World Environment Day: What did we learn?

Earlier this month, Sweden hosted World Environment Day. The global event, held annually since 1974, was held on 5 June and is the largest global platform for environmental outreach, according to their website. 

This year’s theme was #OnlyOneEarth, with a focus on engaging governments, businesses, educational institutions and millions of people around the world. 

With this in mind, Westminster City Council has compiled information on four suggested ways that organisations in Westminster can participate beyond World Environment Day.  We have also included some of our own resources to help you make a difference to the environment.

An overview of what happened at World Environment Day

World Environment Day’s digital platform brought together people from around the world. Their website contains fascinating information about our impact on the environment, activities and actionable suggestions for helping organisations and individuals reduce their impact. 

We recommend taking a look at these four resources: 

• The practical guide to sustainability – This guide formed the foundation of World Environment Day by outlining the major threats we face and providing plenty of inspiration for actions organisations and individuals can start taking today.  
• Building your Earth Action Number – Your Earth Action Number is a specific goal you will make, and the way you will achieve it. To build your Earth Action Number, simply answer a few questions about who you are and what you activities plan to focus on (waste management is one topic listed), and share your impact with the rest of the world. 
• Read an overview of what happened during World Environment Day across the globe.

Do you know about all of the current threats to our environment and what we can do to help? Test your knowledge with this eye-opening quiz.

Staying sustainable in Westminster beyond World Environment Day

While World Environment Day is a meaningful and important global event, we believe that actions towards sustainability and social value must reach beyond 5 June. Here are some ways we recommend to continue promoting sustainability into the future’

• • Reduce your waste. This is one of the most direct ways for you and your organisation to make an immediate and positive impact on the environment. Consider:
    • Working with your suppliers to reduce the amount of packaging they use for the goods and items you buy.
    • Taking accurate inventories to ensure you are ordering what you need, especially to ensure reduced food waste. 
    • Reaching out to charities, including food banks, for items that are too good to be thrown away, but which you no longer need. 
  • Decarbonise your business’ operations. Our knowledge base can help with anything from reducing energy and water use to managing waste more sustainably. 
  • Properly separate your waste. Make sure that you are properly separating your waste, including food, paper/cardboard, glass and mixed recycling. Separating paper and cardboard for recycling not only saves trees from being turned into new paper but also saves a significant amount of the energy and water needed to produce it. Recycling is also more cost-effective than throwing items away as general waste. 

• Choose a collector who is committed to sustainability. It is essential to work with a waste collector who shares the same sustainable goals. Our electric fleet – the largest operated by any local authority in the UK –  supports an 89% reduction of carbon emissions when compared to a diesel-powered fleet. We are also:

• • • Collecting on your street every day. Our legal obligation as a Waste Collection Authority means that we must pick up waste on every street of Westminster. Collections by other commercial waste providers simply duplicate this, which adds to inefficiencies and pollution. We are based in Westminster and don’t travel long distances from vehicle depots into Westminster to collect your waste, minimising vehicle movements. Working with us means that you are supporting reduced vehicle movements in Westminster, which results in cleaner air for everyone. 
    • Treating our recycling locally. We collect your mixed recycling and take it to a materials recovery facility in Southwark. Using this local facility allows us to reduce travel distances.
• Committed to Westminster’s net zero goals. Westminster City Council has announced its goals to be net zero by 2040. To achieve net zero, we  must show that we have balanced the emissions we produce and the emissions we remove from the atmosphere through emissions-saving activities and offsetting. Some of Westminster City Council’s wider work on net zero include creating a climate change action plan, improving air quality by creating better infrastructure for electric and low-emission vehicles and reducing inefficient waste vehicle movements.
  

World Environment Day engaged millions of people and organisations this month, and Westminster City Council encourages all local businesses to continue to take part and support #OnlyOneEarth with actionable goals for a more sustainable future. 

To learn more about climate change and how your organisation can take immediate action, download our free Climate Change Guide.