What you can do
We are working hard to improve air quality but there are many things that you can do to reduce the amount of pollution you produce and breathe in. One of the main things you can do is swap your car for waking, cycling or scooting. Active travel not only reduces the pollution you produce and your exposure to pollution, but is a good way of including exercise in your day.
What can you do out and about
Most of us are more aware of the pollution we experience outside but we don't know how to reduce of avoid it.
What can you do:
- Cycle, walk and take public transport. You could try bike sharing schemes like Santander or using cargo bikes to carry bigger loads. The council is supporting cycling in a number of ways:
Installing cycle storage facilities both on streets and estates
Supporting bike sharing schemes
Bike repairs and maintenance courses
- Walk using the side streets. Avoid busy, main roads and use quieter side streets where pollution levels are lower. There are a number of different clean air routes that you can use in Islington.
Look for clean air routes on the interactive map
- Go electric. Book a test drive today and choose electric when replacing your car. The council is installing more electric charging points all of the time.
Electric vehicle charge points
- Join an electric car sharing club such as DriveNow or Zipcar. Car share with colleagues, friends and neighbours
- Don’t idle. Turn off your engine when not moving to reduce your emissions. You can be fined for idling in Islington.
Volunteer for the London wide anti-idling scheme
- AirText
Sign-up to AirText to get local updates on air quality in London
- If you are buying a new car look for the least polluting vehicle
- Use Click and Collect to receive parcels and reduce the amount of travelling delivery vehicles make
- Only use a fire when necessary and ensure you follow the rules for Smoke Control Areas
What you can do at home
We spend 90% of our time inside so it’s essential that we are breathing clean air. Indoor air pollution comes from many sources and it’s hard to spot, so many people don’t realise they are at risk.
The causes:
- Heating and cooking
- Mould on walls and windows
- Chemicals in paints, varnishes, chipboard, furniture, carpets and sofas
- Fumes from cleaning products and toiletries
- Wood burning stoves and BBQs.
What you can do:
- Open windows when cooking and cleaning to ventilate the room
- Use mild, fragrance free cleaning products and toiletries
- Keep dust levels low
- Get your boiler checked annually
- Avoid using chimneys and wood burning stoves