Yorkshire is beautiful. Simply put. Arguably one of the nicest regions in the UK.
We’re surrounded by farmland, independent towns, local producers, market halls, makers and amazing small businesses at every turn. From the Wolds and the Vale of York to the Dales, the coast and Yorkshire’s bigger cities, there are plenty of ways to make greener choices without completely changing how we live.
A lot of it comes down to one thing: buying, eating and living a little closer to home. Here’s how.
Buy From People Who Actually Make Things Here!
Yorkshire has no shortage of independent makers and small producers.
York is an obvious example. Wander around the Shambles, the markets or some of the smaller streets around the city centre and you’ll find people selling handmade jewellery, ceramics, artwork, food, candles, clothing and gifts. The lot.
The same is true in places like Beverley, Harrogate, Hebden Bridge, Whitby and countless smaller market towns. We’re full of them.
Buying something made locally won’t automatically make it sustainable, but there’s a gigantic difference between buying an item made to last from an independent maker and picking up another mass-produced product that might be replaced six months later.
It also keeps more money circulating within Yorkshire businesses and communities.
Eat More Food Grown and Produced Around Us
We live in one of the best parts of the country for local food.
The Yorkshire Wolds alone are surrounded by farmland producing crops, meat and dairy, while the wider county has brilliant farm shops, bakeries, butchers, breweries, cheesemakers and food producers.
Buying locally can mean fewer miles between producer and plate, but it also gives us a much clearer idea of where our food has come from.
Instead of automatically doing every shop at a major supermarket, try mixing in a local butcher, greengrocer or farm shop occasionally. Seasonal produce is often cheaper when it’s abundant too.
Yorkshire markets make this particularly easy. You can often buy bread from one stall, vegetables from another and locally produced meat or cheese a few metres away.
Make Better Use of Yorkshire’s Markets
Markets are still a huge part of Yorkshire life, and they’re one of the easiest ways to shop differently.
York, Beverley, Leeds, Skipton and many other towns have regular markets selling everything from fresh produce to second-hand goods and handmade products.
They also make buying locally feel less like a sustainability exercise and more like a decent way to spend a Saturday morning.
Rather than ordering every small purchase online, it’s worth checking whether someone nearby is already making or selling it.
You might end up with something better anyway.
Support Independent Businesses More Often
There’s an environmental argument for shopping locally, but there’s also a straightforward Yorkshire one.
Independent cafés, pubs, shops, restaurants and service businesses help give places their character.
Think about how different somewhere like York, Whitby or Beverley would feel if every high street was made up entirely of the same national chains.
Supporting local businesses keeps those places interesting and helps jobs and spending stay within the area.
It doesn’t mean never using Amazon or a supermarket again. It just means thinking about where else your money could go when there’s a good local option available.
Choose Restaurants That Take Local Sourcing Seriously
Yorkshire restaurants have an enormous amount of produce on their doorstep.
There’s seafood coming in along the coast, farming across the Wolds and Vale of York, livestock throughout rural Yorkshire and plenty of smaller producers supplying everything from cheese to vegetables.
When eating out, choosing restaurants that make a point of using seasonal or locally sourced ingredients can be another small way to support a more local food economy.
It usually makes for a better menu too.
Seasonal Yorkshire asparagus, local lamb or fish landed on the coast is a bit more interesting than ingredients flown halfway around the world simply because they’re available all year.
Don’t Treat Everything as Disposable
One of the greenest things we can do is simply keep things for longer.
Yorkshire has a strong culture of second-hand shops, antiques, vintage stores and reclamation yards. Places like York, Harrogate and Leeds are particularly good for this, but you’ll find them throughout the county.
Furniture is a good example. An old table that needs sanding down can sometimes be a far better buy than a cheaper flat-pack replacement.
The same goes for clothes, tools, garden equipment and plenty of household items.
Repairing, restoring or buying second-hand isn’t just about saving money. It stops perfectly usable things becoming waste.
Dispose of the Awkward Stuff Properly
Of course, some things genuinely have reached the end of their life.
For normal household waste, local recycling centres and council collections should cover most things. But paint, oils, batteries, electrical equipment and certain chemicals need to be handled differently.
Businesses have even more responsibility here, particularly if they’re producing industrial or hazardous materials. Specialist providers such as Wastege’s waste management service in York deal with commercial and hazardous waste that can’t simply be put into general rubbish.
Whether it’s at home or at work, putting waste into the right stream gives it a much better chance of being recycled, recovered or disposed of safely.
Enjoy Yorkshire Without Leaving Your Mark on It
Yorkshire’s landscapes are probably the strongest argument for looking after the place in the first place.
A weekend in the Dales, a walk along Flamborough Head, a day on the North York Moors or an afternoon on the beach shouldn’t leave behind bags, bottles and disposable barbecues.
Most people already know this. The issue is usually convenience rather than awareness.
If bins are full, take the rubbish home. If you’re walking somewhere remote, carry out what you carried in.
It sounds basic, but our most popular beauty spots receive huge numbers of visitors every year, so small habits quickly add up.
Explore More of What’s Close to Home
You don’t always need to travel hundreds of miles for a good weekend away.
Yorkshire has beaches, cities, countryside, historic towns, walking routes and national parks all within relatively easy reach.
Choosing days out or short breaks closer to home can reduce the amount of travel involved while also putting money back into Yorkshire attractions, pubs, restaurants and accommodation.
There’s also something slightly strange about flying abroad several times a year while barely having explored what’s an hour down the road.
Keeping Yorkshire Green Is Mostly About Keeping Things Local
None of this requires everyone in Yorkshire to suddenly live an ultra-sustainable lifestyle.
It’s more realistic than that.
Buy something made by a local craftsperson occasionally. Pick up food from a farm shop. Eat somewhere using produce grown nearby. Repair something rather than replacing it. Support an independent business when you have the choice.
Yorkshire already has much of the infrastructure needed to live a little more locally.
We just need to use it.
