The Rt Hon. the Lord Deben (John Selwyn Gummer) who among other senior parliamentary roles was former Secretary of State for the Environment, is to be the keynote speaker at the main annual event for the water cooler industry, the British Water Cooler Association (BWCA) conference and trade show 2019.
Lord Deben
The event, whose theme will be: “Insight to Change: learn, unlearn & relearn”, takes place on March 28, 2019 at the Nottingham Belfry.
Lord Deben (pictured) commented on the value of providing water for hydration and doing so sustainably. Interviewed in advance of the conference he said: “Water coolers provide water that is cold and therefore appealing to drink as well as being convenient, without hawking a whole load of plastic bottles around the country. The fact that the industry uses plastic bottles that are reused many times over and then recycled is positive for the environment.
“The challenge regarding all use of plastic is what do we do about it after use. Whilst we should discourage single-use plastics, if people must use disposable plastic cups, these should be made of recyclable materials and recycled responsibly. I’d like to see this industry collecting the cups as this will be a sign of a truly responsible and progressive sector. The good thing about cups used for water is that they are entirely recyclable for use in food packaging as they are uncontaminated having been used only for water”.
Phillipa Atkinson-Clow, general manager of the BWCA, added: “Sustainability is a key issue for all businesses and as the British water cooler sector is one of the most sustainable industries around, it is fitting that we should have a sustainability and environmental expert to address and inspire our delegates. I am sure Lord Deben he will convey to our delegates some fascinating and valuable insights”.
Other speakers at the BWCA conference will include Richard Hall of Zenith Global, revealing the latest industry market data; Brendan Hanlon, from Just a Drop, celebrating with Members the Association’s continuing efforts in support of his charity in bringing clean water sources to villagers in Africa; and Rebecca Ireland, employment lawyer from gunnercooke LLP who will speak on the changing employee landscape. The host of the event will be the BWCA’s Chairman, Jon Wicks.
Booking details for conference delegates and for exhibitors are available online:
