Lancaster University Opt for MIW’s Green Water Cooler

MIW Office Solutions have helped Lancaster University to become the first educational institution in the United Kingdom to install the Halsey Taylor HTHB-8 recessed drinking fountain & bottle filler, as part of their Green Lancaster initiative which has been running since February 2013. MIW supplied the green water cooler to the university last month, and it has been up and running since the beginning of the term.

One of the HTHB-8 indoor bottle filler’s most impressive features is a GreenCounter panel, which is unique to this particular unit. The GreenCounter is a clear visual display, which shows exactly how many plastic water bottles have been saved from landfill by being refilled with this green water cooler. Lancaster University’sHTHB-8 recessed drinking fountain & bottle filler saved over 500 water bottles in the first three weeks of operation, with projected figures of over 8,600 bottles being saved by this time next year.

To appreciate the positive effect which this recessed bottle filling station can have on the environment, we need only consider what goes into a plastic bottle, and where it goes afterwe’ve thrown it away. Statistics show that 80% of all plastic bottles used in the United Kingdom will end up in landfill, and could take as long as 400 years to decompose.

We use over 3 billion litres of bottled water every single year, which equates to a dangerously large amount of plastic being shovelled into landfill.

On top of this, the manufacturing process of a plastic bottle also damages the environment. By reusing a drinking bottle with an indoor recessed bottle filler, as opposed to buying bottled water, you’ll save one more bottle from being manufactured, sparing the use of 162g of oil and avoiding the release of 120g of carbon dioxide. On top of this, you’ll help to reduce the harmful emissions which stem from the transport of heavy crates of bottled water.

The Halsey Taylor HTHB-8 is one of several indoor recessed bottle filling stations available to buy or rent from MIW.co.uk, but several other features made the HTHB-8 the ideal unit for Lancaster University.

Alongside the unique GreenCounter display, intuitive sensors are used for the easy starting and stopping of water flow. Not only does this improve hygiene in high usage areas, like the campus shop, it also prevents water from being wasted. After 30 seconds the green water cooler automatically switches off, and smooth laminar flow ensures no water is wasted while the bottle is being filled.

These environmentally-friendly features make the HTHB-8 recessed bottle filler the ideal unit for Lancaster University’s Go Green campaign. Alongside the installation of their unique indoor bottle filling station, they also offer a discounted price on Kor water bottles which are imported from the United States owing to their environmentally-friendly manufacturing process. Students are also offered discounts on hot drinks if they re-use a permanent “Keep cup”, as opposed to a disposable plastic cup.