Single-use plastic crackdown at UK Construction Week

In an attempt to reduce the number of single-use plastic water bottles thrown away at the UK’s largest construction show, UK Construction Week (UKCW) has partnered with Join the Pipe to install water fountains around the event providing free tap water to its 35,000 visitors.

Everyone will be able to top up at water stations at every bar at the show and at Join the Pipe’s stand (stand number H200 in Hall 12).

The first thousand visitors to attend one of the three CPD hubs on each day of the event will also receive free reusable UKCW water bottles.

The initiative will help to raise awareness of Join the Pipe and is raising funds for its drinking water projects in developing countries, including a scheme in Nairobi aimed at providing clean drinking water in under-developed urban areas of the Kenyan capital.

Nathan Garnett, UKCW event director, said: “Awareness of the terrible impact of our throwaway attitude to plastic has been rising ever since the Blue Planet programme earlier in the year. A staggering 13 billion plastic bottles are used each year in the UK, and 5.5 billion of those end up in landfill, litter or incinerators. We do not want our event to add to that appalling waste.

“That’s what makes this such a great idea. Our visitors can stay hydrated with free water and a stylish reusable bottle, and we can help to reduce the growing amount of plastic waste we put into our environment while also helping children who have desperate need of clean water. Everyone’s a winner.”

Andrew Eversden, managing director of Join the Pipe International, said: “It has been proven that if you provide easy, convenient and reliable places for people to fill up their bottles and drink tap water, they will. Our refills stations are designed to do exactly that, bringing tap water to everyone, everywhere. In the process, supporters are contributing to a water project in a developing country.

“We have a variety of styles of water stations to suit all needs and with our sleek and aesthetic design we also aim to put the style back into tap water. I think this will be of interest to many architects, designers and developers attending this show.”

Free water bottles can be collected from CPD hubs in each hall of UK Construction Week from 9-11 October. Register for UK Construction Week at: www.ukconstructionweek.com