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 Julie Cassidy – service coordinator at UNTHA UK.

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

In my role as service coordinator, I support the aftersales department, ensuring all our customers’ expectations of care and engineering support are met, alongside coordinating the engineers on their day-to-day jobs.

Complete the sentence – the UK is great at recycling…

…but we really need to do more, and better educate our children on the importance of recycling

Which sector do you think could achieve significant environmental progress this year? Supermarkets – they’ve already made so many changes to their packaging and promotion of recycling initiatives, including doorstep deliveries using crates and the banning of free carrier bags… it all adds up.

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

So much more! I can’t even recall learning much about the environment to be honest, not considering how much awareness there is today. There can never be too much information about something as important as this.

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

We are! People can sometimes have a lazy attitude towards the environment and sustainability.

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

Think about what you put in the bin, where it will end up, and what effect it will have, before you dispose of it. If it can be recycled, upcycled or reused… even better!

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

Over the last two decades, the household waste recycling rate in England has increased significantly from just 11.2 percent to almost 50 per cent. We’ve made some great progress, but we can always do better.

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

I love upcycling furniture! Over the years I’ve tried my hand at many wooden furniture items, from side tables to dressers and wall mirrors – it’s amazing what a bit of sandpaper and a lick of paint can do to transform something old into something new again.

Complete the sentence – in 100 years’ time, I hope…  

…that the world is a more peaceful place to live, and that our children’s children can be taught the tales that we have lived through to learn from our experiences.