Scotland is the eco-friendliest country in the UK, new research has revealed.
The study, conducted by specialist providers of commercial recycling and waste services First Mile, analysed various factors to determine the thriving locations when it came to being “green.”
These factors included electric vehicles (charging points), recycling (per capita), green space, air quality, pollution levels, reducing plastic use and disposable fashion consumption.
Overall, the top ten major cities were revealed as:
Source: First Mile
Scotland performed especially well, with Scottish cities making up the first three places, and Edinburgh laying claim to the top spot in the UK overall.
When broken down into winners per category, the research also revealed that Edinburgh is the best major city for green space and for low pollution level. Aberdeen performed the best for air quality, whereas Glasgow residents were the most likely to be reducing their plastic use.
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York topped the list for England, ranking in at number 4 overall. The northern city was found to have the most household and non-household refuse sent for recycling (per capita), and residents also had the lowest disposable fashion consumption of all cities analysed.
Interestingly, while London narrowly missed out on a spot in the top 10 (ranking in at number 11 overall), the capital is the best major city in the UK for its market share of electric vehicle charging points.
The research also analysed the London boroughs in more detail, but due to lack of available data, only the following sections were analysed: recycling, air quality, plastic use and disposable fashion consumption.
Rather fittingly, given its name, Greenwich is the greenest borough, followed by Camden and Bexley.
Overall, the top ten London boroughs were revealed as:
Source: First Mile
When broken down into winners per category, the research also revealed that Bexley is the best London borough for recycling (per capita), whereas Havering, Barking and Dagenham, Redbridge and Islington equally had the best scores for air quality.
The survey revealed that Redbridge residents were most likely to be reducing their plastic use. Given its abundance of vintage stores as well as its popular market, it’s perhaps unsurprising that Camden is the best London borough for low disposable fashion consumption.
Bruce Bratley, founder and chief executive of First Mile said, “Ticking an array of eco-friendly boxes, Scotland stands head and shoulders above other countries when it comes to being green in the UK and our research helped crown Edinburgh as the UK’s ‘Greenest’ city.”
“London’s air quality, though improving, doesn’t have the best track record. For the last decade, the capital has surpassed its legal annual air pollution limit within the first month of the year, sometimes within just days of the new year starting.
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“Hopefully with the introduction of the Ultra-Low Emissions Zone in April, London should start to see a significant improvement and begin to move up the scale as one of the UK’s greenest cities. And given London has the largest market share of electric vehicle charging points, more and more people should be encouraged to use greener vehicles in the capital.”
“With the right education, focus and support, we are confident that the UK will continue to become an eco-friendlier nation in the coming years. Now that we are into the new year, it’s a great time for all of us, businesses and consumers alike, to make a more conscious effort, when it comes to our environmental footprint!”
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