World Environment Day 2021

04 Jun 2021

Space Engineering Services understands that we all have a role to play in not just protecting our environment, but helping to restore our planets health.  We are supporting this year’s World Environment Day by reinforcing key messages to our colleagues

Nature and the Environment  

World Environment Day is celebrated annually to encourage worldwide awareness and action to protect our environment. This year it is being held on Saturday 5^th June with a focus on ‘Ecosystem Restoration’

Healthy ecosystems clean our water, purify our air, maintain our soil, regulate the climate, recycle nutrients and provide us with food. They provide raw materials and resources for medicines and other purposes. They are at the foundation of all civilisation and sustain our economies.

People and the planet are only as healthy as the ecosystems that we all depend on, we can bring our degraded ecosystems back to life by planting trees, cleaning up riverbanks, or simply giving nature space to recover.

Our Oceans

• Over 300 million tons of plastic are produced every year for use in a wide variety of applications
• At least 8 million tons of plastic end up in our oceans every year and make up 80% of all marine debris from surface waters to deep-sea sediments.
• Marine species ingest or are entangled by plastic debris, which causes severe injuries and deaths
• Plastic pollution threatens food safety and quality, human health, coastal tourism, and contributes to climate change

What small changes can we make to protect our oceans?

• Carry a reusable water bottle! In the UK we use over 35 million plastic bottles every day! Carrying a reusable bottle is a great way to cut your plastic use and save money too!
• Take a reusable coffee cup! 2.5 billion coffee cups are thrown away every year in the UK – and less than 1 in 400 are recycled
• Avoid excessive food packaging – whether it’s making different choices in the supermarket or choosing a different place to shop, we can all try and cut down the plastic we buy. And as an added bonus, loose fruit and veg is often cheaper than pre-packaged alternatives!
• Carry a shopping bag – Since the plastic bag charge was introduced in England, there’s been a massive 85% drop in their use. Many of us are used to carrying an extra bag with us – if you still find it hard to remember, try a foldaway one that you can carry in your normal day bag.

Making just a few small changes can have a big impact on the amount of plastic we use on a day-to-day basis.

Air

R404a Refrigerant is one of the most widely used refrigerants in the commercial supermarket industry to include freezers, chillers, vending machines, and other cooling units which have low and medium temperature requirements.

However, although it has useful properties, R404a has a GWP (Global Warming Potential) Rating of 3,992, which means that for every 1kg of Co2 released into the atmosphere R404a releases 3,992kg which is the equivalent of:

• 10,033 miles driven by a vehicle
• 1,872 litres of diesel consumed
• 2,001 kilograms of coal burned

That’s just for every 1KG released! The importance of early detection and repair of refrigeration systems through PPM schedules (Planned Preventative Maintenance) ensures that the refrigeration equipment is working efficiently resulting in prevention of refrigerant leaks, improved life cycle, lower energy consumption and reduced impact on the environment.

Land

During the pandemic the need for personal protective equipment (PPE) has increased drastically with millions of face coverings being used and thrown away every single day. Most of these face coverings contain plastics or other derivatives of plastics which are harmful to our environment and cannot be recycled easily. This extensive usage of face coverings also generates tons of waste in a short span of time many of which of which end up in oceans, rivers and on the ground.

Where possible:

• Use reusable and washable face coverings
• If using a disposable face covering, then please make sure you dispose of this correctly in the general waste bin
• Cut the strings on the face coverings to prevent these from getting caught on animals and wildlife