Lausanne, a green and sustainable city

Treating yourself to 100% local products of the new pop-up stores

Le Local Pop-Up

With this brand new grocery store, the City of Lausanne gives local producers the opportunity to display their delicious products. Believe us, we’re making the most of it! Lausanne wines and beers, honey, apple or grape juice, a real treat for your taste buds!

Escaliers du Marché 2, 1003 Lausanne

Planting tomatoes in the middle of the city

It’s difficult to grow your own fruit and vegetables if you live in a city. Difficult but not impossible. The proof is the kitchen gardens and allotments which can be seen every in Lausanne. An opportunity to get closer to nature and also to your neighbours. The majority of these vegetable gardens will be moved in the years to come but their total area will be increased by a third.

Buying second-hand clothes

Being hyper-stylish while giving a second life to clothes and accessories is getting ever easier in Lausanne. Many second-hand and vintage boutiques are available, in which you’re sure to unearth unique and trendsetting gems. With that, combining the useful and the pleasurable acquires real meaning!

Go shopping by upcycling

Perhaps you are not aware of upcycling. Unlike recycling, upcycling consists of the re-use rather than the destruction of a material. Electronic items bikes, clothes, accessories, furniture….in Lausanne you will easily find upcycling depots close at hand. Flea markets and second-hand sales of discs are also regularly organised, and there are also plenty of specialist second-hand shops. There are even bike markets!

For book-lovers, phone boxes and newspaper boxes have been transformed into book exchanges. A good way of buying less and reading more.

Eat local, eat organic

There is a huge amount of local products to sample in Lausanne. The simplest way is get close to the producer by taking a stroll through Lausanne’s markets. It’s also a good way to eat seasonal produce.

And throughout the year Lausanne à table organises a series of events featuring the local food scene: yoga-brunch, pastry workshops for children, picnics… There’s something for every taste.

Yes, because the local food scene is very diverse and is often based on products which have not been transported by truck (or plane!) from one side of the world to the other. Choose a glass of local wine or craft beer to go with fillets of perch or our regional “papet” dish: Spoilt for choice. Try honey from hives in the city of Lausanne for your breakfast or dessert. Starting in 2011 the Parks Department (Service des parcs et domaines) has kept 12 hives on roofs or in Lausanne’s parks. The honey is so good that people snap up the few jars of honey which the bees produce. An autumn treat!

And finally THE shop specialising in organic produce is Le Topinambour. This small shop located in the Sous-Gare district was the first to sell organic produce in Lausanne. You will easily recognise it by its attractive yellow façade, the small white wooden bench in front of the window and particularly its large, plant-filled bath-tub. In addition, everything inside looks delicious!

See the region’s protected animals

Another and attractive step towards sustainability has been taken by Lausanne, this time in the form of an area where the endangered animals of the region are protected. Woolly pigs, booted goats and many other species are waiting for you on the shores of the Sauvabelin Lake. The setting is wonderful and perfect for children. Once you have climbed through the woods, Sauvabelin Tower provides a magnificent view while at the same time demonstrating that wood, a local material, is capable of making large structures. Yes indeed, as the tower is constructed entirely of wood sourced close to the city.

No more packaging

For several years a number of grocery stores have been selling their products without packaging. The specialist in packaging-free goods in Lausanne is La Brouette. The latter delighted locals with its crowd-funding which proved to be a smash-hit! You can buy everything from this shop, even cosmetics and home care products.

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Une publication partagée par La Brouette – Epicerie Durable (@epicerielabrouette) le 26 Mai 2017 à 12 :48 PDT

 

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Une publication partagée par La Brouette – Epicerie Durable (@epicerielabrouette)

Get involved in green events

The Festival Objectif Terre is one of the many events which combine the themes of sustainability and eco-friendliness. It takes place in June on the Esplanade de Montbenon. A great occasion to discover what is going on in Lausanne with regard to eco-friendliness.

For nature-lovers there is also the Forest Festival. Held every year at Sauvabelin, this gathering tells us more about the importance of an abundant flora by means of various activities and workshops, particularly aimed at children.

Travel with less pollution

Yes, Lausanne is hilly and it’s not always practical to move around on foot or by bike. But distances are short and moving from one part of the city to another is very easy thanks to “soft mobility”. It’s best to use your legs which might well become as attractive as those of the city’s inhabitants. Many cycle docking stations are located around the city where you can pick up and deposit a bike wherever you want.