Hanging out is one of many fun ways to catch up and blow off some steam. What better ways to spend your free time than relaxing with your friends? The go-to hangout places are now either café, bar, or park, where you can get all cozy and comfortable. But to make all things better, why not do a guilt-free hangout? You can still chillax while caring about the environment at the same time.
Don’t think about all woods and greens when you think about eco-friendly café/bar. These places are the perfect combo of all things cool, Instagrammable, cozy, and environment friendly. So, check out these 7 hangout places around the world (near your place, maybe!) that you can enjoy alone or together with your loved ones.
1. Ayala Triangle Gardens, Manila
Who says that hanging out can’t be at a park? Ayala Triangle Gardens stretches over twenty thousand square meters hidden within the city’s concrete jungle. It’s rife with a diverse mix of trees such as rain trees, fire trees, golden palms, and many more.
You can occasionally find public art pieces from Philippines’ leading local artists. Appreciating art can be a way to find new topic that you can talk about with your friends. Getting to know new art talents can also be inspiring and insightful.
Kids can play around in this urban park. If you want to have a picnic with your family or friends, simply set up picnic mats and enjoy your day. Did I mention that this park is pet-friendly? Chatting with your friends while walking your dogs or cats? That is one of fun ways to blow off some steam. There are separate bins for pet waste, so don’t let your pets finish their business in random places.
2. 365 Eco Bar, Jakarta
Before eco-friendly hangout places were booming in Jakarta, this bar has done it first before it was cool. Located in Kemang, this bar is almost like other bars with warm white lights and cozy atmosphere. But the place is surrounded by large trees and some plants. Kind of suits the name, don’t you think?
It’s common now to see hangout places that use shipping container in Jakarta, but this bar used it first back in 2009. Almost all furniture in this bar are the results of recycling. For example, the chairs are made from bottle crates filled with cushion. The pillow cushions are made of shredded paper wrapped with plastic. Moreover, they use ozone-friendly air conditioner.
This bar offers Indonesian, asian, and western food. There are a wide variety of virgin and non-virgin drinks, so you can choose what you want according to your preference. The price is not too expensive and the food is nice too. So if you happen to be around Kemang, visit this bar alone or with your friends.
3. Dunn & Walton, Perth
This cafe used to be shop called Absolutely Organic. A certified organic shop where you can buy organic, fresh produce. Even though the shop transforms into a cafe, owners Rick and Annie still maintains their philosophy.
The cafe’s kitchen is organic. They also produce homemade almond milk and beeswax wraps to replace your usual plastic cling wrap. You can also still buy fresh produce from this shop starting at 9 in the morning.
Aside of selling organic, eco-friendly, and vegan items, Dunn & Walton does other things to maximise guilt-free characteristics. The owners always try to source local produce. Their organic cows’ milk is delivered in bulk to eliminate plastic milk containers. And every Thursday, they offer a takeaway dinner menu. All you have to do is bring your own container.
4. Standing Stone Brewing Co., Oregon
If you want to hangout and get alcoholic drinks without feeling any guilt about sustainability, you must give this place a visit. This bar had opened for five years before the owner, Alex Amarotico, wanted to make a green bar. In 2002, his bar and brewery employees started recycling aluminium and installed a more energy-efficient ventilation system.
Recently, Amarotico has leased a 265-acre organic farm. Since then, he’s been sourcing fresh eggs and beef for his bar’s food service from the farm. Also, he’s started using the farm to compost uneaten food.
But that’s not all. The bar has a recycling program that cuts post-consumer waste by more than half. Amarotico said that his employees now separate waste between five different bins. His company also gives free bicycles to employees who have worked for at least 1,000 hours and promise to ride the bikes to work.
5. Lighthouse, Brooklyn
You can find everything in New York City, including many many eco-friendly hangout places just like Lighthouse. The cafe is open from 10am to 11pm, you can have your brunch, dinner, or chillax time here. It’s so homey and comfortable that you can stay long hours without realizing it.
The owner, Naama Tamir, is passionate about holistic sustainability, and the cafe really reflects her passon. Lighthouse uses reusable metal straws in the cocktails and beverages. The food is also sourced from local farmers and growers. To clean things, the cafe uses non-toxic cleaning products. To get rid of pests, it employs a non-toxic pest control company.
Supporting others with the same cause and goals is also Lighthouse’s mission. The cafe recycles, compost, and collaborate with other green-minded organizations. It separates organic waste so that its partner can have natural dyes. Used bottles are given for candle company, and Lighthouse’s old oyster shells are given to the Billion Oyster Project.
6. Pan Comido, Mexico city
If you want to get delicious and top-quality vegan and vegetarian food while hanging out, this place is perfect. Pan Comido is open every day from 8 in the morning until 9 to 11 pm, depending on the opening days.
The cafe serves American and classic Mediterranean cuisine such as sandwiches, burgers, pozole, and enchiladas. It also has a wide variety of wine selections at affordable prices as well as great coffee. So you can have a good hangout at any time that you prefer.
So what’s their way to reduce waste? The cafe offers free (delicious) coffee to anyone who donates their old jars so that the cafe can reuse them as storage and drinking glasses. The interior of the cafe is not only relaxing and homey, but also made from recycled materials. The most notable furniture is old doors which upcycles to tables.
7. Birdsong Cafe, Mumbai
A cafe with high ceiling, wide windows that can make you bask in sunlight, and the organic, rustic feel that you can rarely find in Mumbai? Birdsong Cafe is a hidden gem among the narrow lanes of Bandra West.
You can have all-natural, organic re-interpretation of classic food from all around the world. The cafe’s best sellers are vegan ice cream, chicken chimichurri, hibiscus chia cooler, and many more. Don’t fancy continental or western food? Worry not, the cafe also serves Indian curry and Khichra.
Now, this cafe only uses 100% organic ingredients, with a focus on local and seasonal products. The cafe sources from various small farmers too. Additionally, it’s also preservatives and additives-free. You’ll find no refined food, no white sugar, no refined oil in the dishes. Guilt free indeed!
So have you been to all these places? Give us your personal review of the hangout places above. Don’t hesitate to tell us other guilt-free cafes, bars, or parks that we don’t know in the comments below. Also, who knows that these places can inspire you to run your own sustainable cafe or bar? But anyways, have a great chillax!
Source(s):
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/223601
https://www.theurbanlist.com/perth/a-list/sustainable-cafes-and-restaurants-perth
http://www.m2comms.com/blog/2017/9/4/need-fresh-air-here-are-5-eco-friendly-hangout-places-in-the-metro-worth-visiting
http://jakarta.panduanwisata.id/featured/365-eco-bar-memberikan-pengalaman-yang-berbeda-dalam-melewati-malam-seru/
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