Nutrition and Hydration Week (14 -20 June 2021) is a chance to promote and celebrate improvements in nutrition and hydration locally, nationally and globally. At Wave, our business is mainly focused on water and the provision of it, so getting involved with Nutrition and Hydration Week is another way of highlighting our commitment to water conservation.
Wellbeing at the heart of 2021 campaign
This year’s campaign is focused on workplace wellbeing. Campaign research has shown as many as three million people in the UK are at risk of malnutrition and this increases to twenty-five million in all the G7 countries combined.
This campaign event reached its peak at the popular Global Tea Party on 16 June and gains traction both through in-person tea parties and online via the #NHWEEK2021 hashtag. At Wave, we’re committed to making sure our customers benefit from a reliable water supply while also recognising and promoting the importance of saving water wherever possible.
Fresh water is precious
While water covers seventy per cent of the Earth’s surface, much of it is not fresh or accessible for us to use. Over ninety-seven per cent of all the planet’s water is saltwater, and much of the remaining fresh water is frozen in the icecaps of Greenland and Antarctica.
This means the small amount of fresh water we do have has to be treated with care and as the precious resource it is. When you consider the average person in the UK uses about 150 litres per day, finding ways to conserve and minimise water waste has to become a priority for us all.
Hydrated employees equal productive employees
Staying hydrated at work can be difficult for many of us; busy schedules make it easy to forget to drink as much water as we should and for some, the type of work carried out or specialist work clothes that need to be worn make it awkward to access water regularly. The European Food Safety Authority recommends a total water intake of 2.5 litres for men and 2 litres for women per day, through food and drink. Ideally seventy to eighty per cent of this should come from drinks and twenty to thirty per cent from foods.
It’s important to consider the water supply you offer to your workforce. By law, all employers must supply fresh, clean, and unlimited access to water for all staff. Multiple studies into productivity have found how important hydration is in supporting brain function and keeping people awake and focused during the day.
As an employer, you should ensure your people can access fresh, clean water whenever they want, while also keeping water conservation in mind. You could encourage employees to keep a water bottle at their table and keep it topped up, to avoid the taps being regularly turned on, or opt for mains-fed coolers, designed to help keep water use under control. This still ensures your employees have instant access to fresh water when they need it, but waste is minimised.
With Nutrition and Hydration Week 2021 focusing on workplace wellness, it’s a chance to assess your business’ approach to water supply longer term and consider if there are better, more eco-friendly, and sustainable options available.
