From slow fashion boutiques to zero-waste restaurants, the environmental movement is taking root in the French capital. Here’s where to visit to get in on the trend
1. The fashion boutique
The sustainable, slow fashion movement is very much en vogue in Paris. Browse and buy both new and preloved clothing at La Textilerie, much of which is made from recycled fabrics by local designers. The store also conducts sewing classes, during which you can learn to make a skirt or a tote bag from recycled cloth; plus, it sells fabric offcuts at a snip of the original price.
2. The co-working space
Paris has seen an uptick in eco-friendly co-working spaces over the last few years. While Mutinerie runs a co-working space on Rue de Meaux in the heart of the capital, it also offers frazzled freelancers the chance to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and retreat to the countryside at Mutinerie Village. Accessible from central Paris by train, this rural commune blends co-working and co-living – in addition to working in relative peace, you can also bed down in a cosy stone cottage and enjoy meals made with fresh ingredients from the on-site vegetable garden.
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3. The market
Do as the locals do and shop at the Batignolles organic market. Situated in the 17th arrondissement, with the famed Sacré-Cœur as its backdrop, it features over 50 stalls offering an assortment of local produce. Here, you’ll find freshly pressed juices, ciders, seasonal fruits and vegetables, essential oils, flowers and more. Get up early to avoid the crowds; the market operates from 9am every Saturday.
34 Blvd des Batignolles
4. The bar
Sustainable bartending is the order of the day at Bisou, a cocktail bar that works solely with organic ingredients from various local producers. It also minimises waste by dehydrating leftover produce for use as drink garnishes. There’s no menu here – instead, resident mixologist Nicolas Munoz will shake up a custom cocktail for you with the ingredients he has available that day.
5. The restaurant
A veteran of the Parisian slow food scene, Simone Lemon was launched after its owners, Elodie Le Boucher and Shéhrazade Schneider, realised that a significant amount of produce fails to reach consumers, no thanks to issues like cosmetic defects. Today, the restaurant buys rejected – but perfectly edible and tasty – produce from local growers, turning them into gourmet dishes. The menu varies according to the week’s haul, so you could be enjoying pumpkin soup with ginger and coconut milk on your first visit, and strawberry and basil tiramisu on the next.
6. The hotel
Staying in eco-friendly accommodation doesn’t necessarily have to mean slumming it. Eden Lodge Paris is an eco-luxury hotel that doesn’t compromise on creature comforts. Guestrooms are chic and spacious, with bathrooms featuring low bathtubs and Japanese-style bidets to reduce water consumption. What’s more, the hotel uses energy-efficient LED lighting and maintains a zero-carbon policy, generating energy via solar panels and wood pellets.
7. The concept store
La Maison du Zéro Déchet (literally the House of Zero Waste) stocks all things eco-friendly. Here, you’ll find books about the environment, reusable bento lunchboxes to take to work with you, cosmetic products (sans packaging, of course) and more. The store also organises regular events, such as environmental conferences, green tours and candle- and shampoo-making workshops.
8. The app
Too Good to Go is an ingenious platform that aims to reduce food waste by enabling establishments to sell their surplus food. Besides fresh produce from supermarkets like Biocoop, users can also snap up take-out boxes from popular restaurants at a fraction of their selling price – think superfood salads from Wild & the Moon, toothsome pastries from Eric Kayser and more. You can also donate meals to the homeless through the app.
Please check the establishments’ respective websites for opening hours as well as booking and seating requirements before visiting, and remember to adhere to safe-distancing measures while out and about.
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This article was originally published in the May 2018 issue of SilverKris magazine
