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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.

Around 3% of the Earth’s atmosphere is water vapour – a molecular gas comprising one oxygen atom bonded to two hydrogen atoms at an angle of 104.5°. Water vapour accounts for approximately 0.001% of the total amount of water on Earth. Water is an amazing material. It makes up at least half of every living organism; it’s a very good solvent (nicknamed “the universal solvent”); and for many species, it’s the medium from which they absorb life-giving oxygen. Solid water One of water’s unusual features is that, as it freezes, its density decreases, effecting an increase in volume. In the case of most substances, density increases and volume decreases in the solid phase. So, why is water different? As liquid water becomes cooler, it contains less thermal energy, so its molecules are less active. At around 4°C, water reaches a point where the molecules aren’t moving around enough to be pulled away from bonding in the way they prefer: hydrogen atom to oxygen atom. The result is that each hydrogen atom is between the oxygen atom in its own molecule and an oxygen atom of another molecule, creating an open, crystalline structure. Due to the spaces in the molecular structure created by this particular bonding pattern, solid water has a lower density than liquid water. Liquid water It’s not until water warms up to that magic 4°C that the intermolecular bonds between hydrogen and oxygen atoms can be broken. Thermal energy makes the liquid water more dynamic, and the H2O molecules start to move around, repeatedly forming and breaking bonds. In the case of most materials, this would mean decreased density and increased volume; for water, it’s the opposite. The problem with ‘steam’ ‘Steam’ usually refers to ‘aerosol’ (abbreviation of aero + solution), otherwise known as ‘wet steam’. Aerosol describes liquid water droplets suspended within a gas – in most cases, air. Mist and cloud are examples of aerosols, and so is the hot mist that hangs over a pan of boiling water or the spout of a kettle. Most of us would probably agree that we can see steam; that ‘steam’ is the same as ‘aerosol’. The trouble is, the word ‘steam’ has wriggled its way into another definition. ‘Steam’ is often used to describe the gas phase of water, and this is where meaning and understanding start to break down. Most of us have a basic understanding of the science behind phase changes of water; but problems arise in communication. The culprit is ‘steam’. Maybe we should refrain from telling children that when water boils, it becomes steam. Yes, the liquid water does, eventually, become steam (aerosol). But only after it has turned into a gas at a temperature of 100°C and one atmosphere of pressure. Rolling these two concepts into one word is misleading. (A bit like the word ‘love’, which is one word for many different concepts.) Water vapour The gaseous phase of H2O is water vapour. Molecules from the surface of liquid water evaporate into the atmosphere as they absorb thermal energy and gain dynamism. Liquid water also changes to water vapour through boiling – when it reaches 100°C at one atmosphere (atm) of pressure (one atm is Earth’s approximate atmospheric pressure at sea-level) or a few degrees lower at a lower pressure. When water vapour cools and condenses into aerosol, the thermal energy is released. The Earth’s temperature control system is all about water. Very much like our own! Deposition and Sublimation Usually, a phase transition takes place from solid to liquid and vice versa, and from liquid to gas and vice versa. Sometimes, however, a transition is made from gas to solid or from solid to gas, without passing through the liquid phase. Gas to solid is ‘deposition’, and solid to gas is ‘sublimation’. Frost, that thin, dainty layer of ice on the ground, is formed when water vapour comes into contact with a solid that’s at a sub-zero temperature. A phase transition occurs as the water vapour turns to ice – a transition from gas to solid, without going through the liquid phase. This is an example of deposition. Instant coffee: gotta love it! Thin layers of frozen coffee liquor are heated at a very low pressure, and the solid water becomes vapour without passing through the liquid phase. Freeze-dried coffee is an example of sublimation. Hydration Good hydration is conducive to health and wellbeing. Good hydration is scientifically linked to high levels of productivity. Good hydration is recognised in many corporations as an important factor in the building of dynamic teams. Contact Aqua Libra Co to find out more about workplace hydration systems.  

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.

The kettle has been around for thousands of years. Made from thermo-conductive materials and fitted with a handle for suspension and/or carrying, the kettle (or cauldron) is a vessel for heating food and water. Until the teakettle came into common use during the 18th century, ‘kettle’ was an all-encompassing term, making no distinction between the spouted pot with a lid and the open-top bowl. Certain English terms reflect the traditional idea of a kettle: a ‘fish kettle’ is a long, shallow pot for cooking whole fish in; a ‘kettle drum’ is a large, bowl-shaped drum; a ‘kettle hole’ (a geological term) is a hollow, typically filled with water. The kettle can be thanked for providing countless generations with boiled – and thus sterilised – drinking water. In China, people began to add green tea leaves to the hot water for some flavour – a practice that was first documented during the Shang Dynasty (approximately 1600 to 1100 BC). Vegetation of all kinds has been thrown into boiling water, including barley and other grains, which led to what we now call malt beer. But let’s put aside, for now, the marvellous concoctions that have been created in this most ancient of appliances, and have a look at the kettle itself. Where does it come from? And where is it going? What’s in a name? By the middle of the 5th century AD, Britain was no longer a part of the Roman Empire. The people of Britain were speaking a mixture of Latin and Insular Celtic. It wasn’t long, however, before Anglo-Saxon migrants flooded into Britain, bringing with them Germanic languages that formed the basis of Old English. The Oxford Dictionary of English cites the origin of ‘kettle’: “Old English cetel, cietel, of Germanic origin, from Latin catillus, diminutive of catinus ‘deep container for cooking or serving food’.” Through repeated invasions of Britain by Norsemen from Scandinavia, the English language was strongly influenced by Old Norse. In Middle English, a ‘kettle’ or ‘cauldron’ was ketill. Tool for life Mesopotamia, in Western Asia, was the world’s main arena in terms of revolutionary human activity. The Neolithic (‘new stone’) Age saw the beginnings of settlements, agriculture, pottery, irrigation, and mathematics. With the Bronze Age came the wheel. And the kettle. Bronze, an alloy of copper and tin, was the first deliberately created metal alloy. In Mesopotamia, archaeologists discovered a bronze kettle that was probably being used as early as 3000 BC. This is the very earliest example of a water-heating vessel. For centuries, all over the world, families, travellers, cowboys, sailors, farmers, and the military were using durable iron kettles for cooking food and boiling water. These were robust tools that could withstand frequent transportation, constant use, and lots of knocks and bashes. Since the Neolithic Revolution, when Homo sapiens began its new existence as a user of resources, the kettle has been one of the most vital tools for the survival of our species. British teakettle Before the middle of the 18th century, only a minority of British people drank tea – an expensive item, imported from Asia. Tea was for the wealthy. Not surprisingly, in keeping with the elitism of tea-drinking, teakettles were ornate trinkets, often made of silver. When the British East India Company began to trade directly with China, focusing on tea imports, the drink became available to a wider demographic. Tea was fast becoming affordable to all, and very popular among all classes. There was now a market for cheaper teakettles. Copper is durable, malleable, and an excellent conductor of heat. In response to the trend for tea drinking, the copper teakettle became an everyday object in British homes. Whistling kettle In February 1888, Charles Coats, from Illinois, US, applied to patent his invention: “A new and useful improvement in tea-kettles [whereby] water may be introduced at any time without danger of burning the hands, and which shall also be provided with an automatic signal to indicate when the water is getting low.” Mr Coats was granted his patent in April 1989. More than two decades later, in May 1914, Jorgen Madsen, from New Jersey, US, applied to patent his Combined Tea-Kettle and Signal. Mr Madsen’s patent was granted in November 1915. The invention of the whistling kettle is commonly attributed to Londoner, Harry Bramson, who sold the patent rights in 1923. The whistling of a kettle isn’t quite as tuneful as birdsong – the happy harbinger of spring. But it is a merry harbinger of a hot cuppa. For those of us who grew up with whistling kettles on the hob, there are enduring memories of that piercing whistle, accompanied by shouts of, “Kettle’s boiling!”, “I know!”, or “Will someone do something with that kettle!” Electric kettle In the early 1890s, there were two notable attempts at producing a commercially viable electric kettle. Carpenter Electric Company, in the US, launched their electric kettle in 1891. Two years later, UK firm Crompton & Co released their own model. Both of these kettles featured a heating element housed in a separate compartment, and both took more than 10 minutes to boil. In 1909, German company Allgemeine Elektricitäts Gesellschaft (AEG) brought out a stylish electric kettle made of nickel-plated brass (copper and zinc alloy), with a rattan handle. This kettle, created by the famous architect and industrial designer, Peter Behrens, also had a separately housed heating element. Canny branding presented the kettle as a fashion item, with a focus on aesthetics, and it proved immensely popular with the German public. It was Bulpitt & Sons, in Birmingham, UK, who eventually cracked the case. The world’s first kettle containing a submersible electric heating element hit the market in 1922. Produced under Bulpitt & Sons’ Swan brand, from a design by company employee, Leslie Large, the Swan kettle set the standard for the rest of the 20th century. Design and materials have changed over the years, but the basic idea is pretty much the same as it was then. One regular feature of the modern electric kettle, however, is that it automatically switches off when the water has reached boiling point. Continuous supply of hot water Let’s start with the village hall staple: that monstrosity in the kitchen that heats water and keeps it at a steady temperature, ready to make 100 cups of tea. Some models are plumbed into the mains, and so fill up automatically; others are filled manually. This item is never actually referred to as as a ‘kettle’, but just like the cauldrons that were hung over open fires centuries ago, it does heat water for drinking, and it definitely deserves to be included in our History of Kettles.  The modern (and debonair) version of the commercial hot water dispenser is the Aqua Boil from Aqua Libra Co, popular in the catering and hospitality industry and in offices, staffrooms, and meeting rooms. In some homes, the kettle (as we know it) is making way for this modern cauldron that provides an endless supply of pure, hot water. One of the most sophisticated advancements in the provision of hot water is the water-dispenser unit that offers a continuous supply of purified boiling and chilled water. Neatly installed into a worksurface, these elegant taps are safe, economical, and environmentally friendly. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the revolutionary Aqua Touchless is operated through gesture control, thus helping to prevent the spread of viruses. Internet of Things (IoT) “The most profound technologies are those that disappear. They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it.” Mark Weiser (1952-1999) Mark Weiser was a visionary who predicted a world of ‘ubiquitous computing’. The Internet of Things (the network of appliances that are embedded with software for the purpose of exchanging data with other devices and systems) is expanding rapidly. Internet connectivity is shared with phones, televisions, printers, doorbells, security systems, utility meters, thermostats … in fact, thousands of different devices, including the kettle. So, is this the future of the kettle? Perhaps the days of switching the kettle on for a cuppa will soon be gone. Maybe, in the next phase of the kettle’s history, it will be programmed from afar – whether from the bedroom, the garden, or the other side of the world.  

“Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.” Annually, on 22nd March, environmental and health organisations around the world publicly advocate the importance of sustainable water sourcing. Each year, World Water Day has a special theme, and this year, the theme is “Groundwater – Making the Invisible Visible”. The Importance of Groundwater Groundwater accounts for about 50% of the world’s drinking water, 40% of its irrigation water, and around 33% of water used in industry. This freshwater is sourced from aquifers, which are bodies of rock that hold water within the pores of porous rock and within the cavities and cracks of non-porous rock. Aquifers close to the surface are more quickly replenished by rainwater than those deeper in the Earth’s crust. The problem is, water is pumped from aquifers at a faster rate than it’s being replaced, and deeper wells are being drilled to reach the deepest aquifers. As an aquifer’s water content is depleted, resistance against the pressure of the ground above is reduced, often causing subsidence and reducing the rock’s capacity to hold water. To exacerbate the situation, highly developed areas form an impervious barrier to rainwater, preventing the replenishment of aquifers. With human activities intersecting with water-flow pathways, it’s not unusual for groundwater to be contaminated with fertilizers, pesticides, solvents, and pharmaceuticals. Landscape disturbance from mining will sometimes introduce geogenic (i.e. naturally occurring) contaminants to groundwater resources.   A New Job for Emma When Emma Gardner, an experienced marketing manager, joined the Aqua Libra Co marketing team in March this year, she knew there’d be a lot to learn. We suggested getting her up to speed by running through her role and responsibilities. Emma said that would be great.Go at your own speed, she was told. Pace yourself. Okay. We told Emma we were sure she’d last the distance.... And then we told her about the World Water run. Emma had definitely hit the floor running.     World Water Run 2022 At Aqua Libra Co we’re running before work, after work, during lunchtimes, and at weekends. The money we raise through sponsorship will be donated to WaterAid, a charity we’re always keen to support. WaterAid is an international non-governmental organisation, focused on water, sanitation, and hygiene. It was set up in 1981 as a response to the UN International Drinking Water decade (1981–1990). As of 2018, it was operating in 34 countries.   The organization, which was founded as a charitable trust by the UK water industry at their main office premises in London on 21 July 1981, established first projects in Zambia and Sri Lanka. This amazing organisation is striving for a world where everyone, everywhere, has safe and sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene. WaterAid changes millions of lives every year, working in 28 countries to provide clean water, decent toilets, and good hygiene.   Mina Guli When it comes to matters of the environment, Australian business woman, Mina Guli, is one of the world’s most influential campaigners. She has pushed her body to the limit to capture our attention. Now she has it. Mina is at last getting through to us all the desperate need to preserve our most precious resource: water. In her youth, Mina sustained a serious back injury. The prognosis was that she’d never be able to run again. But Mina says, “I saw it as an opportunity to redefine my limits.” In 2016, Mina ran across seven deserts in seven continents, completing 40 marathons in just 49 days. Tabernas Desert, Spain (Europe). About 70% of Spain’s water is used for agriculture. Much of it is wasted through inefficient irrigation systems. Arabian Desert, Jordan (Asia). Jordan's water supply is enough to sustain 4 million people, but the population is now 10 million. The amount of water lost as a result of poor infrastructure could satisfy the needs of 6 million people. Polar Desert (Antarctica). About 70% of the Earth’s fresh water is in the Antarctica ice caps. Simpson Desert, Australia (Australia). Australia is the driest inhabited continent on Earth, with the least amount of water in rivers and the smallest area of permanent wetlands. Richtersveld Semi-Desert, South Africa (Africa). South Africa is losing the equivalent of 4.3 million swimming pools of water a year because of leaky pipes and theft. Water demand is expected to outstrip supply as early as 2025. Atacama Desert, Chile (South America). Due to drought, people living on Chile's coastline survive on around eight litres of water per day. Showering isn't an option. Mojave Desert, USA (North America). In California, 4 trillion litres of water is used per year to farm almonds. Farmers are making more money selling their water supply than growing produce. In 2017, Mina ran along six rivers on six different continents; that’s 40 marathons in 40 days. Colorado (North America) Amazon (South America) Murray Darling (Australia) Yangtze (Asia) Nile (Africa) Thames (Europe) In 2019, Mina Guli set out to run 100 marathons in 100 days. After 62 days – and 62 marathons – she collapsed with a broken leg. To her surprise, supporters all over the world ran for the cause, because she no longer could. Running with Mina  Between 16th and 22nd March, people all over the world have been running to raise money and awareness for environmental causes. The team at Aqua Libra Co, located in different parts of the country, have clocked up several hundred kilometres between them. On her first day at Aqua Libra Co, Emma Gardner, based in Birmingham, cheerfully pledged to run/walk 15km. Or so she thought … Emma’s diary Friday: Well, there I was believing it was a 15km target, only to find out I’d actually signed up to complete 30km. I started my challenge with a slow 5km run. (Phew! I really need to up my game.) Saturday: I was out by 7am and managed to complete a 6.2km run before taking the kids to gymnastics and football training. Sunday: This evening I went for a slow, unenthused jog. I managed 5.7km. Wish I’d remembered about the run before I tucked into that huge Sunday roast. It was a struggle. Monday: At lunchtime, I walked 3.2km. After work, I took my 10-year-old son out with me for moral support. He wasn’t all that keen, but I promised I’d buy him some sweets when we got back. I clocked up 8.1km. Tuesday: At lunchtime, I trotted round the block for 1.6km. I thought I’d reached my target of 30km, but when I did the sums, I found I’d done 29.8km! When I put my trainers on this evening, I just planned to run the last 200 metres, but I was so relieved I’d succeeded, I carried on running! I ran for 2.3km, making a total of 32.1km. Did you run? The Aqua Libra team clocked up 750km, with many of us surpassing individual goals. If you ran with Mina for this year’s World Water Day, we’d love to hear about it. And why not help spread the message by sharing this article on social media.

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!  

It's important to stay hydrated and stocked on nutrients at all times, not just one week per year. That's why most of our recommendations revolve around practical tips that can be deployed before, during, and after the week. 

Britvic-owned Aqua Libra Co joined other leading organisations to launch the expanded 'Smart Retail Solutions Group'.

Litter picking is an effective way to reduce the amount of waste in our environment, and at Aqua Libra we are proud to be at the forefront of environmental initiatives. 

Aqua Libra launced Waste Shark in Canary Wharf to collect and remove plastic waste from the waterways around the area.