is to connect all eco friendly companies and organizations in the world and inform our visitors of their products and services. Our website is specifically designed to serve as a marketing and promotional tool for our member companies."

"Independent and impartial advice about how to save energy and money."

A consumer magazine that gives a balanced assessment of a company's performance in terms of various ethical criteria: environment, animals, people, politics and product sustainability. Companies are ranked, for free, in each section, based on your ethical priorities; further details available to members.

"At Expertise, we believe a healthy home goes hand-in-hand with a healthy planet. So check out our energy efficiency resources to help you tackle projects at home and support the environment." Based in the US, so some of the resources don't work for us, but the principles are sound and much of the advice is useful.

Fairtrade products are sometimes more environmentally sustainable than more local ones, even though they come from far away! Many stores now stock Fairtrade products, just look for the symbol.

The Marine Conservation Society buyer's guide to sustainable seafood.

"While some of the top electronics manufacturers are failing to keep their environmental commitments, others are innovating and making significant gains in phasing out toxic chemicals, increasing energy efficiency, and making it easier for consumers to recycle old products." Find out which in this guide.

To help you "to make better-informed decisions about where and how your money is invested".

Published by Blue and Green Tomorrow, a 2012 guide to travelling with minimum damage to the environment.

"London's magazine of ethical eating."

Find out how to get and spend £Ks and help keep money circulating in Kingston

More environment links and information for Kingston upon Thames, including tips on how to recycle and how to save energy,

Useful A-Z of what can be recycled and where

"The Love Food Hate Waste campaign aims to raise awareness of the need to reduce food waste. The campaign shows that by doing some easy practical everyday things in the home we can all waste less food, which will ultimately benefit our purses and the environment too. "Love Food, Hate Waste" is brought to you by WRAP, who are also responsible for encouraging recycling and home composting. WRAP is funded by the government and works to encourage and enable businesses and consumers to be more efficient in their use of materials and recycle more things more often. This helps to minimise landfill, reduce carbon emissions and improve our environment."

"A non-profit organisation whose mission is to help people reduce their impact on the environment, improve their quality of life, gain new skills, live in a healthier and more satisfying way, have fun and save money."

National rather than local, "My Green Directory started life as allthingseco.co.uk in 2006 as an eco directory supporting and promoting businesses, organisations and individuals with products, services & information that genuinely follow environmentally friendly, sustainable, fair-trade, organic, natural, ethical and socially responsible principles."

Palm oil is an ingredient in many food and other products found in Britain and Europe. Appetite for Destruction? The Food Product Guide to Palm Oil, compiled with the assistance of Ethical Consumer, aims to provide consumers with the information needed to know about which products contain palm oil. A few surprises here for those who'd like to avoid palm oil and the damage palm oil plantations do to the environment. Currently contains info about chocolate, skin-care products, biscuites and bread, and coming soon information in other foods such as cereals, spreads and snacks.

An international organisation and certification scheme for sustainable palm oil - find brands committed to sustainable palm oil.

Transition Cambridge has a useful online heating/insulation upgrade comparison tool on their website. You enter house type/shape and current walls/doors/windows/floor insulation level/construction type, along with possible upgrades to those elements, and it shows a useful overview of overall and relative effect.

For an ethical and informed Kingston

The alliance for better food and farming "advocates food and agriculture policies and practices that enhance the health and welfare of people and animals, improve the working and living environment, promote equity and enrich society and culture."

The Guide to Sustainable, Zero-Waste, Ethical Weddings offers: an in-depth look at sustainable and ethical weddings and why they are important; eye-opening statistics about the carbon footprint and waste generated by weddings and the wedding industry; how to plan a sustainable wedding - including tips on finding green wedding planners and suppliers, eco-friendly wedding venues, organic and zero-waste food and catering, and other helpful resources; other useful green wedding resources, organisations, and zero-waste tips and advice.

How can you make sure you’re choosing good wood from a sustainable source? This page can help you.

"Community RePaint schemes collect reusable, leftover paint and re-distribute it to individuals, families, communities and charities in need, improving the wellbeing of people and the appearance of places across the UK." Our nearest scheme is in Richmond.

"Find out how to recycle a wide range of goods - from batteries to clothes - and discover how recycling can help protect the environment."

"Information about recycling, green living, tools that can help you to recycle more efficiently, including reviews of various can crushers, also some tips on how you can build your own aluminium can crusher..." US-based website, so some recommended products not easily available here, though the principles of recycling and can-crushing are the same everywhere.

"Throwing something away? STOP!! If you live in the Kingston area, please offer your reusable items to other group members. Keep it out of landfill by re-using or recycling it."

A blog on everything to do with waste, including: anaerobic digestion; behaviour change; climate change; collection frequency; Food waste; incineration; litter; recycling; prevention...

Kingston Council's web-page of links to information about waste, as well as reducing, reusing and recycling your rubbish.

OnRecycle compares all the major mobile phone recycling companies to make it easy for you to sell your mobile phone.

"The ultimate guide to paper recycling" from a printing firm.

- and get paid for them.

"...for the best ways to recycle both ink and toner cartridges in the UK. Every cartridge kept away from landfill is a step in the right direction so thank you for taking the time to help us. In addition to the free recycling bags we include with orders we also meet with recyclers around the country to discuss recycling best practices and the services they offer. All this to ensure the greenest practices which are free to use & have a “zero-landfill” policy."

"Recycle your old mobile phones, inkjets, digital cameras, sat navs, game consoles, iPods and CDs and help the environment twice over."

"Complete Guide To Recycling & Donating Used Clothes"

"...Collect surplus materials from factories, offices, shops and private homes, sort and display them at our warehouse [234 Ridge Road, Sutton, SM3 9LY]...School, Nurseries, Playgroups, Senior Citizen Social Groups, Hospitals, Special Needs, Drama & Uniformed Groups can select from a vast range of donated clean waste materials to meet their art, craft, recreational, educational, therapeutic or fundraising activities."

Sunray Community Hall, next to Knollmead Allotments, KT59QP "Our aim is to reduce landfill and help create a cleaner environment & future for everyone. To do this, we collect plastics [including many that are not usually recyclable] for Terracycle (and we earn pennies to support our community at the same time!) and help & encourage people to re-use / re-purpose as much as possible."

Collect unwanted but good condition furniture and white goods for re-use: fridges, washing machines, cookers etc

...and why it's worth doing, because of the growing problem of un-recycled electronics and the heavy metals they add to our landfills.

A consumer magazine that gives a balanced assessment of a company's performance in terms of various ethical criteria: environment, animals, people, politics and product sustainability. Best companies are listed free in each section; further details available to members.