Brighton has long been recognised as one of the greenest cities in the UK. There is so much we love about our hometown and the ability to live ethically and sustainably is just one (the fact that we have our very own gin is another, but more about that later….)

Top picks for living ethically in Brighton:

Here is our top picks for living ethically in our wonderful city of Brighton:

Peruse the Open Market

From upcycled clothes and sustainable jewellery to vegan eats, this place has it all! Home to over 30 small shops and businesses that specialise in ethical and sustainable products This includes the amazing Waste Not , plastic free and zero waste shopping! Find the full list of traders at www.brightonopenmarket.co.uk

Head to the North Laines

Committed to not buying any new clothes this month? Go grab yourself a second-hand beauty in one of the many retro and vintage second hands shops in the North Laines. It is quirky, independent shop heaven.

You can find anything and everything your heart desires in the laines, from Vegetarian Shoes to delicious teas (we have personally spent a small fortune at the wonderful Bluebird Tea Company). It is also home to the FAIR shop which specialises in fair trade and ethical fashion.

Get the weekly shop in at HISBE

HISBE (which stands for How It Should Be) is the local super market reinventing the way supermarkets do business. They even have a manifesto! They only stock high welfare and free range meat and dairy products, prioritise local farms and produce and encourage plastic free and zero waste living.

Live the stereotype with some fish and chips on the beach

If you are feeling brave enough to fend off the sea gulls, one of Brighton’s most wonderful experiences is eating some fish and chips on the beach. There is no shortage of fish and chip shops in Brighton, but our favourite is Lucky Beach. They are recognised as one of the UK’s most sustainable businesses by the Sustainable Restaurant Association and have a range of delicious treats on their menu (including some yummy vegan options). They also donate a percentage of their profits to good causes and have even built a school in Rwanda. Delicious and doing good!

Get Peddling with BTN Bike

Boris Bikes? Never heard of them! We have BTN bikes darling… But seriously, the awesome bike share scheme has gone down a treat in Brighton and we love a little peddle down the sea front to Rottingdean (or home from the pub). An amazing, eco friendly way to get around Brighton. Because seriously, you would need to re-mortgage your house to park in town.

Do something different, check out a wind farm!

Previously a sore subject up and down the country, everyone is getting on board with the electrical revolution (see what I did there, wind turbines… revolution… never mind). The guys at Rossboats run 2 and a half hour tours out to Rampion Wind Farm where you can see 116 wind turbines 8 miles off the coast of Brighton.

Try some local gin

Anyone who knows us knows we love to partake of a G&T on the weekend.  Brighton Gin is not only delicious, but also an ethically minded and eco friendly brand. Their bottles are made from recycled glass collected from the local area and their bespoke stills recycle the cooling water rather than wasting it. They also repurpose old post office bikes as their Brighton Gin Delivery bikes (for local deliveries) and for each one they repurpose they donate a bike to a micro finance project in Malawi. You can book tours of the distillery, meet the makers and sample the wares too!

We are so proud that Life Less Ordinary is an ethical brand, born in Brighton. We believe that our personalised jewellery is not only quite lovely (if we do say so ourselves), but is helping to spread awareness of the importance of transparent supply chains and ethically sourced materials. We also support impoverished communities through our donations to Indigo Volunteers, so when you buy a piece of our ethical jewellery you are not only getting something lovely, you are helping us to do good.