London's essential services
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Compiled by Katie Dailey. Additional research Grace Banks, Maggie Davis, Haben Habteslasie, Hannah Kane and Kate Riordan
Posted: Tue May 22 2007 
Ethical Living
Eco travel
www.carbonfootprint.com
Calculate your carbon footprint by using this site’s calculator. This family company divides your energy usage into household fuel bills and annual travel. The website also has a carbon offset quotation tool where you enter how much you would like to offset and are then presented with a list of options and prices.
www.climatecare.org
Allows you to calculate your emissions and pay towards offsetting them.
www.green-business.co.uk
A scheme working in conjunction with tour operators to lower emissions. Good resource for holidays in the UK.
www.greenglobe.org
Includes a Green Travel Planner to help you minimise the environmental impact of every aspect of your holiday.
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www.planeta.com
Invaluable resource for those wanting to travel with minimal environmental impact. It lists green schemes, travel companies and resorts.
Green supplies
www.bags2riches.co.uk
Offers a colourful array of lights and jewellery made from recycled bags. Designer Anna Roebuck encourages people to send their used bags to her so that they can be used for her designs.
www.bambino.co.uk
Bambino Mio offers environmentally friendly cotton nappies, waterproof nappy covers and biodegradable nappy liners for newborn babies up to two-and-a-half-year-olds.
www.beunpackaged.com
Sells organic wholefoods (such as rice, cereals and grains) and eco-cleaners without any packaging. You are asked to bring your own containers to fill with food and if you forget, it offers you a reusable container that you are asked to bring back with you next time. See website for where to buy Unpackaged products.
www.bynature.co.uk
An online store offering a range of organic and recycled products, including clothes for men, women and children. The environmentally friendly service also offers a wedding-list option, and donates 10 per cent of the total amount bought from the list to a charity of your choice.
www.equaclothing.com
The boutique is located in Islington’s Camden Passage, but you can purchase Equa’s fair trade and organic clothing for women and children on the website. New collections include Edum jeans.
www.faithinnature.com
Manufactures skincare products and cosmetics. All of its products are natural and are made in the UK. They are preservative-free, cruelty-free, aromatherapy, vegetarian and vegan (excluding the Neem & Propolis range). All products are approved by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection.
www.petitartisan.com
Offers a range of creative-craft kits, party bags and party kits for children aged three and older. Its products are based on safe, natural and recyclable materials and are designed to stimulate children’s imagination and manual skills.
Home
www.auroorganic.co.uk
Auro decorating products are made almost entirely of natural raw materials which come from environmentally managed sources. It also makes a point of not using petrochemicals in its products. Voted Ethical Consumer magazine’s ‘Best Buy’ in 2006.
www.chestofdrawers.co.uk
Chest of Drawers primarily sells solid-wood furniture imported from around the world. It has environmental grading for all its products, which fall into three main categories (wood source and sustainability, workshop practices and ‘furniture miles’) before summarising with a mark out of ten stars.
Recycling services
www.computeraid.org
Donate old, unwanted computers to schools in deprived areas overseas.
www.environment-agency.gov.uk
Official resource of environmental services offered by the government and local councils.
www.ethicalconsumer.org
A buyer’s guide to keeping your shopping trolley’s contents green.
www.fonebak.com
Offers to recycle mobile phones and accessories. It works with clients such as Orange and T-Mobile to generate financial returns while supporting environmental and corporate responsibility policies. You can send it phones under various schemes and choose what specific cause the phone goes towards.
www.freecycle.org
‘Waste not, want not’ is the premise of the cult of Freecycle. Offer anything from your worn-out mattress to an odd shoe – and someone in your local area may well relieve you of it.
www.icer.org.uk
Very informative site offering tips on disposing of electrical appliances as well as a directory of salvage companies throughout the UK.
www.morph.org.uk
Works with the council to collect unwanted furniture which it then restores beautifully and sells on cheaply in its Kingsland Road store. The three branches’ (Camberwell and Cambridgeshire, as well as Hackney) products are listed online or you can call 020 7168 2531 for the Hackney shop (www.morphhackney.org.uk).
www.officegreen.co.uk
Collects and recycles toner and inkjet-printer cartridges, mobile phones, computer equipment and fluorescent tubes. It is fully compliant with the WEEE Directive and Hazardous Waste Regulations.
www.recycleforlondon.co.uk
With a schedule of events, such as electronic equipment amnesties, and info about local services, this is a good place to start reducing your carbon footprint.
www.recyclingappeal.com
A charitable organisation that recycles old phones and electronic equipment and donates proceeds to good causes.
www.respondnetwork.org.uk
Respond Furniture Centre is a charity based in Thamesmead and specialises in recycling and reusing electrical goods and furniture to support those most in need in the community, including young people leaving care and homeless youths. Depending on the condition of your furniture, the charity will take it away for free.
www.reuze.co.uk
Easier to use than Freecycle, and the good stuff doesn’t disappear so quickly.
www.solarcentury.com
Offers tips on converting your home and life to solar energy.- Add your comment to this feature
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17 comments
your phone numbers for detal hospitals above are incorrect
I.want.to.lean.tailor.work
I have used Designer Alterations for over a year now, but my last experience with them was disgraceful and I do not recommend using them. I have suffered enormous upset from this incident, and am taking legal action to get a refund for two dresses. I have spent over £10,000 with them for about 9 made to measure items.
The last two dresses I received, one which was for my cousins wedding ,was two months overdue and thrown together by what I suspect to be poorly trained outworkers. At the wedding in the dress I was left humiliated as many of the flaws were pointed out to me . The dress did not fit me despite many fittings, the skirt not the same measurement around the hem, the lining a different length through the chiffon, uneven, visible and the hems edged by what looked like a three year old. THe other one I did not wear it was so badly made and unfinished.
This company is obsessed with an overlocking machine, which cheapens the garments when it is used on a such a level.
Words cannot describe how awful this company is. They exploit and take advantage of anyone looking for a made to measure service and alterations. Their prices do not reflect the service they provide and are cynical. Their customer service is rude and harassing.
I will happily spend embarrassing sums on a dress, but I expect to receive a good quality and well fitting item that I may see as a classic heirloom in my wardrobe. I might as well as gone to the local community college textile class and made a student very happy with a good thousand pounds in their wallet.
All in All Designer Alterations is on par with Emperors New Clothes. They will let you walk around naked and tell you how wonderful what you are wearing looks.
(Hazel Diamond Semi-Permanent makeup Specialist)
I have been researching for so long semi-permanent make-up but not knowing who to trust! At the end of the day, to have my brows tattooed it's a big thing and I needed an Artist who would be able to Create my ideal look... You have to see Hazel Diamond, artist by nature and meticulous with every 3D brow hair implanted into the skin! I'm so so (HAPPY) with my new eyebrows, I've actually got my confidence back and I also had my latino eyeliner done (AMAZING) I need a holiday now...
Hazel is at Bliss beauty room 5-6 marble arch.London.W1H 7EL
07535353369
The best threading we have had is at Jannat The Brow Studio in Boots Kensington High Strret, just off the Kensington High Street Station. The therapists are fabulous and we had the most fantastic eyebrows. They also have a location near Baker Street Station which we intend to go to when we go shopping on Oxford Street.
Their Therapists are simply the best, very professional and seem to know what shape your eyebrows have to be.
Wow.
Thanks Jannat
excuse me? I went here and my eyebrows cost me 8 pounds. I must admit I went in with an already nice shape but came out with a thin line which I didn't like at all and was actually upset as I HAD mentioned to them that I DO NOT want them too thin, so I dont know if this is an advertisement by this salon or if this is an actual review by the magazine?
I have to recommend Semi Permanent make up. The absolute best technician is Hazel @ the Urban Retreat @ Harrods.
Semi Permanent make up is basically cosmetic tatooing, designed to help those who have lost their brow hairs due to over plucking, definitely life changing for those who are unfortunate to have Alopecia or under going chemo therapy. Hazel has creatively etched fine hair strokes through my non existent brows and once it has healed over, it really looks so natural.. May get my eyeliner done next... AMAZING!!!
I've tried out soo many diff places for eyebrow threading, but I found the best eye brow threading expert to be at naushaba hair and beauty salon in leyton. but I don't like the fact that their lack of advertisement doesn't help a lot of people because its just by chance if you find something as good as this. reading all of the above again today made me put in my two cents .
I'd like to recommend London's First Class Apple Mac Repairs Service - MacEmergency in London handle all types of Apple Macintosh laptop repairs and have an excellent customer focused track record in Apple Mac Support for London's MacBook, MacBook Pro and Powerbook G4 users.
Their website is at http://www.macemergency.co.uk and they can be contacted on 08448 121 999 - 24 hours a day and 7 days a week.
They recently repaired my accident damaged MacBook Pro within hours and it's just like new.
I went to Jannat at 101Crawford Street London W1H 2HP for having my eyebrows threaded and they are simply the best at £12 per session ou cannot beat them for quality and value. Telephone 020 7723 1163.
I am surprised that they have not been included in the review above and they definately should be. Try them out and you will not be disappointed.
i would like to take this time to recoomend the best place for waxing and facials using the catio dermie and the non surgical facials.It is in mayfair, in mount street, one of teh most secretive paces that lot of celebrities goes. i had an hour and a half on my face with fabulous facial techniques, she did half of my face and i felt like i had a stroke on the other half, i would recommend this to all women. she does wonders, Duleesha is also well known dfor her hot waxing.She is the best
Carcraft list above now have a website
www.carcraftmerton.co.uk
Carcraft
Friendly and reliable family business which deals with crash and body repairs.
Unit 4, Station Rd, SW19 (020 8543 4278).
Hello,
I would like to quickly ask you how I could get a copy of the time out magazine of last week, as I am one of the dancers who were photographed when we filming the Brazilian film which was shot last month about Jean Charles de Menezes.
many thanks,
Flavia
I have purchased from Jonathan Quearney's tailoring shop and was very pleased. I have now moved away from london and purchased a bespoke shirt from www.mytailoredshirt.com and was very suprised with the fitting since it fitted like a bespoke shirt is supposed to. I cannot fit into a standard shirt since I have had a few beers too many in my time. Its amazing what technology can do these days.
Shirt stream listed above, I must disagree with the reviewer. Unless (s)he by "local values" mean bad service and rude manners. They have ruined a shirt of mine and did not do anything about it, and even insisted on my paying for the cleaning! There are much nicer alternatives in the south ken area.