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What is World Tourism Day? The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) is the United Nations’ agency for responsible and sustainable tourism. UNWTO’s mission is to promote tourism – a recognised pillar of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development– as a driver of economic growth, inclusive development, and environmental sustainability. The UNWTO statutes were adopted on Sunday 27 September 1970; the very first World Tourism Day took place 10 years later, on Saturday 27 September 1980. The purpose of World Tourism Day is to “recognise the power and potential of tourism to advance prosperity and drive inclusive, sustainable development.” (Georgian Zurab Pololikashvili, UNWTO Secretary-General) Monday, 27 September 2021 is the 42nd World Tourism Day, and this year’s designated theme is Tourism for Inclusive Growth. Water plays a vital role in sustainable development – in terms of industry, transport, health, hygiene, and recreation. Hydration, of course, is essential for good health. So, to mark World Tourism Day 2021, we’re going to take a brief look at the hydration cultures of three different countries. Drinking fountains in France In France, wine is an important part of the dining experience, and the French have a reputation for drinking a lot of it. But at any meal table in France – whether it’s at home or in a restaurant – there’ll also be a jug of water. The French are conscientious about staying hydrated, and this is evidenced by the vast number of public water fountains located all over the country – Paris in particular. A few 16th and 17th century fountains are still standing, and of the 30 Parisian fountains built in the eighteenth century, 14 survive today. Besides more recently constructed fountains, there are around 100 green cast-iron Wallace fountains. Richard Wallace (1818-1890) was an English philanthropist who lived and worked in Paris – a city he loved dearly. The aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War (July 1870-May 1871) brought a shortage of fresh drinking water, and Paris’s poor were turning to alcohol, which was cheaper. So, in 1872, Richard Wallace paid for dozens of beautiful drinking-water fountains to be installed in the city. The eye-catching Wallace fountains were made of green cast iron and designed by the French sculptor, Charles Auguste Lebourg (1826-1906). In recent years, as part of an initiative to reduce the number of single-use plastic bottles purchased in France, brand-new water fountains have sprung up in French cities. National drinks of Chile Aqua Libra Co has a close connection to Chile. Why? Because our popular Aqua Altotap is named after Chile’s 6km-high mountain peak, Alto San Juan. For millennia, runoffs from Andean glaciers have been the main source of fresh water for Chilean communities. In the past 50 years, however, the glaciers’ mass has reduced by around 30%. Alarmingly, the melting rate is accelerating. Chile has some wonderful traditional drinks, so staying hydrated in this warm, South American country is a tasty business! Here’s a couple of Chile’s most popular soft drinks. Mote con huesillo Mote con huesillo is a sweet, non-alcoholic drink made with dried peaches and husked wheat. Dried peaches are soaked for several hours, typically The rehydrated peaches are cooked in sugary water – often with Sugar (or molasses) is heated in a pan until The caramel is added to the peaches and The husked wheat is cooked in water until tender, and then The cooked wheat is added to the peach syrup and Chilled Mote con huesillo is served in a glass, with a Bilz y Pap Bilz y (“and”) Pap are two popular soft drinks produced by the beverage corporation, Compañía de Cervecerías Unidas (CCU), Chile’s second-largest producer of soft drinks. Bilz is an artificially flavoured, red-coloured drink invented by a German naturopath called Friedrich Eduard Bilz. Pap is a yellow, papaya-flavoured drink. The two are sold separately in shops and restaurants in Chile and other South American countries, but they’re best known as a combination: Bilz y Pap. Water with a meal? Not in Japan Go to a restaurant in Japan, and you’ll probably be offered a very small cup of water with your meal; not the huge glass of water that you get in a Western country. This is partly to do with the Japanese diet (boiled rice and vegetables, etc), which contains a lot more water than the typical UK diet. But there’s another reason. Many Eastern cultures believe that water taken with a meal will dilute the saliva, which can have a detrimental effect on digestion (a stance shared by some Western dieticians). It’s said that: Diluted saliva suppresses the release of gastric Reduced gastric juices will lower the natural acidity of the Low gastric acidity hampers absorption of nutrients and Undigested food is converted to fat, which can lead to weight gain and Long live the difference! The wonderful thing about tourism is the opportunity to experience diverse cultures and to celebrate the difference. So … Vive la difference! Viva la diferencia! Chigai o nagaiki sa seru! Contact us To talk to us about energy-efficient water dispensers, including the gesture-controlled Aqua Touchless, call 0800 080 6696 or email [email protected]. For a quote, please complete the online quote form.

Aqua Libra Co is working towards minimising human impact on the environment. Our products are helping to reduce the demand for single-use plastics, and our technology consumes a fraction of the energy used by kettles and refrigerators. At Aqua Libra Co, we’re committed to promoting and facilitating a refill culture. “From little ripples, mighty waves flow” This is the mantra of City to Sea, the environmental agency campaigning to prevent plastic pollution by eliminating the demand for single-use plastic products. City to Sea was established in Bristol, six years ago. The small group of passionate environmentalists, whose geographical parameters were initially restricted to Bristol, have already made a huge and far-reaching impact on public attitudes to single-use plastic. Through dedicated campaigning and gritty determination, City to Sea have become a global influencer. The Refill Revolution In 2016, Nat (City to Sea founder), Olivia, Thomas, and Gus won the Geovation Water Challenge. The team pitched their idea of an app to pinpoint and endorse free tap water refill points nationwide. With the Community Award prize of £1,000, City to Sea were able to develop the app and the campaign. This is how the scheme works. Organisations sign up as a refill station – for cold and hot drinks, take-away food, groceries, cleaning products etc. They put a sticker in the window to signal their participation, and the venue is featured on the app. Reduced packaging costs and increased turnover from the free advertising are having a positive financial impact on many of the businesses taking part in the Refill Revolution. As of June 2021, there have been approximately 300,000 app downloads, and more than 30,000 locations have joined the Refill Revolution. Single-use bottles and coffee cups In 2019, the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee reported that 2.5 billion coffee cups were being thrown away each year in the UK, and that just 0.25% of them were being recycled. Recycling, though, isn’t a solution to the problem of plastic pollution. Plastics are made of polymers that break down as they’re melted and restructured, so a certain amount of virgin material is required in every batch. Plastics take many years to decompose, and as more and more plastic is made, the net amount is rapidly increasing. Now for some good news. As a result of the Refill Campaign, an estimated 100,000,000 bottles have been prevented from entering the waste stream. And there’s more good news. A single Aqua illi or Aqua Alto tap will dispense as much as 45 litres of hot or cold drinking water per hour. That’s the equivalent of 90 500ml plastic bottles or up to 180 disposable coffee cups. For more information about how Aqua Libra Co water dispensers can contribute to a plastic-free world, call us on 0800 080 6696 or email [email protected]

Limescale certainly causes a lot of problems. It affects the operation and condition of machinery, the quality of water, and the aesthetics of appliances. The sheer number of limescale-removal products on the market today is testament to this common and troublesome side-effect of our water supply. Interiors of washing machines, dishwashers, and pipes can get so badly clogged up with limescale that they cease to work effectively. Water flow is restricted, water pressure is reduced, and in the case of heat-exchanger systems, such as radiators and refrigerators, thermal conductivity is compromised. Limescale from the heating element of a kettle often breaks away to contaminate the boiled water, which is very unpleasant when it turns up at the bottom of your cup of tea or coffee. Our homes and workplaces are populated with appliances and hardware that use, store, and deliver water. And where there’s water, there’s limescale. … Unless you’re using a water-dispenser system from Aqua Libra Co. What is limescale? Limescale is an accumulation of mineral compounds, left behind on hard surfaces after water has evaporated or boiled. In many cases, these surfaces are the interiors of pipes and appliances, and limescale build-up goes undetected until some real damage has been done. Around 68% of the UK’s water supply is sourced from rivers and reservoirs. The rest is extracted from aquifers, which are bodies of underground sedimentary rock that store water. In the UK, a large proportion of this rock is limestone, formed from compressed shell and bone of marine organisms that lived millions of years ago. The rock’s capacity to hold water is its porosity. Fracture porosity refers to the fractures and cracks in the rock, and intergranular porosity refers to the tiny spaces between the grains of stone. The porosity of the rock is calculated by dividing the total volume of the rock by the collective volume of the voids. For example, if the voids within a 60m3 volume of limestone total 3m3, the rock’s porosity is 1/20 (5%). Limestone is made up largely of calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Magnesium and sulphur also make an appearance in our water supply, and so does iron, in various forms – most commonly iron monoxide (FeO), haematite (Fe2O3), and magnetite (Fe3O4). The presence of iron gives limescale a reddish-brown colour. Calcium carbonate An unusual characteristic of calcium carbonate is that it becomes more soluble in water as the temperature decreases. The hotter the water, the less soluble the calcium carbonate becomes. Which means, of course, that whereas some mineral deposits will be dissolved by very hot water, calcium carbonate will remain intact. Carbon dioxide also has an effect on the solubility of CaCO3. When calcium carbonate reacts with carbon dioxide, calcium hydrogen carbonate (Ca(HCO3)2) is formed. More commonly known as calcium bicarbonate, Ca(HCO3)2 is much more soluble than calcium carbonate. In the natural environment, dissolved carbon dioxide gas in rainwater reacts with calcium carbonate to form the more soluble compound, calcium hydrogen carbonate. Over millennia, this material dissolves, causing gradual but continuous reshaping of the landscape. Descaling agents Calcium carbonate is best treated with an acid; for example, hydrochloric acid, formic acid, acetic acid, or citric acid. Hydrochloric acid (HCl(aq)) is a solution of hydrogen chloride and water, and it’s the main component of the gastric juice of mammals. The reaction between hydrochloric acid and calcium carbonate produces: water; carbon dioxide; and calcium chloride (CaCl2), which is a highly soluble salt. Acetic acid (C2H4O2) is the main ingredient of vinegar, made by bacteria of the genus Acetobacter. With a plentiful supply of oxygen, the bacteria convert ethanol (C2H6O) to acetic acid and water: C2H6O + O2 = C2H4O2 + H2O Formic acid (CH2O2) occurs naturally in the trichomes (hairs) of stinging nettles. It’s also found in ants. Formic acid is named from the Latin word for ‘ant’ – formica. Citric acid (C6H8O7) occurs naturally in some fruits (citrus fruits), for example, oranges, lemons, grapefruits, and limes. All of these acids are effective limescale removers. In fact, washing windows with vinegar or squeezing lemon juice onto taps are traditional methods of dealing with limescale in the home. What if there are no minerals in the water? If there are no minerals at all in a water supply, there’s no limescale. No limescale means that water systems and machinery remain in better working order. And systems that are in good working order require less attention. The Aqua Pure purification system eliminates all impurities from the water supply. This means that the drinking water you get from an Aqua Libra tap is totally free from waterborne bacteria and viruses and from all traces of minerals and plastic particles. It’s 100% pure water; H2O and nothing more. How can you tell when water is pure? When it doesn’t conduct electricity. It’s the dissolved solids in water that conduct an electrical current – not the water molecules. So, if all impurities are removed from water, it won’t conduct electricity. This is how we test our water purifiers at Aqua Libra Co. Why pure water? Mineral water is not bad for your health. In fact, traces of calcium in drinking water can be beneficial for bones and teeth. However, there’s very little calcium in mains water, and the benefits are minimal. The effect that limescale has on your appliances, though, is a lot more significant. Small amounts of calcium carbonate deposited on the insides of pipes and on heating elements soon mount up to a destructive coat of mineral armour that shortens the working life of your machines and contaminates your drinking water with scaly residue. When machines start to slow down, callouts become more frequent. Service and maintenance costs rise. Energy consumption increases. There's another reason for drinking purified water, and it’s at the very core of our mission to deliver the best hydration experience. Pure water tastes wonderful. Contact us for information about Aqua Libra water-dispenser systems.  

As part of a product’s carbon footprint, embodied carbon is a measurement system used to calculate the sustainability of new development. The carbon footprint is a concept that’s central to the practice of sustainable development. It’s an accounting system devised for quantifying the economy’s impact on the environment. A carbon footprint can be attributed to any strand of the economy, from social groups to organisations, to industry sectors, geographical areas, and nations. What is embodied carbon? An embodied carbon score represents the amount of greenhouse gasses released into the atmosphere during a product’s lifecycle, excluding operational carbon. Embodied carbon, which accounts for a major portion of a product’s total carbon footprint, includes the extraction and processing of raw materials, manufacture, transportation, assembly, maintenance, disassembly, and disposal. Operational emissions are not included as part of a product’s embodied carbon score. Where operational emissions are extremely low, embodied carbon can represent as much as 50% of a product’s total carbon footprint.  Early theories of embodied energy In the 18th and 19th centuries, economists were exploring the concept of an energy footprint. The focus was on manual labour. Adam Smith (1723-1790), a Scottish economist and philosopher, known as the Father of Economics, or the Father of Capitalism, was one of the first to subscribe to the Labour Theory of Value (LTV). In his famous book, An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations (usually referred to as The Wealth of Nations), published in 1776, Smith says: “Labour is the real measure of the exchangeable value of all commodities.” Ukrainian socialist, Sergei Podolinsky (1850-1891), developed a Labour Theory of Value based on embodied energy. From Podolinsky’s essay, Socialism and the Unity of Physical Forces, published in 1880: “In accepting the theory of the unity of physical forces or of the constancy of energy, we are also forced to admit that nothing can be created, in the strict sense of the word, through labour, and that consequently, all the usefulness of labour, the goal for which it strives, can be nothing other than a transposition of a certain quantity of forces.” Ecological economics Ecological economics is a branch of economics that was developed in the 1980s. Concerned with sustainable development and the management of renewable resources, ecological economics positions human economic activity as a subsystem of the Earth’s ecosystem. This philosophy audits the economy’s ecological footprint. In the context of ecological economics, a distinction is drawn between “growth” and “development”. Economic growth implies consumption of natural capital, resulting in impoverished resources. Economic development, on the other hand, is a sustainable process, which makes use of natural capital without compromising the availability of natural resources. American biologist, Paul Ralph Ehrlich (born 1932), said, “Economic growth as it now goes on is more of a disease of civilisation than a cure for its woes.” Inventory of Carbon and Energy The Inventory of Carbon and Energy (ICE) database was originally developed by researchers at the University of Bath, in collaboration with the Building Services Research and Information Association (BSRIA), for use in the construction industry. Its purpose was to promote and enable sustainable development. In its introduction, BSRIA says: “Building services engineers need to understand about embodied energy … [and they need to] understand the trade-offs between high embodied carbon and low operational carbon and vice versa.” The ICE database provides unit values. For example: each kg of limestone will contribute 0.01577kg of CO2 to a building’s total embedded carbon; for each kg of gypsum, it’s 0.002536kg of CO2; one kg of fly ash contributes 0.004kg of CO2. The unit values for a material are multiplied according to the quantity used. For example, 10kg of limestone has a carbon score of 0.1577(kg CO2); for 15kg of gypsum, it’s 0.03804(kg CO2); and for 20kg of fly ash, it’s 0.08(kg CO2). The carbon scores of all materials are added together. The examples above give us a sum of 0.27574(kg CO2).   Contact Aqua Libra Co At Aqua Libra Co, we’re committed to sustainable development and the Race to Zero. Simple, robust, and energy efficient, our products have low embodied carbon, and in operational terms, they’re market leaders. Aqua illi, Aqua Alto, and Aqua Bottlers are all ideal components in a sustainable building. To talk to us about energy-efficient water dispensers, BREEAM credits, or anything else, give us a call on 0800 080 6696 or email [email protected]. We look forward to hearing from you.

There are approximately 1.5 sextillion (1,500,000,000,000,000,000,000) litres of water on Earth. Water plays a hugely important role in our lives. We use water for energy production, transportation, recreation, washing, and consumption. According to the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), access to drinking water is a basic human right. Every living organism on Earth needs water to survive. This inorganic compound is vital for every function of the body, including digestion, absorption, circulation, temperature control, cognition, joint protection, and excretion. Water makes up between 50% and 75% of a human body – the water content being highest at birth and diminishing with age. Let’s have a look at the link between hydration and wellbeing. Blood circulation and the urinary system Water makes up around 78% of our blood – approximately 95% of plasma, the liquid constituent of blood. Blood carries dissolved nutrients and oxygen to every cell in the body, and it takes away waste products, including carbon dioxide. Having transported oxygen and nutrients to trillions of cells, blood is filtered by the kidneys, and the waste products are excreted through the urinary system. Minerals are dissolved in the urine (which comprises 91% to 96% water) and are flushed out of our bodies in the 1-2 litres of urine that we pass daily. However, when blood is inadequately diluted, it reduces in volume and thickens. The heart then has to work harder to pump blood around the body. Palpitations and fatigue can be symptoms of dehydration. Low dilution of urine means that minerals might not be thoroughly dissolved and flushed out, which can lead to crystallisation and urinary stones. Higher volumes of urine also help to prevent infection. The more often we urinate and wash away bacteria, fungi, and viruses from our urinary system, the less chance there is of an infection developing. Digestion and defecation Water plays an important part in the metabolism (breaking down) of nutrients, in order that they can be absorbed into the blood; and it’s essential for the production of saliva and the digestion of soluble fibre. Besides its role in the mechanics of digestion, water acts as a lubricant within the digestive tract, facilitating the process of moving matter through the intestines. The water content in stool helps to keep it soft and easy to pass. The tissue of a healthy digestive tract is soft and pliable. If the tissue is dry, it will absorb the water it needs from the contents, leaving insufficient water for effective digestion and lubrication. Constipation and dry, hard stool are symptoms of dehydration. Skeleton and joints Synovia is a viscous fluid in cartilage that lubricates and cushions joints and spinal discs, reducing friction and absorbing shock. A deficiency of synovial fluid can accelerate the natural wear and tear of joints. And what’s the chief component of synovial fluid? That’s right: water. The brain Water is vital in the creation of neurotransmitters – the power behind cognitive function. It’s also essential for the production of hormones, which regulate other bodily functions. An adult brain is around 75% water, but the brain has no storage solution for water; there must, then, be a constant supply of it. As we’ve seen, water is vital for the conduit of oxygen to every cell in the body. The brain receives 20% of the oxygen supply. Thinking hard uses up more oxygen, so an efficient blood supply is an important factor in a well-functioning brain – a factor that also relies on good hydration. Dehydration can negatively affect the production of neurotransmitters and hormones and reduce blood flow to the brain, causing confusion, lack of concentration, poor memory, inability to think logically, anxiety, stress, fatigue, and insomnia. Between the meninges, surrounding the brain, cerebrospinal fluid acts as a shock absorber, protecting this most vulnerable organ from impact. When we’re dehydrated, the volume of cerebrospinal fluid reduces, causing headaches. Cerebrospinal fluid is 99% water. Skin One of the skin’s functions is temperature regulation. When we get too hot, our skin secretes fluid from the eccrine (sweat) glands. Through the process of evaporative cooling (transference of heat energy with the evaporation of the sweat), we cool down a little. When we’re dehydrated, our skin loses moisture. If a dehydrated body becomes over-heated, it won’t perspire normally, which could be dangerous. Perspiration is also a method of excretion, and, just as with urination and defecation, a lack of water could mean that toxins aren’t being excreted. Weight loss When you drink cold water, you burn calories to bring the water up to body temperature. Any other cold drink, of course, will add more calories than it takes to warm the fluid. (For the same reason, adventurers in cold climates will heat snow before consuming it so as to preserve energy.) Regular water intake will take the edge off your appetite, helping to reduce the amount you eat, as well as boosting your hydration levels. A few studies have concluded that drinking water speeds up metabolic rate, but there’s no real evidence to support this. Pure water The water we find in streams and rivers and wells and springs and taps is not pure water. It’s not simply H2O. Bottled spring water and tap water contain minerals such as magnesium, calcium, sodium, zinc, copper, fluoride, and potassium. However, inorganic substances aren’t alone in drinking water. Purification separates water from microscopic bacteria, algae, fungi, and minerals. Purified water is, purely, H2O and nothing else. Some people hold the opinion that the absence of minerals is detrimental to health; but the tiny amounts that occur in water can be more than made up for in the food we eat. The big difference in purified water is the taste. Water has a variety of tastes, determined by the mineral content. Pure water, however, has no taste. The sheer delight in a glass of chilled, crystal-clear water is equal to the pleasure of the most delicious taste. Hydration and wellbeing for the whole team Access to pure, chilled water in the workplace promotes the health of the whole team. A high level of cognitive function and general well-being is conducive to productivity, innovation, and good attendance. At Aqua Libra Co, we believe that water should be on tap in every single place of work!  

A catalogue of fatbergs In August 2013, a 15-tonne fatberg, the size of a bus, was found in a London drain. In September 2014, a fatberg the size of a Boeing 747 aeroplane was discovered in another London drain. In September 2017, a 130-tonne fatberg, 250 metres long, was blocking up yet another section of London’s sewage system. In February 2019, a 400-tonne, 250-metre-long fatberg was lodged in a Liverpool drain. Earlier this year, in February, a monstrous fatberg, reportedly the weight of a bungalow, was discovered in a London sewer. Two months later, a 300-tonne fatberg was found to be blocking a Birmingham sewer. What is a fatberg? It sounds like something out of a horror movie. Something unexplainable. It sounds dangerous and threatening. A fatberg doesn’t belong in a horror movie. And it can easily be explained. It is, however, a danger to human health and a threat to city hygiene. Made up of flushed wet wipes, nappies, sanitary products, cotton buds, rags, food, condoms, bandages, rubber gloves, face masks, and all kinds of human debris … and bound together by huge amounts of congealed fat, oil, and grease (FOG), a fatberg is the result of inappropriate disposal practices. Research shows that an estimated 48% of the UK population have, at some time, flushed wet wipes down the toilet, and a further 48% regularly pour fats, oils, and grease down their drains. Approximately 180 million cotton buds are flushed away every year. As fluid waste passes through the sewers, any obstruction will cause turbulence in the flow, and as the contents swirl, debris gets trapped and consolidated. What kind of obstruction are we talking about? Well, it could be the rough inner surface of the pipes. Or it might be damaged brickwork or concrete. A common starting point for a fatberg blockage is an intrusive tree root. Fatbergs cause blocked drains in homes and streets, overflowing sewers, and damage to roads and buildings. Worryingly, they can also cause water pollution. Unblocktober Unblocktober was launched in October 2019 by Lanes Group PLC, the largest independent drainage specialists in the UK. The purpose of Unblocktober is to raise awareness of the problems caused by improper waste disposal – from the health hazards of sewage overflow and flooding, to the serious plastic pollution of the Earth’s oceans. Since the beginning of the pandemic, there’s been a significant increase in the amount of “un- flushable” waste being flushed down the toilet. Unblocktober 2021 focuses on the idea of New World, New Habits. This year is about encouraging people to make changes to the way we dispose of waste. It’s about developing new habits and coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic with a new outlook on sustainability. How to dispose of cooking fat Never pour fat or oil down the drain – especially animal fat, like butter, lard, or meat fat. Pour the used grease into an eggbox, and when it’s cool, put the eggbox in the bin. Alternatively, pour the fat into a glass dish, and when it’s cool, wipe it out of the dish, into the bin. Sign up to Unblocktober 2021 If you’re interested in joining thousands of others in this year’s mission to change the way we dispose of waste, sign upto Unblocktober 2021.

Facility management is a profession that encompasses multiple disciplines to ensure functionality, comfort, safety and efficiency of the built environment by integrating people, place, process and technology. - International Facilities Management Association (IFMA) There can surely be few occupations with a wider scope of responsibility than that of facilities manager. Any person in this role needs a huge skillset, encompassing a good understanding of finance, technology, logistics, and engineering – and an ability to communicate, organise, adapt, and think outside the box. A facilities manager needs to have empathy and objectivity. Can we trim this long list of skills down to five top must-haves? It’s not easy. But here goes! Adaptability Operational efficiency Environmental awareness Communication Logistics 1. Adaptability Adaptability comes in two forms: 1. reactive to crisis and/or specific and immediate needs; and 2. responsive to social, environmental, and technical changes. Crisis management Take the COVID-19 pandemic. Every organisation in the world – from governmental departments and emergency services to hospitals and educational institutions to large corporations and small businesses – was faced with the need to adapt. Every element of every facility was affected by the crisis, and facilities managers everywhere rose to the occasion. Space management suddenly took on unprecedented responsibilities. Rearrangement of furniture, Perspex screens, hand-sanitising facilities, and single-direction walkways had to be incorporated into everyday life. Physical signage and online messaging regarding the use and reservation of rooms and desks, rules of visitation, and government guidelines had to be co-ordinated. Hand-washing stations had to be purchased and installed in strategic locations, with sanitiser products and waste bins. The logistics of installation and maintenance of these facilities had to take into account social distancing and personnel schedules. Response to social, environmental, and technical changes Alongside the emergency action taken in response to the pandemic, facilities managers were faced with the rapidly changing role of technology. Some FMs had to get to grips with unfamiliar software for handling detailed occupancy tracking, cleaning schedules, and contact tracing. The Internet of Things and mass communications technologies were, all of a sudden, part of everyday operations. Another kind of technology that burst onto the scene at the beginning of the pandemic was touchless technology. Toilet flushes, hand driers, soap dispensers, air conditioners, lights, and doors are all examples of well-established touchless technology. As 2020 and 2021 progressed, touchless check- ins, contactless sign-in apps, employee QR codes, and voice recognition technology became part of normal life. In a 2021 study, approximately 76% of people questioned said they would continue to expect businesses to have touchless technology in place after the COVID-19 pandemic, and approximately 81% said they were comfortable with the increasing level of communication between people and technology. Hydration is an essential part of life is. Operated by gesture-recognition technology, Aqua Touchless is a pioneering piece of equipment that works in tandem with the Aqua illithree-in-one tap and the modular Aqua Altotap. Each of these mains-fed water dispensers is capable of dispensing hundreds of cups of pure chilled, boiling, and sparkling water every hour. 2. Operational efficiency A facilities manager needs to have a good head for accounting and budgeting. Finance is a big part of an FM’s role, and they need to be good at it. What is operational efficiency? Operational efficiency is the ratio between input (e.g. operational expenditure, capital expenditure, and personnel) and output (e.g. revenue, margin, new customers, customer loyalty/satisfaction). As operational efficiency improves, the output figure becomes increasingly higher than the input. There are three basic ways to improve operational efficiency: Less input for the same output Same input for more output More input for much more output Examples of operational efficiency Less input for the same output.  A busy café serves jams and pickles made on the premises. Each month, it takes eight hours of staff time (at £10 per hour) and ingredients costing £100 to produce the preserves. A total of £180. A change is made. Pickles and jams are now purchased from a wholesale supplier for £90 per month, including delivery. It takes 30 minutes of staff time to receive the delivery and store the products. A total of £95. Input (operational expenditure) has decreased, but revenue is the same. Same input for more output A popular accountant, with a large customer base and excellent reputation, has the lowest prices in town. A change is made. All prices go up by 5% to match the lowest competitors’ prices. Because the accountant is popular, no custom is lost due to raised prices Input (operational expenditure) remains the same, but revenue has increased. More input for much more output An insurance business employs 80 staff who work in a suite of offices. The company provides bottled water for all employees, which is kept cool in the kitchen’s a large refrigerator. Tea and coffee are provided, and there are several kettles for boiling water. A change is made. In place of the kettles and the large refrigerator and the bottled water, the company invests in Aqua Link,the world’s most advanced single-source, energy-saving drinking-water system for multiple dispense locations. The master unit consists of a smart-reporting control unit and a dual pump purifying system,which eliminates all limescale, cutting maintenance costs by 90%. The master unit feeds multiple hydration points, and as the company grows, the Aqua Link network can grow too. The greater number of outlets, the lower the proportionate cost of operation. The Aqua Link control unit provides dynamic reporting on incoming water pressure, volume of water dispensed, flow rate, water temperature, and CO2 replacement management. Any leak or pump malfunction is detected and flagged up. Smart reporting means immediate response from the Aqua Libra Co maintenanceteam, and therefore minimal downtime. There’s a considerable capital expenditure, of course, but the FM calculates that the operational costs of the Aqua Link system are less than 10% of the cost of providing kettle-boiled water and chilled bottled water. The hydration points are installed in accessible locations throughout the offices, and there’s a noticeable decrease in downtime (due to the elimination of queues and waiting time) and a rise in productivity (thanks to a decrease in downtime and an enjoyment of the new hydration system). Input (capital expenditure) was increased, but output (productivity/profit) was increased even more. 3. Environmental Awareness In all decisions and actions, a facilities manager must demonstrate corporate social responsibility. Mitigating environmental impact and promoting sustainable solutions in all aspects of physical and technological infrastructure is an essential part of a facility manager’s role. An in-depth understanding of sustainability and the processes that threaten sustainability should be pinned to the top of their skills portfolio. When specifying a drinking-water system, an FM needs to consider the product’s impact on the environment.Is it sourced from a company that supports the principles of a circular economy? Does it use only a small fraction of the energy consumed by alternative heating and chilling solutions? Does the system eliminate the demand for single-use plastic bottles? 4. Communication A facilities manager should be able to empathise with those who use the facilities – to understand the needs, viewpoints, and experiences of staff and customers. This means they must be objective and observant. The wellbeing of staff has a huge impact on productivity. An FM must be able to empathise with employees and understand how the working environment impacts health and wellbeing. Does the setting sun dazzle in late afternoon? Do the air conditioners benefit all areas? Is there adequate noise insulation where it’s needed? Do all employees have access to drinking water? An FM should always be aware of accessibilityissues. Can every member of staff reach the lift buttons? Can every member of staff manage the heaviest doors? In the event of fire, is there a planned escape route for every member of staff? Do employees worry about the transmission of COVID-19 through shared surfaces? Empathy isn’t only for employees and visitors. A facilities manager must also promote the financial interests of the company. It’s a diplomatic role, involving constant communication with company leaders, employees, contractors, and suppliers. 5. Logistics A facilities manager has to have a finger in lots of pies. They need to oversee security, grounds management, parking facilities, maintenance and cleaning, building operations, utilities, and IT infrastructure. A facilities manager carries out risk assessments and ensures that all activities on site are compliant with statutory law and industry regulations. If the company movesto new premises, the FM is in the driving seat. A facilities manager must have the ability to think outside the box and to see every detail of the big picture.

Over the past 18 months, as the world’s population has struggled with the diverse effects of COVID-19, there’s been a drastic change in society’s attitudes to shared surfaces. Results of a Foolproof survey, published in April 2020, and a survey carried out by Piplsay one year later, in April 2021, provide a picture of these changing attitudes and an insight into people’s expectations. Touch technology Touch technology has become part of everyday life. It crops up everywhere – in vending machines, delivery signatures, ATMs, food and retail ordering, lifts, railway ticket machines, train doors, supermarket checkouts, and many other applications. Highly valued for qualities such as security and efficiency, touch technology has quite suddenly lost some of its shine. A new version to physical contact between people – both directly and indirectly – has rendered this relatively new technology less appealing. As COVID-19 reached pandemic proportions, the world began to shy away from “dirty technology”. Protection against COVID-19 The aim of Foolproof’s survey was to understand how UK citizens expected their behaviour to change when life returned to normal after the national lockdown. Results revealed that 25% of respondents believed they’d use cash machines less often and 48% planned always to use contactless payment where the limit allowed. Just over half of all participants in the survey said that they’d wash or sanitise their hands immediately after using a public touchscreen. Touchless technology A reluctance among consumers to use shared touch technology has led to increasing demand for touchless technology. Carried forward on a wave of necessity, the touchless- technology industry has sailed swiftly into a new era. Certain forms of touchless technology are well-established elements of public spaces. Motion-sensor technology, triggered by an interruption or reflection of an infrared beam, has long been employed to open doors, flush toilets, turn on taps, lights, and hand driers, and activate air conditioning systems. For some time, voice-recognition programmes have been employed in the healthcare sector for record-keeping and Internet access. Voice technology has come a long way since “Audrey”, the world’s first voice-recognition programme created by Bell Telephone Laboratories Inc. in 1952. Whereas sensor technology operates in an “on-or-off” fashion, gesture control  works through computer algorithms that match up three-dimensional images of real-time gestures to digital items stored in a gesture library. Protection against future viruses Around 80% of people now consider public touchscreens to be unhygienic. During the pandemic, there has developed an acute awareness of the ways in which viruses and other pathogens can be transmitted from person to person. With the potential for future epidemics and pandemics highlighted by the virulent spread of COVID-19, the additional hygiene measures we’ve adopted in the past 18 months have taken on a meaningful role beyond the parameters of this pandemic. Of the 6,090 UK citizens who took part in the Piplsay poll in April 2021, 76% were comfortable with the increasing human-technology interaction, and 71% expected businesses to have touchless technology in place, post COVID-19. Approximately 44% say that their preference for touchless technology has increased during the pandemic, and 79% are more likely to choose touchless gesture control than a touchscreen. Contact us The gesture-controlled, smart-reporting Aqua Touchless  can help you and your staff monitor your sustainability programme. To talk to us about how this safe, easy-to-use dispense solution can help keep your staff and customers COVID-safe, call 0800 080 6696 or email [email protected]. For a quote, please complete the online quote form.

If you’re thinking about making some changes that will have a positive impact on the environment, then here are three simple things you can do: Eat a vegan diet Save electricity in the home and office Refill 1. Environmental impact of a vegan diet Vegan diets are associated with huge reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions. In the last 50 years, the world’s human population has doubled. With this explosion in numbers, milk production has also doubled. Meat production has tripled. There are approximately 2,400,000,000 domesticated cattle and sheep on Earth, and forests are being cleared to make room for animal-feed crops. With deforestation, atmospheric carbon dioxide increases because of the reduction in CO2-sequestering plant life. And all those livestock are emitting methane gas into the atmosphere. It’s estimated that if the world’s population began eating a vegan diet today, atmospheric greenhouse gases would be 70% reduced by 2050. 2. Save electricity in the home In October 1881, the Savoy Theatre became the first public building to be lit throughout by electricity. Theatre producer Richard D’Oyly Carte demonstrated the safety of the bulbs to the nervous audience by breaking one on stage before the curtain rose on a performance of Gilbert & Sullivan’s Patience. Today, we’re all so accustomed to electricity, we hardly notice it. “The most profound technologies are those that disappear. They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it.” Mark D Weiser, American computer pioneer And because we hardly notice it, we don’t always think about how we’re using it. Light bulbs Of the energy emitted by a traditional incandescent light bulb, only 10-15% is in the form of visible light, which is measured in lumens. The majority (85-90%) is heat. That’s a lot of energy wasted, especially if you need to compensate for unwanted heat by opening windows. An LED bulb, however, emits up to 80% light and as little as 20% heat. If an LED bulb and an incandescent bulb were each to emit 1600 lumens, the incandescent bulb would consume 0.1 kW-h of energy, whereas the LED bulb would use about 0.02 kW-h of energy. By using LED bulbs, which consume only one fifth of the energy used by incandescent bulbs, families can contribute to the preservation of the world’s fossil fuels and a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions. Turn appliances off Each year, the average UK household is responsible for 50kg of carbon dioxide emissions simply by leaving appliances on standby. Televisions, computers, and DVD players are frequently left on standby all day, every day. Turning these devices off when they’re not in use will contribute to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions. When in use, a desktop computer typically consumes about 0.1 kW-h. That’s 0.8 kW-h in an eight- hour day, 4 kW-h per five-day week, and 208 kW-h per year. The generation of 208 kW-h of electricity produces 48.5 kg of carbon dioxide gas. In sleep mode, the desktop’s energy consumption is reduced to about one third. Therefore, left in sleep mode for 16 hours overnight, the computer will consume approximately 0.5 kW-h of electricity, which amounts to 2.5 kW-h per week and 130 kW-h annually. The generation of 130 kW-h of electricity produces 30kg of carbon dioxide emissions, and if the computer is left in sleep mode at weekends, too, that’s another 82 kW-h of energy and 19kg of carbon dioxide emissions per year. Switching off a computer when it’s not in use goes a long way to slowing down global warming. 3. Refill What processes are involved in the manufacture of plastic water bottles? First of all, there’s the extraction of raw material – mainly oil. Then there’s the production of plastic resins. Resins are melted and formed into bottles, and the bottles are filled with water. Discarded bottles are recycled, incinerated, or put in landfill. Transportation occurs between every stage of the bottles’ lifecycle – from the source of fossil fuel to manufacturing plant, to bottle factory, to bottling site, to wholesalers, to retailers, to end-of-life destination. Each of these processes consumes energy. By-products include carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide – greenhouse gases that retain heat in the atmosphere for many years. With plastic bottles, the damage isn’t confined to the manufacturing processes. Plastic will take between 500 and 1,000 years to decompose, and in that time, ecosystems will be damaged by microplastics that are absorbed into the food chain. Well, that’s enough doom and gloom! This is all about prevention. The only way to slow down the manufacture of single-use plastic is to cut off demand, and the solution is to refill. Whether you’re buying a takeaway coffee or grabbing a drink of water,refilling a reusable mug or bottle will save a piece of single-use plastic from being sold.

Why is plastic made? Because we use it. It’s as simple as that. It’s Plastic-Free July, and we’re looking at some of the things we can do to reduce the amount of plastic waste we generate in our daily lives. Excessive packaging has become a habit. We hardly notice it anymore. But habits are never set in stone. They’re as flexible as plastic itself. After all, the word “plastic” derives from the Ancient Greek plassein, “to mould”. What is a revolution? From Latin revolvere, “to roll back (re, “back” + volvere “to roll”), a revolution is a wide-reaching change in conditions or attitudes – a radical shift in social or political structure. The concept of rolling back is particularly apt when thinking about the refill revolution. We get a sense of time folding back on itself, to the days when milk bottles were routinely returned and refilled; when sweets, vegetables, meat, tea, sugar, salt, soap, and other daily commodities were purchased loose; when we carried our shopping in reusable bags; to the days when our dustbins weren’t so full. The Refill app Developed by the UK-based environmental agency, City to Sea, the free Refill app has already connected 300,000 consumers with 274,000 refill stations all over the world, and millions of pieces of plastic have been kept out of the system. Thousands of refill stations are offering free water refills, saving, to date, 100,000,000 plastic bottles. Hot drinks refill In a 2019 report by the House of Commons Environment Audit Committee, the focus was on single-use coffee cups. The UK coffee industry is growing rapidly. Almost half of all coffees and hot drinks are now sold in disposable cups. There are more than four times as many coffee shops today as there were in the year 2000, and 1 in 5 of us visit a coffee shop every day. Coffee is also widely available in supermarkets and garages. Disposable coffee cups are made from a paper fibre that’s tightly bonded with a polyethylene lining. Although each of these materials is, in theory, recyclable, coffee cups are seldom recycled. Tax-payers’ funds just won’t stretch to the expensive task of separating the materials. Many coffee shops are now inviting customers to use their own reusable cups, and, in many cases, rewarding refill customers with a discount. As more and more coffee shops sign up to the Refill campaign, the annual number of single-use coffee cups is being whittled down. Free water refills More than 250,000 outlets, globally, are offering free water refills. One of these refill stations belongs to RHC (Rhubarb Hospitality Collection). Earlier this year, RHC installed an Aqua Link system at The Market, in London’s famous skyscraper, 22 Bishopsgate, London. “We were impressed with the energy-efficiency of the system and its low running costs, and we liked the idea of distributing water through pipes from one centralised point.” RHC shares our own commitment to a sustainable economy. “When it comes to water, our goal is to provide fresh, great-tasting water in a sustainable way. We’re looking to roll out the hydration solutions across all the other sites and to drive our sustainability programme forward.” Contact us To talk to us about Aqua Libra Co water dispensers, call 0800 080 6696 or email [email protected]. For a quote, please complete the online quote form.

In the year 1974, the UK population consumed 140 litres of milk per capita. By 2020, that figure had halved. Today, just under 90% of people in the UK use cow milk. So how come we’re now consuming only 70 litres of milk per capita, per year? We all know the answer, of course. Many people are opting for plant-based milk products. Almost one third (32%) of the UK population is using plant-based milk – commonly made from oats, almonds, soy, or rice – as an alternative to dairy milk. Is plant-based milk healthier than dairy milk? Is it better for the environment? Does it taste as nice? Should we all give it a go? What is milk? Milk is the first food of infant mammals, secreted from a mother’s mammary glands. In most land mammals, this nutritious liquid comprises between 80% and 90% water. The remaining 10% to 20% is made up of fat, protein, carbohydrate, and minerals. The carbohydrate content of milk is lactose, a disaccharide that’s broken down into its component simple sugars (glucose and galactose) by a digestive enzyme called lactase. These simple sugars are absorbed into the bloodstream through the walls of the small intestine and converted to energy. Lactose digestion is the sole purpose of lactase. During the suckling period, an infant mammal produces a high level of this enzyme. Beyond infancy, milk is no longer part of the animal’s diet, and lactase production ceases. Absence of the lactase enzyme means that when an adult mammal consumes milk, the lactose can’t be absorbed through the walls of the small intestine. Instead, the disaccharide passes into the colon, where it’s metabolised by bacteria. The fermentation of the sugar produces gas, which can cause a multitude of digestive disorders. Lactase persistence in Homo sapiens Approximately 10,000 years ago, humans began to domesticate animals – a cultural change that triggered a genetic mutation in our species. Livestock presented a new source of nutrition: milk. Humans began to feed on the milk of other mammals, beyond infancy and into adulthood. The capacity to digest milk became an evolutionary advantage. Natural selection kicked in, favouring lactase persistence. Lactase persistence (a phenotype shared by a third of the human population) is a uniquely human phenomenon. Hypolactasia Even people with the lactase-nonpersistent phenotype can tolerate about 11g of lactose daily – if the dairy products are consumed with meals, and intake is distributed over several hours. But there are a couple of ways for people with lactose intolerance to enjoy plenty of dairy milk without suffering gastric complaints: Over-the-counter lactase supplements, taken before consuming dairy products, enable the breakdown of lactose in the digestive system. Milk can be treated with the lactase enzyme during production, a process that breaks down the lactose before consumption. This lactase-treated milk has a sweeter taste because the lactose has been cleaved into glucose and galactose which are sweeter-tasting sugar.  Dairy milk is rich in calcium Animal milk is a rich source of calcium, a mineral that plays a role in bone formation, vascular contraction and dilation, nerve transmission, hormone secretion, blood clotting, and muscle functions. Besides milk, calcium is found in tinned salmon and sardines, which contain soft, edible bones, and in green leafy vegetables such as kale, watercress, and collard greens. For adults, the NHS recommends a daily calcium intake of 700mg. So, how much calcium do you get from dairy milk? Cow milk: 130mg calcium per 100ml Goat milk: 138mg calcium per 100ml Camel milk: 160mg calcium per 100ml Buffalo milk: 180mg calcium per 100ml Sheep milk: 200mg calcium per 100ml How do these animal milks compare to some of the most popular plant-based milks? Hazelnut milk: 10mg calcium per 100ml Soy milk: 26mg calcium per 100ml Rice milk: 118mg calcium per 100ml Almond milk: 120mg calcium per 100ml Oat milk: 120mg calcium per 100ml Dairy milk is associated with methane emissions and deforestation Cattle, sheep, goats, buffalo, and camels are ruminants, and they emit methane gas as a by-product of organic decomposition by microorganisms in their digestive systems. Methane has a net global warming potential (GWP) 30 times that of carbon dioxide over a period of 100 years. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the concentration of atmospheric methane has more than doubled. Cattle are the main source of milk for humans. At present there are more than 264 million dairy cows worldwide, all emitting methane gas. About 38% of the world’s land surface is used for agriculture, and two thirds of this land is grazing pasture for livestock. The remaining third is cropland, and approximately one third of this cropland is used to grow feed for livestock. Deforestation means reduced CO2 absorption through photosynthesis and a consequent rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels. Deforestation is also a major threat to biodiversity and the world’s ecosystems. What is plant-based milk? Plant-based milk is a beverage that resembles animal milk in appearance, consistency, and mouthfeel (texture). It’s made through numerous processes, including the soaking, grinding, heating, and filtering of plant material, which constitutes around 2% of the final product. Besides a water base, plant milk includes additives such as: polysaccharides for emulsifying and homogenising; vitamins and calcium; artificial colour to emulate animal milk; and artificial flavouring to emulate characteristics of the featured plant. There’s a wide variety of non-dairy milks available, including: Cereal-based milk (maize, wheat, rye, barley, oat, rice) Legume-based milk (peanut, lupin, pea, soy) Seed-based milk (sesame seed, flax seed, hemp seed, sunflower seed, pumpkin seed) Nut-based milk (pistachio, walnut, hazelnut, almond, cashew, pecan, Brazil nut)The three best-selling plant milks are: Almond milk. With a creamy texture and nutty flavour, almond milk contains, per 100ml, zero sugar, zero cholesterol, and only 1.15g of fat. Oat milk. Containing zero cholesterol, 2g of fat, and 2.8g of sugar per 100ml, oat milk has a consistency similar to that of cow milk. Oat milk steams and froths well, and it its neutral flavour blends well with tea and coffee.  Soy milk. Soy milk has a consistency similar to cow milk and is ideal for milkshakes and an accompaniment to breakfast cereals. But it has a tendency to curdle in tea, coffee, and hot chocolate, due to the acidity of these drinks. Soy milk contains zero cholesterol, 0.40g of sugar, and 1.56g of fat per 100ml. Is plant milk sustainable? Not all plant-based milks are environmentally sustainable. Rice milk, in particular, is associated with methane emissions resulting from the flooding of rice crops. Water on the ground creates a barrier to atmospheric oxygen, providing an ideal environment for bacteria to ferment organic material. Rice milk has the greatest environmental impact in the context of GHG emissions, followed by soy milk. Nut-based milks have a low impact on greenhouse gas emissions, as the nuts are sourced from leafy trees that sequester carbon dioxide. Almond milk has the greatest water footprint, and in second place is rice milk. Oat milk represents the greatest land use, followed by soy milk. However, all these plant-based milks are way behind cow milk in terms of GHG emissions, water use, and land use. Should we try dairy-free milk in our tea and coffee? From an environmental point of view, maybe we should. If you love the taste of milk in a cup of tea or coffee made with pure water,nothing can replace it.

A company workforce is made up of a diverse group of people with different natures, mindsets, and backgrounds. Thanks to the UK’s somewhat cavalier attitude to recycling, responsible disposal of refuse is generally seen as a matter of personal choice and closely associated with the home environment. So, when implementing a recycling policy in the workplace, it should be presented as part of the job. Recycling, like any other team activity, needs to be well organised and monitored for the best results. Audit your waste If you’re looking to improve a system and measure its efficacy, it’s necessary to establish your starting point. So, before making any changes, you need to know exactly what’s happening now: What are you throwing away? How much are you throwing away? How much recyclable waste is being put into general-waste bins? Are some bins being used more than others? How many bins are there? Where are the bins located? Are the bins clearly labelled? Who is responsible for emptying the bins? Looking at the results of your audit: Are labelled bins being used more correctly than unlabelled ones? However good our intentions, few of us have the patience or the inclination to spend time working out what bin is for what kind of refuse. After all, for most people, work is the priority. Clear labelling goes a long way to a smooth recycling programme. Are individual desk bins being used correctly? Research shows that a centralised refuse system is very effective in the workplace. From a psychological perspective, shared bins, rather than individual desk bins, stimulate community conscience. The very act of getting up to go to a bin brings with it a sense of purpose. If you’re going to stop what you’re doing to dispose of rubbish, in public view, you might as well do it properly! Are some bins not being used much – or at all? If certain bins aren’t being used, they’re probably in the wrong place. However, if a small department is a long way from the rest of the office, dedicated bins are necessary. Are some bins being overfilled? When a bin starts to overflow, people will put their rubbish in another bin. To ensure that rubbish is being put in the right place, the bins should be regularly emptied. How much recyclable waste (in kg) is being disposed of with general waste? Separate the recyclable rubbish that’s been put in the general-waste bin and weigh it. This will be the baseline for measuring your organisation’s progress. What can and can’t be recycled? An estimated 60% of rubbish that ends up in UK landfill sites could be recycled. Why is this? Well, it could be that the rubbish was thrown away by people who: didn’t care about recycling couldn’t find a convenient recycling bin didn’t know what could and couldn’t be recycled Paper can be recycled Most forms of paper can be recycled. Printer paper, shredded documents, magazines, paper-back books, receipts, fliers, cardboard, etc can be put into the recycling bin. Envelopes, too, can generally be included, as adhesive strips and plastic address windows are separated as part of the recycling process. Some local councils, however, don’t have the facilities to handle envelopes, so this needs to be checked. Some paper can’t be recycled Certain types of paper shouldn’t be put into the recycling bin. This includes kitchen roll, toilet tissue, wet wipes, wallpaper, and food- or paint-stained paper. Wrapping paper is often coated with a film of plastic, and this, too, is not recyclable. To determine if paper is plastic-coated, scrunch it up; if it unfurls, it’s coated, but if it stays scrunched, it’s just paper. Glass can be recycled Glass is one of the most easily recycled materials. Glass can be reformed time and time again without deteriorating in quality, and it takes a lot less energy to recycle glass than it does to manufacture new product. It’s a good thing too, because glass could take 1,000,000 years to decompose. Ink cartridges can be recycled Each year, an estimated 65,000,000 ink cartridges are sold in the UK, and approximately 45,000,000 (69%) of them are sent to landfill. It takes 3.5 liters oil to manufacture one new cartridge, and up to 1,000 years for it to decompose. Many supplier provide the means to return used cartridges, free of charge. Others offer cash for cartridges. Plastic can be recycled Plastic bottles, usually made from polyethylene terephthalate (PET), take around 500 years to decompose. If they’re put in the recycling bin, they can be used to make new plastic materials. The best way to reduce plastic waste, though, is not to use single-use plastic at all, but to refilla reusable drinking bottle. Aluminium can be recycled A few facts about aluminium: It takes more energy to mine aluminium than any other metal.  It takes about 200 years for an aluminium can to decompose.  Making a can from recycled aluminium takes only about 5% of the energy it takes to make one from virgin material. Around 180 billion aluminium cans are bought each year. All aluminium cans should be disposed of in a recycling bin. Employee engagement Regular reports, in the form of meetings, email updates, and newsletters, will help keep the recycling programme alive. If staff are seeing the impact of their actions, they’ll be encouraged to continue the effort. Inhouse competitions between departments can add a bit of fun and sport to improving an organisation’s sustainability performance.

Are you planning an office party? Or a Christmas get-together at home with friends and family? Maybe you’re arranging a fun party for your children and their friends … Here’s the question: are you ready to go plastic free? Decorations Painted macaroni strung across the room, paperchains secured with metal clips or staples, and pinecones dabbed with white paint. They’re as much fun now as they always were. Now let’s look at the Christmas tree – that mainstay of seasonal decoration. And then we’ll find something to replace those shiny plastic baubles. Christmas tree The tradition of the Christmas tree began in Germany and was made popular in the UK by Queen Victoria, no doubt with influence from her German husband, Prince Albert. In the late 19th century, feather trees came into fashion in Germany in response to the high rate of deforestation. These feather trees consisted of green-dyed goose feathers on wire, fixed to a central wooden dowel. In the 1980s, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) trees became popular. PVC takes hundreds of years to degrade. So, for your plastic-free Christmas party, it’s got to be a real tree. But a Christmas tree doesn’t have to be thrown away after the festivities are over. Not if you buy one with roots. Salt dough decorations Salt dough trinkets are great fun, and the best bit about them is that they can be totally unique. Here’s how to make salt dough decorations: You’ll need twice as much plain flour as salt. For example, 300g of flour and 150g of salt. Mix them together and add water. You’ll need the same amount of water in millilitres as salt in grams. So, in this instance, 150ml. Roll out your salt dough on a floured surface and cut out shapes with cookie cutters – or freehand if you’re feeling creative! Put your shapes onto a lined baking tray and bake for approximately three hours in an oven preheated to a very low 100°C. When the decorations are cool, they’re ready to be painted. Gift wrapping At the plastic-free Christmas party, we have to think carefully about how we wrap our gifts. For a start, there must be no Sellotape, which is made from polypropylene. Not only is this plastic non-recyclable, but the paper it’s stuck to is also no good for recycling. Ribbons An alternative to taping your gift wrapping is to tie it. Ribbons make an attractive trim for Christmas presents, and they can be used over and over again. Ribbons are made out of a variety of materials. They can be natural materials, like cotton (fibre from plants in the genus Gossypium), silk (protein fibre from the larvae of the mulberry silkworm, Bombyx mori), and jute (fibre from plants in the genus Corchorus) – or they might be petroleum-based synthetic materials, such as polyester, nylon, or polypropylene. Petroleum-based plastics are non-biodegradable, so when you’re wrapping a gift or making decorations for your plastic-free party, go for the natural materials. Wrapping paper A lot of commercial wrapping paper is coated in biaxially oriented polyethylene terephthalate (BoPET), a polyester film made from stretched polyethylene terephthalate (PET). BoPET is used in dozens of industry applications, including space exploration (Apollo’s lunar module is covered in BoPET), electrical insulation, sails for hang gliders, fire shelters, and food packaging. BoPET is also commonly used as a covering for paper – for example, book covers, maps, playing cards, etc. And, of course, wrapping paper. There’s a simple way to determine whether a wrapping paper is just paper, or whether it’s coated in plastic; this is the “scrunch test”. Scrunch up a piece of the wrapping paper, squeeze it in your hand, and then release. If the paper unfurls at all, it’s a sign of a plastic coating. If the paper remains screwed up, then you can be pretty confident that it’s purely paper and therefore recyclable. Food Party food can be quite tricky when you’re going plastic free, as so much is wrapped in plastic packaging. You could make your own cakes and mince pies, or you could buy them loose from your local baker. The same goes for sausage rolls, savoury pies, and flans. When it comes to drinks, stick to glass bottles or cans for alcoholic drinks, and for cold water, refill cups and glasses from your water dispenser. Paper plates are fine until it’s time to clear up. That’s when you need a plastic binbag to put them in! If you haven’t got enough crockery, cutlery, and glasses to go round, why not ask everyone to bring one of each item. Contact Aqua Libra Co To talk to us about energy-efficient, inclusive water dispensersfor workplaces, call 0800 080 6696 or email [email protected]. For a quote, please complete the online quote form. Merry Christmas!

From energy-efficient infrastructure to refilling and recycling, there are lots of ways to increase the sustainability of a university campus. The UK student network, People & Planet,run a university league, listing the UK’s greenest universities. At present (December 2021), the top three universities are: Manchester Metropolitan University King’s college London Nottingham Trent University Disposal and recycling Some of the greenest universities in the UK run reward schemes for recycling. Money prizes and treats such cinema tickets and drink tokens are up for grabs in a competition between halls of residence and academic departments to achieve the highest rate of recycling. “Pop Swap” Once-a-term on-campus clothes and book exchanges provide opportunities for students, staff, and the local community to swap unwanted clothes and books for ‘new’ pre-loved ones. The Pop Swap scheme reduces the amount of textiles and paper put into the recycling system. Although preferable to the landfill option, recycling processes consume a lot of energy. Charity donations Some universities operate a charity donation scheme. Students and staff can leave donations of unwanted clothes and other items at conveniently placed drop-off points around the university campus for volunteers to collect. Disposal of fat, oil, and grease Pouring fat, oil, and grease (FOG) down the drain contributes to the huge “fatbergs” that build up in sewage pipes, causing blocked drains, overflowing sewers, damage to roads, and water pollution. Besides FOG, fatbergs are made up of all kinds of debris, such as cotton buds, rags, wet wipes, nappies, condoms, bandages, sanitary products, rubber gloves, and face masks. As fluid waste passes through sewers, obstructions – rough inner surfaces of pipes, damaged brickwork or concrete, or intrusive tree roots – can cause turbulence in the flow, and as the contents swirl, debris gets trapped and consolidated. Fat should never be poured down the drain. Instead, it should be left to cool in a dish and then scraped out into the bin. Education, signage, and an ingrained culture of sustainability can help the university community form good habits when it comes to responsible disposal of FOG. Energy Many UK universities encourage sustainable travel through car-sharing schemes, free bus passes, and incentives to travel by bicycle. Construction and refurbishment of university buildings present opportunities to add sustainable features such as LED lighting and solar panels. Natural ventilation systems, too, can make a big difference to energy consumption. Compared to mechanical air conditioning systems, they’re cheaper to operate and require less maintenance, contributing to a reduction in carbon emissions. Encouraging sustainable eating If cafeterias were to offer a wide and varied vegan menu, the university’s carbon footprint would be significantly reduced. A few facts about animal farming: The agricultural sector is responsible for an estimated 10% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions. Almost 80% of the greenhouse gases produced by the farming industry can be attributed to animal rearing. More than 40% of anthropogenic methane emissions are produced by agriculture. Around 85% of UK farmland is used for grazing livestock or producing crops to feed livestock. Around 10,000,000 hectares of forest area, worldwide, are lost every year to alternative land uses, causing atmospheric carbon dioxide levels to increase.  Adopting a vegan diet is the single most effective action an individual can take to help create a sustainable world. A dynamic environmental policy can encourage and support students in their efforts to cut out, or cut down on, animal products. Reduce single-use plastic Plastic can take hundreds of years to decompose. Eliminating the demand for single-use plastic is the only way to curb the prolific, exponential manufacture of plastic. Hydration stations Conveniently located hydration pointson the university campus provide students and staff with opportunities to refill water bottles. Over the past couple of years, many UK universities have been installing mains-fed water dispensers in cafeterias, hallways, libraries, gymnasiums, common rooms, staff rooms, student accommodation, and lecture halls. Reusable bottles are sold in campus shops, along with maps that show where to find hydration points. Coffee cups Disposable coffee cups are made from a paper fibre that’s tightly bonded with a polyethylene lining. Although each of these materials is, in theory, recyclable, coffee cups are seldom recycled due to the expense of separating the materials. Following the example of cafés and takeaway outlets around the country, universities are introducing a financial incentive to students and staff for providing their own reusable cups.

Between 31 October and 12 November, the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) was held in Glasgow, Scotland, under the presidency of Alok Sharma MP. Approximately 25,000 delegates from 197 states attended the conference, which was policed by 10,000 police officers. To date, almost 200 countries have signed the Paris Agreementof 2015, a legally binding commitment to act against global warming by reducing the concentration of atmospheric greenhouse gases. The main goal is to maintain a mean global temperature of no more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. A longer-term goal is to achieve net zero – an equilibrium where anthropological emissions of greenhouse gases are negated by anthropological sequestering of greenhouse gases. Six years on from the Paris Agreement, global efforts are gaining momentum, and leaders from all over the world are raising the stakes. International efforts to halt global warming The first international step towards reversing anthropological damage to the environment was the United Nations’ 1972 Conference on the Human Environment, held in Stockholm, Sweden. The introduction to the report states, “To achieve this environmental goal will demand the acceptance of responsibility by citizens and communities and by enterprises and institutions at every level, all sharing equitably in common efforts.” Held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit, was the launchpad for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). A few months later, 154 nations signed the UNFCCC treaty, committing to the goal of “preventing dangerous anthropogenic interference with Earth’s climate system.” The first UNFCCC Conference of the Parties (COP1) took place in Berlin, Germany, in 1995, and there’s been one every year since, excluding 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. COP26 With 25,000 attendees to cater for, over a period of 13 days, hospitality was an important aspect of the planning schedule. About 95% of the food served at the conference was sourced from the UK, mostly from Scotland. The local sourcing of food was intended to promote environment-friendly food production and to put sustainability at the heart of catering for the summit. In fact, each dish was labelled with its carbon footprint score so that people could choose the most sustainable option. However, environmental groups criticised the COP26 menu for its lack of sustainability, claiming that almost 60% of the menu comprised meat- and dairy-based food. The conference covered a huge range of environmental issues, which were categorised into four key areas of action: To secure global net-zero by 2050. This will be achieved by accelerating the phase- out of coal, curtailing deforestation, speeding up the switch to electric vehicles, and encouraging investment in renewables. To adapt to protect communities and natural habitats. This will be achieved by protecting and restoring ecosystems, and by building sea defences, warning systems, and resilient infrastructure and agriculture to avoid loss of homes and To mobilise finance. To deliver the first two goals, developed countries must make good on their promise to mobilise at least $100 billion in climate finance per year by To work together to deliver. Action to tackle the climate crisis can be accelerated through collaboration between governments, businesses, and civil society. During the UNFCCC 26th Conference of Parties, some important decisions and commitments were made: Breakthrough Agenda, 2 November On 2 November, Boris Johnson laid out the Glasgow Breakthroughs. Modelled on the UK’s landmark Net Zero Strategy, the Glasgow Breakthroughs are the first set of global leader-led common targets under the Breakthrough Agenda. The five goals, which collectively cover at least 50% of global emissions are: Clean power will be the most affordable and reliable option for all countries to meet their power needs efficiently by 2030. Zero-emission vehicles will be accessible, affordable, and sustainable in all regions by Near-zero-emission steel will be the preferred choice in global markets by Affordable, renewable, and low-carbon hydrogen will be globally available by Sustainable agriculture will be the most attractive and widely adopted option for farmers everywhere by 2030. Phase out coal power, 4 November A 190-strong coalition agreed to phase out coal power and end support for new coal-power plants. Five of the world’s top 20 coal-power-using countries were among 23 nations to make new commitments to phase out coal power. The UK generates more electricity from offshore windfarms than any other country, and the UK government plans to increase offshore wind capacity four-fold by 2030. Young people, 5 November Young climate leaders joined senior figures at the conference, and Alok Sharma urged ministers to consider youth priorities in COP negotiations and national climate action. The views of more than 40,000 young environmental activists were presented to negotiators, and 23 countries made national climate-education pledges, which included putting climate at the heart of national curriculums and striving for net-zero schools. Sustainable agriculture and land use, 6 November A pledge to shift to more sustainable farming methods was made by 45 governments, and 26 countries set out new commitments to invest in the science needed for sustainable agriculture. Leaders of more than 100 countries, representing around 85% of the world’s forests, agreed to end deforestation by 2030. Germany plans to achieve a 25-million-tonne reduction in emissions from land use by 2030. The UK’s aim is to engage 75% of farmers in low-carbon practices by 2030, and to be planting 30,000 hectares of trees, per year, by 2025. Zero-emission vehicles, 10 November As one of the Glasgow Breakthroughs, 30 countries have agreed to work together to make zero-emission vehicles the new normal by 2030. This will be achieved by making zero- emission vehicles accessible, affordable, and sustainable. The UK has pledged to end the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 and to accelerate the transition to more active and sustainable public transport by investing in rail and bus services. Several governments stated their intent to support the establishment of green shipping corridors (zero-emission shipping routes), which will involve deploying zero-emission vessel technologies and putting in place adequate charging infrastructure. COP26 Outcomes Important takeaways from COP26 include: The world’s two biggest emitters of CO2, the United States of America and China, have pledged to boost climate cooperation over the next Leaders representing more than 100 countries have promised to stop deforestation by More than 100 countries have agreed on a scheme to cut 30% of current methane emissions by 2030. Over 40 countries have committed to shift away from coal, the single biggest contributor to climate Approximately 450 financial organisations have agreed to back environmentally friendly Sustainable water-dispense technology Aqua Libra Co water dispensersconsume only a small fraction of the energy it takes to boil kettles and refrigerate drinking water, and our propriety filtration system, Aqua Pure, eliminates all limescale, ensuring full functionality and longevity. Energy saving, however, is only half the story. Through Aqua Libra Co’s community-based hydration solutions, we provide opportunities to reuse and refill, and to reduce the demand for single-use plastics. To talk to us about energy-efficient, inclusive water dispensers for workplaces, call 0800 080 6696 or email [email protected]. For a quote, please complete the online quote form.

When a perceptive 9th century Ethiopian goatherd noticed that his goats were over-active and jittery, he traced the source of the stimulus to the fruit and leaves of a particular shrub. Being hot on quality control, the goatherd tasted the fruit for himself and experienced a bit of a buzz that was not entirely unpleasant. Word spread, and coffee was officially discovered. Over the following centuries, the infusion of roasted coffee seeds became a popular brew. Nevertheless, it had its fair share of bad press. In fact, it was no stranger to banishment. In the 17th century, a second conviction for drinking coffee in Constantinople brought the death penalty. The first time, the punishment was only a beating. The ultimate influencer came in the form of Pope Clement VIII (1536-1605), a hands-on sort of Pope, who tasted the “bitter invention by Satan” and liked it. With fear and suspicion put to rest by papal approval, coffee’s reputation was redeemed. The coffee tree There are approximately 120 species in the genus Coffea – all indigenous to Africa and southern- most regions of Asia. A few of these species are cultivated for their caffeine-rich seeds, which are roasted, ground, and infused in hot water to produce one of the world’s favourite drinks. When cultivated, this sturdy little tree is kept at a height of three or four metres, although, in the wild, and left to its own devices, it will grow a lot taller. Clusters of highly scented white flowers give way to purple or red fruits, known as cherries. Inside the cherries, there are seeds, which we know as coffee beans. Coffee cherries usually contain two seeds, with flattened sides pressed against one another. Approximately 5% of cherries contain only one seed, called a peaberry. Having incubated alone, these single coffee beans are more rounded than twin beans and are easily identified. Because of their distinct flavour, peaberries are sometimes sorted from the bulk of the crop for separate roasting. Coffea canephora, more commonly known as Robusta, is remarkably … well … robust. The two varieties of C canephora are C. c. robusta and C. c. nganda, and both produce a bitter, high-caffeine coffee. As a hybrid of C. canephore and C. eugenioides, Coffea arabica is an allotetraploid, which means that it has four sets of paired chromosomes inherited from two different genomes. It’s the only polyploid species in the genera Coffea, since all the others are diploids – i.e. they have two sets of paired chromosomes. Arabica trees start fruiting at three to five years old and continue to bear fruit for 50 years or more. Containing less caffeine and more sugar than Robusta, the self-fertilising Arabica plant is more vulnerable to predators and weather damage, but it produces a milder-tasting coffee, which is generally considered to be of superior quality. Coffea arabica accounts for approximately 60% of the world’s coffee production. One other coffee species gets a slim slice of the action. It’s Coffea liberica, whose large, low- caffeine beans are the main source of coffee in the Philippines and Malaysia. Liberica produces low yields and accounts for just 1% of the world’s coffee. Caffeine Caffeine (C8H10N4O2), a psychoactive drug occurring naturally in some plants – including the tea plant (Camellia sinensis) and the cocoa tree (Theobroma cacao) – is a chemical compound with traits that are conducive to protection and propagation. Those marvellous pollinators, honeybees, are strongly attracted to caffeine, which creates olfactory memory and draws the insects back to the flowers. This conjures up a fanciful image of entranced humans following the fragrance of freshly ground coffee! In addition to attracting useful species, caffeine is also an effective pesticide, killing or deterring predator insects. The higher the caffeine content, the more resilient the tree, as illustrated by the incredibly robust and highly caffeinated C. canephora. Where does coffee grow? All the world’s coffee is grown in the Coffee Belt around the equator. To thrive, coffee needs just the right conditions: high altitude; stable temperatures (between about 15°C and 30°C); rich, acidic soil; and distinct wet and dry seasons. This huge, tropical equatorial belt is ideally suited to the coffee tree. In Ethiopia, coffee is a vitally important crop. The livelihoods of millions of people rely on coffee production, which brings in approximately 60% of the country’s foreign income. Ethiopia accounts for about 3% of the global coffee market. Although coffee is not indigenous to South America, Brazil has been the world’s biggest coffee producer for more than a century. Around one third of the world’s coffee is grown in Brazil. Brewing coffee Basically, there are three ways to brew coffee. Espresso: A small amount of hot water is forced at high pressure through finely ground Once the espresso is made, it can be topped up with hot water (Americano), hot milk (latte), hot chocolate milk (mocha), or half hot milk, half foam (cappuccino). Add the same volume of hot milk as you have espresso (for a flat white) or top your espresso with foam (macchiato); alternatively, drink your espresso neat. French press (cafetiere): The coarse-grind coffee is fully immersed in hot water and then strained through a coarse metal filter. Drip-brew: Hot water is poured gently onto a medium-fine grind, and the coffee passes through a paper filter. The soluble substances in coffee are dissolved at different stages of brewing and according to various factors such as water temperature, grind size, and duration of brewing. Degree of extraction plays a massive part in the coffee’s flavour. Achieving that sweet spot between the bland taste of under-extraction and the bitterness of over-extraction is a skill that comes with knowledge, experience, and a coffee-loving palate. Finally, a quick shout-out for instant coffee … Freeze-dried (instant) coffee begins life as an ultra-strong, syrupy brew, which is frozen in thin layers, broken up, and then dried through sublimation. People love coffee We’re also fond of statistics. Here’s a few: In the UK, we consume approximately 95 million cups of coffee per Between February 2010 and February 2020, the number of coffee shops in London increased by 700%. Every month, as many as 10 million 60kg bags (600,000,000kg) of coffee are exported by the International Coffee Organisation’s 49 member countries. There’s another factor involved in producing a really great cup of coffee: the quality of the water. Eliminating all limescale and microorganisms, The Boiling Tap Company’s TaoPure water filter guarantees 100% pure water. Contact us To talk to us about Aqua Libra Co water dispensers, call 0800 080 6696 or email [email protected]. For a quote, please complete the online quote form.

The Craft Guild of Chefs The Craft Guild of Chefs (CGOC) is the UK’s leading professional association for chefs. More than 1,200 members, from every corner of the food and hospitality industry, are supported by CGOC throughout their careers in terms of training, employment, and business development.   CGOC presents competitions, awards, festivals, food markets, seminars, and training opportunities, pulling together the UK’s most passionate chefs and the guild’s 100-plus Business Partners.  Shared values  Two of the UK’s most prestigious cooking competitions are the CGOC’s National Chef of the Year and Young National Chef of the Year. These events put heavy emphasis on sustainability. CGOC’s Competition briefs require chefs to produce nutritious dishes based on the Knorr Future 50 Foods list.   This commitment to sustainability is perfectly aligned with Aqua Libra Co’s own values. Like many other companies, we’re striving to help the world reach Net Zero by 2050; and, like CGOC, we believe that the best way to achieve this goal is to work closely with our corporate partners.   Supporting CGOC members   CGOC members share a commitment to reshape the way the global population eats, drinks, and produces food. Water, of course, plays an important role in our diets. How drinking water is provided has a massive impact on the environment.  It’s estimated that 7.7 billion plastic water bottles are purchased every year in the UK. Approximately half of these bottles are used once and disposed of. But even those that are reused will take hundreds of years to decompose.   Aqua Libra Co has been working with companies all over Europe to eliminate the demand for single-use plastic bottles and to change the way their staff, visitors, and customers are offered water.   Aqua Alto, Aqua illi, and the Aqua Bottlers dispense highly filtered chilled, sparkling, and boiling water. Built in modular form, these units can fit into any installation, saving space without limiting dispense capacity.  We’re proud to be part of the CGOC family, and we look forward to working with many of the association’s members over the coming years.  Andrew Green: “ We are so delighted to welcome Aqua Libra as one of our newest Business Partners, their ideals match just what we are about, and the values mirror our own goals. To have a Business Partner who adds value to both us as an organisation, and to our members is something we are very proud to have. ” 

Recipe for success Ingredients: The UK’s premier magazine for commercial interiors A luxury events venue 1,400 guests from the commercial-interiors industry The UK’s very best designers and producers of commercial interiors High-profile sponsors Excellent food and drink Mix all ingredients together, and you have the annual Mixology Awards. The 2021 Mixology Awards Evolution London is a purpose-built 5500m2 events venue in the London Borough of Wandsworth. On Thursday 16 September, Evolution London was home to the celebrated annual Mixology Awards, organised and hosted by Mix Interiors, the UK’s leading publication for the commercial-interiors community. Aqua Libra Co was one of the sponsors. The Mixology Awards, launched in 2005 by Mix Interiors, are the Oscars of commercial interiors. As 1,400 beautifully turned-out guests filled the huge, glittering room, there was a warm glow of anticipation. A frisson of excitement crackled around the 140 immaculately dressed tables. Aqua Libra Co was represented by Liam Caulfield (Commercial Manager), Andrew Reeve (Sales Director), Steve Wooldridge (Head of Food Service and Hospitality), and Craig Brownlee (Specification Manager). The four shared a table with industry peers from BDG Architecture and Design, Gensler (winner of the Mixology Workplace Interiors Award 2020), and DV8 Designs (winner of the Mixology Bar and Leisure Interiors Award 2019). Hotel Interior Awards 2020 and 2021 presented by Aqua Libra Co Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was no Mixology Awards event in 2020. So, this year, there were awards for both 2020 and 2021. Craig Brownlee had the rather nerve-racking task of presenting the Hotel Interiors Awards for 2020 and 2021. Conran and Partners is an architecture and interior-design practice renown for designing contemporary living spaces with distinctive personalities. This company was the winner of the 2020 Hotel Interiors Award for their Hotel Maximilian project in Prague, Czech Republic. Conran and Partners also won the 2021 Living Interiors Award for their Luma Hammersmith hotel project. THDP, constructor of beautiful hotels that thrive in their local culture and heritage, was the winner of the 2021 Hotel Interiors Award. The award recognised their full interior design services for the refurbishment of the Terme di Saturnia Natural Destination in Tuscany, Italy. Craig says … “It was a lovely evening. The hospitality was marvellous, and it was great to catch up with old colleagues and friends from the water-dispense industry. After the awards ceremony, there was music, and most people got up and danced. I did! I’d been quite nervous, earlier on, about presenting the Hotel Interior Awards, and I’d been careful to drink very little. Having presented the awards – which was an incredible honour – I indulged in a few glasses of wine and really let my hair down.” [Editor’s note: no sniggering, please.] “One of the many highlights of the evening was the extremely entertaining Radio 6 DJ, Huey Morgan, from Fun Lovin’ Criminals. He was great.” Aqua Libra Co taps TTSP is an architecture and design practice that creates high-performance environments and thriving workplaces. For their work on the SAP London office, TTSP won the 2021 Workplace Interiors Award (15-30k sq ft (1394-2787m2)). Craig, Steve, Andy, and Liam were proud of this award, as the SAP London office includes Aqua Libra Co water systems. Contact us To talk to us about energy-efficient water dispensers, including the gesture-controlled Aqua Touchless, call 0800 080 6696 or email [email protected]. For a quote, please complete the online quote form.

The Three Pillars of Sustainability Sustainability is a philosophy, a way of living that allows the needs of the present to be met without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Environment. People. Economy. These are the three pillars of sustainability. Like a three-legged stool, a philosophy built on any two of these pillars would be unstable. Looking after the environment and people couldn’t last for long without nurturing the economy. Protecting the environment and the economy at the expense of human wellbeing would be disastrous. To focus on people and the economy without a care for the environment would be to continue a bad habit. For a perfect balance, all three pillars of sustainability must be respected and understood. They support a wide and diverse range of sustainable choices, from wellbeing policies, employment and training, and time management, to recycling policies, mode of building and furnishing premises, and use of space. But let’s have a closer look at two major factors of sustainability: materials and energy.   Sustainable materials When we’re looking at the sustainability of materials, there are several factors to consider. If it’s an organic material … How quickly does it grow?How far does it have to travel?Does the production of this material involve fair trade and ethical labour? If it’s an inorganic material … Is it recyclable?What are the environmental costs of producing it?What are the environmental costs of transportation?Again: fair trade and ethical labour? Let’s cherry-pick a few examples of sustainable materials for a UK office. Recycled steel For furniture and structural applications (window frames, for example), recycled steel is a sustainability champion. Steel, an alloy of iron (approximately 99%) and carbon (approximately 1%), is one of the strongest and most durable materials available. However, the production of steel comes at a heavy cost to the environment. Iron occurs in ore as a compound with oxygen – most commonly, magnetite (Fe3O4) or haematite (Fe2O3). To separate the two elements, the compound is heated to a temperature of around 1,700°C, and carbon from the burning fuel combines with the oxygen to produce carbon dioxide (CO2). The resulting compound – about 96% iron and 4% carbon – is called pig iron, and this material then goes through a decarbonisation process, where it’s re-melted and exposed to oxygen, which combines with the unwanted carbon to form more carbon dioxide. The production of steel gobbles up the Earth’s depleting fossil fuels and emits huge amounts of carbon dioxide. Steel, though, is infinitely recyclable, with no deterioration in quality. Easily recoverable from refuse by magnetic extraction, steel is at present the world’s most recycled material, with an estimated 650 million tonnes reused, globally, every year. Production of recycled steel equates to energy savings of around 70%, and 740kg of coal per tonne of steel. The UK steel-recycling industry is growing fast, and jobs are being created on the back of it. With local availability of recycled steel, transportation is reduced, resulting in smaller carbon footprints for the steel itself, for manufacturers, and for consumers. At Aqua Libra Co, we’re proud to incorporate recycled steel in our products. British wood In 2011, the Forestry Commission reported that Britain comprised 28,650 square kilometres of woodland, accounting for 11.76% of the country’s total area. Nine years later, in 2020, Britain’s woodland area had increased to 32,000 square kilometres. That’s 13% of Britain’s total area. In response to a growing demand for home-grown materials, and with support from the Grown in Britain scheme, the British timber industry is beginning to thrive. Grown in Britain’s stamp of approval guarantees that materials and products come from legal and sustainable UK sources. More and more businesses and consumers are choosing home-grown timber and timber products, reducing the environmental impact of transportation, and stimulating economic activity in the forestry and wood-processing sectors. Our growing timber trade is providing employment, sustainable timber sources, and additional woodland habitat for Britain’s wildlife. And the more woodland there is, the more carbon dioxide is sequestered, tipping the atmospheric balance in the right direction. When you’re buying furniture or building a home office, look out for the Grown in Britain logo. Bamboo Bamboo is a bit of a mixed bag. This rapidly renewable resource, which reaches maturity in just five years, needs no pesticides for healthy growth, thanks to its antibacterial properties. It absorbs up to 70% more carbon dioxide than hardwood trees, and its nutrient-rich leaves nourish and regenerate the topsoil. When harvested, it’s cut at the base of the stem, so no replanting is needed. Bamboo only grows in tropical regions, so any bamboo products you buy will have been produced from material transported from Asia, Australia, or South America. This significant contribution to a carbon footprint, however, is offset to some degree by the carbon-negative factors associated with the plant. Bamboo starts to lose sustainability points when it’s processed. Engineered (strand-woven) bamboo makes terrific flooring, but in the production of strand-woven bamboo, heat and chemicals are used. As for bamboo fabric, bear in mind that this description is a misnomer; it will most likely refer to the fact that natural cellulose from bamboo has been used to produce rayon, a form of plastic. Other natural materials from renewable sources include linen and sheep’s wool, both grown in Britain – and cotton, which has a bit further to travel! Low energy usage All over the world, energy is being produced from renewable sources such as the sun, wind, and water. The UK has the distinction of owning eight of the world’s twelve highest-capacity offshore wind farms. However, despite innovative global efforts to reduce our reliance on the Earth’s diminishing reserves of fossil fuel, at least 80% of commercial energy is still derived from gas, coal, and crude oil. It’s important to use energy economically. LED lightbulbs Lightbulbs emit energy in the form of visible light (measured in lumens) and heat. A traditional incandescent bulb will emit 85-90% heat and only 10-15% light. An LED bulb emits 20-50% heat and 50-80% light. To produce 1600 lumens, an incandescent lightbulb will consume 100 watts, which is five to seven times more energy than an LED bulb, which consumes just 14-20 watts. Thanks to lower energy consumption, LED lightbulbs save money and contribute to a lower level of CO2 emissions. Electrical appliances A desktop computer consumes, on average, around 0.1 kWh when in use. If it’s being used for eight hours a day, that’s 0.8 kWh per day, 4 kWh per (five-day) week, and 208 kWh per year. The generation of 208 kWh of electricity produces 48.5 kg of CO2 emissions. When a computer is in sleep mode, its energy consumption falls to around one third, so if your PC is left in sleep mode overnight (about 16 hours), it will consume approximately 0.5 kWh of electricity. That’s 2.5 kWh per week and 130 kWh per year, equating to around 30 kg of CO2 emissions. If it’s left in sleep mode during weekends, that’s another 82 kWh (19 kg CO2) per year. Turning off your computer at the end of each day saves a lot of money and energy. When it comes to water dispensers, Aqua Libra Co products are all designed to conserve energy. Ultra-efficient refrigeration, smart-reporting technology, and our own patented twin boiler all contribute to low energy consumption. And the excellent Aqua Pure filtration system eliminates all limescale, meaning full functionality and longevity. Contact us If you’d like to talk to us about your project, please do get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.

The Race to Zero campaign is a global initiative that was launched in June 2020 by the United Nations Framework for Climate Change (UNFCC). Race to Zero's goal is to limit global warming to a maximum of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels, which will require a 45% reduction in CO2 emissions by the year 2030. Its longer-term goal is to reach net zero by 2050. This means that the amount of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases emitted and sequestered by human activity will be balanced. Net emissions will be zero. Aqua Libra Co has joined thousands of businesses around the world to achieve this goal. A warmer world In 1880, the average global temperature was 13.73°C. One hundred years later, the world’s temperature had risen to 14.3°C – an average increase of 0.07°C per decade. In the 40 years from 1980 to 2020, temperatures rose to an average 14.82°C – an increase of 0.18°C per decade. Scientists estimate that, since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, the Earth’s temperature has risen 10 times faster than in any other period during the last 2,000,000 years. This recent acceleration in the rate of global warming is a direct result of human activity. Greenhouse gases Greenhouse gases are an essential component of the Earth’s capacity to sustain life. Naturally occurring greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and water vapour (H2O), absorb and retain heat, keeping the Earth at the optimum temperature for life to exist. Venus’s atmosphere contains approximately 154,000 times more CO2 than Earth’s; the greenhouse effect on Venus is excessive, and the planet’s surface is hot enough to melt lead. Mars, on the other hand, has very little atmosphere, with no greenhouse effect, and its surface is frozen. As with all things to do with life, there must be a balance. For millions of years, the balance of atmospheric greenhouse gases has fluctuated hugely, resulting in ice ages and floods. But this time it’s different. Because this time we’re causing it, and we have the power to restore the balance. Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, humans have increased the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide by approximately 47%. However, it’s not only naturally occurring greenhouse gases that we’re flushing into the atmosphere. Synthetic gases, for example, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), have extremely high global warming potential (GWP) and can remain in the atmosphere for thousands of years before being broken up by the sun’s rays. Global efforts It all began in 1945, at the end of World War II, when the United Nations was established for the purpose of international peace and cooperation. The 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, which was held in Stockholm, Sweden, was the first international step towards actively slowing and reversing the environmental damage that was being caused by humans. The report begins: “The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment … Having considered the need for a common outlook and for common principles to inspire and guide the peoples of the world in the preservation and enhancement of the human environment … [proclaims that] … To achieve this environmental goal will demand the acceptance of responsibility by citizens and communities and by enterprises and institutions at every level, all sharing equitably in common efforts.” In 1992, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The Earth Summit, as it’s more commonly known, was the launchpad for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, a treaty that came into force in 1994. Ten years on, the World Summit on Sustainable Development (also known as Earth Summit 2002 or Rio+10), was held in Johannesburg, South Africa, and a decade later, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (Earth Summit 2012 or Rio+20) took place in Rio de Janeiro. The Paris Agreement, which came into force in 2016, is an international treaty within the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Article 2 begins: “This agreement, in enhancing the implementation of the Convention, including its objective, aims to strengthen the global response to the threat of climate change, in the context of sustainable development and efforts to eradicate poverty.” We’re on a mission to transform the role of water dispense. Aqua Libra Co products are all designed to conserve energy. Thanks to ultra-efficient refrigeration and a patented twin boiler, Aqua Libra Co water dispensers consume only a small fraction of the energy it takes to boil kettles and refrigerate drinking water. Our proprietary filtration system, Aqua Pure, eliminates all limescale, ensuring full functionality and longevity. Energy-saving technology is only half the story, though. We’re also committed to providing opportunities to reuse and refill. In promoting community-based hydration solutions that are accessible to everyone, we’re working towards the elimination of single-use plastic. Sustainability has always been at the core of our company policy, and we’re proud to be taking an active role in this far-reaching mission to restore the balance of greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere and to build a robust circular economy. We want to leave behind us a healthy world for our descendants and for every other form of life. Find out how you can join the Race to Zero campaign. Contact us For more information about Aqua Libra Co products, please don’t hesitate to call us on 0800 080 6696 or email [email protected]. Alternatively, fill in the contact form. We look forward to hearing from you.