The global media had previously been dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic, however as restrictions start to ease, it’s encouraging to see that environment impact is back on the world’s agenda. We’ve been more and more exposed to the advances of climate change over the last few years – so to now witness a shift in mindset from both households and businesses, is encouraging. And now, to celebrate all things sustainability, help share tips for smarter environmental thinking and remind each other just how much our carbon impact matters, we’re inviting colleagues, friends of the business and our peers in the wider industry to take part in our quickfire environmental Q&A.

Next up, it’s Qaiser Mehmood, service engineer at UNTHA UK…

 

Where do you fit into the environmental sector? Tell us a little bit about your role at UNTHA UK…

As a service engineer at UNTHA UK, my role involves working with new customers on a range of shredder installations, commissioning, testing, and on-site servicing.

Complete the sentence – the UK is great at recycling…

We’ve made some great progress in the last decade, from household waste to industrial materials.

Which sector do you think could achieve significant environmental progress this year?

Probably plastic disposal – it’s gained a lot of traction over the last few years and attracts the most media attention. I think that Covid-19 has reversed some of our global efforts, as we’ve had to revert to single use plastic due to the pandemic.

What do you wish you’d known about the environment, as a child?

I wish I’d known the impact that landfill deposits have on the environment when I was growing up.

What’s the single biggest threat to the environment, in your opinion?

Poor management of industrial waste.

Share 1 tip to help people be ‘greener’, at work or at home:

Invest in a reusable water bottle – minimising the use of single use plastics is something so small but can have such a big impact.

Tell us an environmental statistic that you think people need to know:

People living in highly polluted areas have 20% more risk of dying from lung cancer then those living in an unpolluted environment.

What’s the best thing you’ve ever reused/upcycled?

I have started to buy rechargeable batteries in a bid to use less single-use products.

If you were prime minister for the day, what’s the one thing you’d do to improve the UK’s sustainability agenda?

Take urgent action to combat climate change.

Complete the sentence – in 100 years’ time…

We should be proud of our sustainability efforts and actively taking care of our planet.