Greenify your Dutch life

Maintaining sustainable habits in a new country can prove challenging. You don’t want to spend hours on end creating your green routine when you’re still settling into your new life. That’s why ABN AMRO is sharing its best tips to help you greenify your life in the Netherlands, the easy way.

Upgrading your home

Do you know how green the energy is in your new home? There are several energy providers in the Netherlands that can supply green gas and green power for your home. Even if you rent, you can often still choose your own energy provider. Ask about solar panels, for example.

If you get renewable energy, you need to keep it indoors. Heat loss is generally fairly easy to prevent by improving your home’s insulation, such as by putting up curtains in front of doors and weather-stripping your windows.

Getting around

What’s the first means of transport you think of when it comes to the Netherlands? That’s right, a bicycle! There are more bicycles than people in this country. A bicycle is especially a godsend in major cities where lots of areas are hard to get to by car. And by cycling, you’re not only doing the environment a favour - you’re doing your health a favour too!

In the Netherlands, you also have a wide range of sustainable public transport options. There is a dense rail network with electric trains that run on green power, and metros and trams that will take you wherever you need to go in the Netherlands’ major cities.

Food and daily supplies

Labels on packaging are a good guideline for how to shop sustainably. Look out for labels such as UTZ, Fairtrade, Demeter, EKO and PlanetProof. Drinking water in the Netherlands is among the cleanest in Europe - no need to stock up on bottled water.

Want to meet your neighbours? Go to the market! Most cities in the Netherlands have a local market. Bring your own bag (no packaging) and buy only what you need (less waste). It’s not only the most sociable way to shop, but it’s also sustainable.

The good way to waste

Waste in the Netherlands is separated and recycled wherever possible. Check your local municipality's website for information about the different kinds of waste and what containers to use. On that same website, you will also find rules on what to do with bulky waste. You can deposit your e-waste, such as batteries and old mobile phones, in special (Wecycle) containers at supermarkets.

Banking for a greener tomorrow

Banking is also something you can do sustainably. When sustainability features high on a bank’s agenda, you will see that reflected in their products and services.

ABN AMRO wants to see society become greener and works to accelerate this process. To help combat climate change and drive the energy transition, they support their clients in greening their property (as they are doing with their own buildings). They are also increasing their renewable energy financing and sustainable investments - their sustainable investment portfolios are one example of that. Did you know that ABN AMRO is already among the top 10 percent of the world’s most sustainable banks? Read more about their sustainability efforts.