world-earth-day-2022

Today marks Earth Day, annually observed on 22 April in more than 175 countries. Earth Day helps inspire and remind people around the globe to help protect the ecosystem and raise awareness about sustainability.

This year’s theme is ‘nature in the race to zero’, focusing on how nature-based solutions can help deliver a third of the greenhouse gas reductions needed by 2030.

To celebrate, Guinness World Records has complied a list of record-breaking campaigns achieved by businesses to help protect the ecosystem and raise awareness on earth-saving alternatives.

Largest drinking straw sculpture (supported)

Kicking off with a project that drew attention to plastic pollution and highlighted the need for greener alternatives. 

Canadian artist Von Wong created a huge plastic sculpture made from reclaimed plastic straws to break the record for largest drinking straw sculpture (supported) in Ho Chi Minh city on 22 January 2019.

The sculpture itself measuring 3.3 m (10 ft 9 in) tall, 8 m (36 ft 2 in) long and 4.5 m (14 ft 9 in) wide.

With the help of Starbucks, who collected used straws at a number of their branches over six months.

worlds largest drinking straw sculpture

The installation, which took the shape of a wave, is an important reminder on the amount of plastic that ends up in our oceans and to say no to single-use plastics where we can.

First aircraft flown by synthetic fuel 

Finding a more suitable solution to fossil fuels is one the key challenges that needs to be tackled to be able to reach carbon net-zero.

The RAF teamed up with Zero Petroleum to set the record for the first aircraft flown by synthetic fuel

An Ikarus C42 aircraft was flown by Group Captain Peter Hackett and completed the short flight at the Cotswolds in November.

Zero Petroleum’s synthetic UL91 fuel is manufactured by extracting hydrogen from water and carbon from atmospheric carbon dioxide. Using energy generated from renewable sources like wind or solar, these are then combined to create the synthetic fuel.

Minister for Defence Procurement Jeremy Quin said of the flight; "This is a world first innovation. It shows the determination of UK Armed Forces to drive forward creative ideas on Net Zero alongside meeting operational commitments."

Eventually, the RAF aims to have its first Net Zero airbase by 2025 and a Net Zero force by 2040.

Highest voltage from a fruit battery

Lowering carbon energy and tackling the effects of the climate crisis is one of the greatest challenges of our time and batteries play a vital role in reducing carbon emissions.

The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) led by battery expert Professor Saiful Islam tried to find an alternative. The team used 2,923 lemons to generate an astonishing 2,307.8 volts reclaiming the record for highest voltage from a fruit battery on 15th October 2021 .

The electrifying feat was designed to highlight the importance of energy storage and the need for innovations in order to obtain a zero-carbon world.

RCS and team assemble fruit battery

According to RSC research, 81% of young people in the UK think climate change should be taught in schools, with 74% actively looking for ways to combat it.

world's largest insect hotel

Largest insect hotel

When talking about greener alternatives for the climate, we cant forget the ecosystem itself – including animals! 

Highland Titles, a nature reserve based in Scotland passionate about conserving, preserving and restoring the Scottish landscape came together to build the largest insect hotel measuring 199.9 cubic metres  in Duror, Scotland on 28 March 2022.

An insect hotel, also known as a bug hotel or insect house, is a manmade structure created to provide shelter for insects.

The construction began in September 2021, taking around 6 months to complete with a core team of four, with the hotel  being made from felled sitka spruce from the nature reserve, masonry bricks, bamboo canes, wood chips, forest bark and other natural resources.

Highland tiles awarded gwr certificate

"This record-breaking initiative is about the environmental message," said Douglas Wilson, CEO of Highland Titles. 

"We bought this land in 2006 when it was a poorly performing commercial forestry plantation of non-native Sitka Spruce."

volunteers pick up garbage from the ocean

Most participants in an underwater clean-up

To celebrate 50 years of Earth Day, Discovery Taiwan organized a massive ocean day clean-up breaking the record for the most participants in an underwater clean-up in 12 hours with 558 participants on 15th August 2020.

This attempt was held to promote awareness of the importance of reducing plastic waste in life and also to call on the public to get involved in underwater and beach clean-ups. The campaign was titled, "Start with One Thing".

volunteers with garbage taken from the ocean

Largest vegan burger

It’s well-known that meat consumption is responsible for a large portion of greenhouse gas emissions, and as such the need for more meat-free alternatives is growing. 

Food producer Finnebrogue Artisan rose to the challenge by creating the largest vegan burger on 18th November 2021 at their site in Downpatrick, County Down.

The record-breaking patty took almost nine hours to cook and weighed a total of 162.5kg. All the ingredients of the burger were certified as vegan. 

Finnebrogue’s record-breaking patty is the equivalent of 1,274 "Naked Evolution Burgers" filled with condiments and garnishes.

While we know that there is still work to be done, we hope that these amazing records have inspired you to think of more ways we can help the planet and find more greener alternatives to preserve the Earth that we call home.

Do you have a important cause that you’d like to raise awareness for? Check out our bespoke Business Solutions or contact us.