At Home-Start Camden & Islington (HSCI), supporting families goes hand in hand with protecting the environment. In the face of rising living costs and global warming, our approach is simple: make sustainability practical, accessible, and meaningful for the families we support and the staff we onboard.
What HSCI is already doing:
Reduced Energy Consumption
In the office, we have taken clear steps to reduce our own energy consumption while encouraging families to do the same. Across our office spaces, LED lighting has been installed—80% more efficient than traditional light bulbs at reducing energy consumption.
Beyond this, our slow cooker and electric blanket initiatives have supported families in managing heating costs more efficiently. These small but powerful changes allow families to stay warm while using less energy, reducing both bills and carbon emissions.
In our office spaces, we switch off lights when they’re not needed. We keep windows closed in winter and open them in summer to reduce energy consumption.
Sustainable Food Practices
In 2025, 75% of the food we provided was donated by the Felix Project, helping to reduce emissions while supporting families.
Since 2026, all of the food purchased by HSCI has been plant-based, significantly reducing the carbon impact of our catering. The meat content of donated food does not affect our overall emissions.
Recycle & Reuse Initiatives
HSCI is proud to have achieved a 67% recycling rate, 50% above the national average. This reflects a strong organisational commitment to reducing waste and using resources responsibly. By modelling these practices, we encourage families to adopt similar habits in their own homes.
HSCI is committed to supplying families with second-hand children’s equipment (e.g., high chairs, cots, pushchairs). By providing a reuse and donation service for baby and toddler equipment, HSCI is saving the embedded emissions from manufacturing these items.
Encouraging Long-Term Lifestyle Changes
We also promote sustainable choices for our families and staff that have a long-lasting impact, such as:
- Walking or cycling where possible
- Being mindful of consumption and waste
- Choosing reusable items over single-use products where possible
- Conserving energy at home or in the office, such as switching off appliances
Looking ahead: Our commitment to doing more
While we are proud of our progress, we are equally committed to going further. In the coming year, we will explore and implement additional measures to strengthen our commitment to an environmentally responsible approach.
Exploring Smarter Energy Solutions
We are interested in introducing smart thermostatic radiator valves, which would allow better control of heating and help prevent energy waste—such as heating being left on when the office is unoccupied. While building-level systems are not fully within our control, we are exploring opportunities to collaborate with other tenants to support these changes.
Other efforts to liaise with tenants and building landlords will focus on the use of recycled paper products, such as toilet paper and hand towels, throughout the building.
Greening Finances
We are interested in exploring banking providers that do not invest in fossil fuel industries and have significantly lower associated carbon emissions.
Reducing Water Waste
Future plans include introducing water-saving measures, alongside continuing to educate families on reducing water usage at home.
Embedding Sustainability in Everything We Do
Sustainability is becoming a core part of how we operate, not just an add-on. We are committed to tracking our progress, setting clear goals, and ensuring environmental responsibility remains a priority at every level of the organisation.
To ensure long-term accountability, we are looking into appointing one of our trustees to the role of a Green Champion, helping to guide, monitor, and strengthen our environmental efforts at a strategic level.
We will also continue to raise awareness among our staff about reducing unnecessary energy use, modelling eco-friendly behaviour, and making more sustainable choices in their day-to-day work.
A Shared Future
At Home-Start Camden & Islington, we are supporting families to thrive in an ever-changing world. By combining practical support with environmentally conscious action, we are helping to build a future that is not only greener, but fairer and more resilient for the communities we serve.
A big thank you to everyone who contributed to the eco-audit report. We’re also grateful to Cadent and Home-Start UK for their support, including providing slow cookers, sharing resources, and supporting us throughout this collaboration.