Our contribution to the environment is and always will remain an important topic, not just at an individual level but also at a business and government level as each country is scrutinised for their commitment and efforts toward a greener future. Some of the major factors that get juggled in this topic include pollution, global warming, climate change, water pollution, ozone depletion and deforestation. Good news is the World Economic Forum recently posted how London cut toxic fumes by a third in two years. This encourages other densely populated cities to follow a similar approach and learn from London’s approach to changing functionality for the future.
Positively, from a business’s perspective it’s becoming much more prevalent to be rewarded and publicly recognised for the contribution to a greener future. It goes a long way if businesses demonstrate positive action towards the same goal and look at ways they can recycle, reduce waste and emissions and even work towards giving back to the environment. Other benefits can include boosting morale in a company, where focus isn’t just on the bottom line but the bigger picture globally.
Companies and manufacturers are determined to change practices and, rightly so, are receiving recognition for their sustainable efforts. There are a myriad of organisations and award giving bodies that give value and acknowledgement to innovative ideas when it comes to sustainable practices. One being the London Construction Awards who recently recognised Newton Waterproofing with a ’Sustainable Construction Award’ for their recyclable waterproofing membrane. A membrane which they specifically designed and engineered to be fully recyclable yet also effective and affordable. Source: Newton Waterproofing. Their customers also inherit the recognition of investing in sustainable materials.
Becoming aware of how we can work together, from business to global efforts we can make conscience effort to increase recycling goals. Remarkably there are a number a materials that are extremely useful in the first instance and become something entirely different after their first use. For example EPS (Expanded Polystyrene) is a good insulator which we use every day in packaging, food consumption, construction, fisheries and more. What happens to this after we use it? Companies that produce or rely on this material can invest in recycling machinery to turn EPS into a reusable material. It can be fed through a machine to produce dense blocks which is then collected by recyclers and made into items such as street bollards, insulation and more. Those companies that actively recycle PET (polyethylene terephthalate) can earn up to £230-320 per tonne (Lets Recycle.com) so the advantages are not only in the public recognition it’s also reflected in profitability.
