Community Projects

Abundance Edinburgh
Go green and eat like a king. This Edinburgh-based group makes leather, vinegar, cider and cheese from harvested apples and pears that would otherwise be binned.
www.abundanceedinburgh.com

Edinburgh Community Backgreen Association
ECBA promote sharing and maintenance of the capital’s back-greens as places of relaxation, play and food growing for tenement communities. They also provide workshops including ‘grow your own’ courses as part of their Dig for Victory growing campaign.
www.ecba.org.uk/dig-for-victory.aspx

The Hidden Gardens (At Tramway, Glasgow)
Opened in 2002, The Hidden Gardens is one of urban Britain’s most impressive, and progressive, green lungs, running volunteer schemes and education programmes for school children.
www.thehiddengardens.org.uk

Urban Roots
Developing out of Toryglen Gardening Club, UR became a fully-blown community eco-project in 2008 covering everything from community gardening and nature conservation to schools-based eco-projects and climate change workshops in one of Glasgow’s most deprived districts.
www.urbanroots.org.uk

Dear Green Place
DGP’s print and web-based green maps provide information on where to find recycling and reuse projects, including charity shops, in Glasgow. The venture is expanding, with plans to cover sustainable food, energy, transport and green space projects, but needs volunteers to make this a reality. Edinburgh’s Little Green Map (www.littlegreenmap.com) offers a similar service in the capital.
www.deargreenplace.org

Eco outlets

Grassroots Organic
An Aladdin’s cave of veggie, vegan and organic goodies not far from the city centre.
20 Woodlands Road, Glasgow.

The 78
A haven for Glasgow’s vegans since February 2007, and a hub for musicians from the local area and further afield.
14 Kelvinhaugh Street, Glasgow.

Greencity Wholefoods
An East End-based workers’ cooperative and collectively run warehouse supplying locally sourced, organic and fair-trade products to eco-stockists across Scotland.
23 Fleming Street, Glasgow.

Earthy Food & Goods
Their gardening courses, newsletter and daily food market at Ratcliffe Terrace (Mon–Fri 9am–7pm; Saturday 9am–6pm; Sun 10am–6pm) make Earthy a bastion of good green taste.
33-41 Ratcliffe Terrace, Edinburgh.

Word Power Books
One of Scotland’s leading independent book retailers, organiser of the Edinburgh Independent Radical Book Fair and stocked plentifully with titles on everything from eco-villages and green shopping to life after oil and environmentally friendly travel.
43 West Nicolson Street, Edinburgh.

Iglu Bar & Bistro
Where quality dining has been driven by green principles since this tucked-away eatery’s opening back in 2005 – your first port of call for organic, wild and local produce.
2b Jamaica Street, Edinburgh.

Real Foods
Still thriving after three decades – Scotland’s largest retailer of vegetarian, organic, fair-trade and special diet foods.
37 Broughton Street & 8 Brougham Street, Edinburgh.

Green websites

Eco Gadgets
Green gadgets from remotest Scotland – this site, set up in 2005 on the West Coast’s Cowal peninsula, provides a comprehensive range of top quality energy saving gizmos and aims to ensure its suppliers adhere to ethical practices on wages, packaging and charity collaboration.
www.ecogadgets.com

Greener Leith
A volunteer-run news source, blog, advice centre and campaign hub for Leith. Current projects include the Persevere garden with its elderflower and rare apple trees, and a green map of the area's eco and community-based food initiatives.Take a look at their recent (brilliant) website April fool.
www.greenerleith.org

Green Business
Website for the Green Tourism Business Scheme – provides an eco-guide to the UK’s travel destinations and businesses, grading them on water and energy efficiency, waste management and commitment to biodiversity.
www.green-business.co.uk

Guardian Environment
An obvious but still indispensable resource, with news, data, features, columns, videos and blogs on every imaginable eco-topic.
www.guardian.co.uk/environment

Green TV
Wide-ranging, UK-based video news site offering reports from around the world on climate change, green technologies, wildlife and organisations working to protect the environment.
www.green.tv

Grist
Counters the po-faced tendency of some green debates with incisive, comprehensive news coverage that’s also humorous and quirky.
www.grist.org

Green Business
Website for the Green Tourism Business Scheme – provides an eco-guide to the UK's travel destinations and businesses, grading them on water and energy efficiency, waste management and commitment to biodiversity.
www.green-business.co.uk