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Walmart and General Mills build a sustainable food supply

Posted on October 31, 2023 by dishanth

Working as partners in regenerative agriculture projects, Walmart and General Mills are working with authorities to create a more sustainable food system

Disruption of the food supply chain is perhaps the single most impactful event that can have detrimental effects globally. Also, the emissions that are produced as a result of the global food supply are just as impactful to our future and the shortage of food itself.

According to 2018 data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) meat, eggs and nuts are the primary sources of food across the states while vegetables are the third largest and fruit is at the bottom. However, from what we’ve seen over recent years, many would suggest the meat supply chain accounts for a large proportion of the industry’s emissions and is therefore unsustainable in its current mass-production form.

Now, this is not to blame the humble cow or any other animal for climate change, but more the processes in which meat is reared and distributed across the US. With certain regenerative principles in place—and the support from the public to reduce consumption—farms are known to provide higher quality goods that are nutritionally beneficial.

How does regenerative agriculture support a sustainable food system?

This is neither a slight of common habits, nor a simple task to conduct. In order to make the food system sustainable economically, consistent, and less impactful to the climate, examples of regenerative agriculture show the impacts of more mindful farming.

On the 17th October 2023, General Mills and Walmart announced a joint effort that will likely spark further consideration as the organisations advance regenerative agriculture across 600,000 acres of US soil by 2030. This project is about reducing the emissions and resource-drain from farming, improving soil health and, in turn, product quality.

The primary projects will be supported through grant funding from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and will reshape the process for growing crops like wheat across the Northern and Southern Great Plains.

Based on the research from the USDA, grains are the second most-consumed foods in the country after the meat, eggs, and nuts group.

These two corporations will also collaborate with Sam’s Club, a division of Walmart that offers superior quality and pricing for millions of items supplied to the US and Puerto Rico.

“Through this partnership, we will work hand-in-hand with Walmart and Sam’s Club to help regenerate the acres of land in the key regions where we source ingredients for our shared business,” says Jon Nudi, Group President, North America Retail at General Mills.

“We are excited by the opportunity to bring our products, including Pillsbury refrigerated dough and Blue Buffalo pet food and treats, to Walmart shelves more sustainably, with the help of our merchants and farmer partners.”

The three organisations believe that regenerative agriculture holds the key to emissions reduction in the supply chain and tackles many of the challenges within the modern food system. They also recognise their collective footprint and overall impact on the industry, and therefore will set the benchmark for regenerative agriculture implementation in the wider industry.

Walmart’s and General Mills’ sustainability alignment

Both organisations are impacted by the fate of the planet. As influential businesses in the food supply chain—Walmart operating across many facets of consumer goods—sustainability is now at the core of their future projects. Walmart’s net-zero emissions target is set for 2040 and will be driven by a number of investments into clean energy, providing 100% renewables to its facilities by 2035. The path to net-zero in Scope 3 requires further action to support its partners, suppliers, and customers to deliver on their own emissions targets.

When it comes to securing the food supply chain, Walmart dedicates much of its support to preserving land for regenerative projects and in investing deforestation-free product sourcing, which was recognised as one of the key downfalls of the meat supply chain—limited space resulting in deforestation.

“We’re committing to making the everyday choice the more sustainable choice for consumers,” says John Laney, Executive Vice President, Food at Walmart US.

“This collaboration is an example of how we are working across our value chain on intentional interventions to help advance regenerative agriculture and ensure surety of supply for these essential food products for the long term.”

As a key supplier of food globally, General Mills owns some of the much-loved brands and will continue to ensure that these products are delivered at lower impact to the planet. Also focusing on regenerative agriculture, energy sourcing and packaging innovation will also allow the company to drive healthier approaches in the food supply chain.

Source Sustainability

Green dreams: Algae biorefineries could help in the race to net zero

Posted on October 26, 2023October 31, 2023 by dishanth

The world is looking for new solutions to address the challenges we’re facing in the race to net zero. Things we rely on each day, like transport, agriculture and plastics are significant contributors to greenhouse gas emissions.

Enter algae. This diverse bunch of tiny organisms are emerging as a solution to a number of our fossil fuel problems.

Algae are aquatic photosynthetic organisms, which means they use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to grow. Examples include seaweeds, microalgae, plankton and phytoplankton. There are thousands of distinct types of algae. And each type has specific uses and benefits that we are only just starting to discover.

From pond to pump: Know your algae

Algae fall into two main groups:

Microalgae: these are single-celled photosynthetic micro-organisms, which can live in salt or freshwater.
Macroalgae: these are multicellular aquatic plants that also photosynthesize. There are three types: green, red and brown. Each has different proteins, carbohydrates and fats which lend themselves to various uses.

Getting to net zero means we need to change our industrial processes. We need to increase efficiency of our traditional agricultural systems. And we also need to expand our ability to produce products like food, fuel and chemicals from new sources that are not reliant on fossil fuels. This is where algae come in.

Realizing the potential of algae biorefineries

Algae are promising because they don’t compete for land, freshwater or other precious resources, and produce high yields. They can also help purify the waters in which they grow by removing excess nutrients that lead to poor water quality.

Dr. Anusuya Willis is the Director of our Australian National Algae Culture Collection. She says much of the potential of algae is yet to be realized.

“The future of algae needs to be tempered because of a lack of fundamental research. None of the solutions will happen quickly but we need to make progress,” she says.

Warren Flentje is the Industrial Decarbonization Lead for our Towards Net Zero Mission. Warren believes algae biorefineries could be the solution to several of our challenges. These facilities are similar to traditional biorefineries that process biomass, but algal biorefineries specifically use algae as the raw material. However, this technology is in the early stages of research, and requires more investment before it’s ready to be rolled out.

“Algal biorefineries provide ingredients to make fuel, as well as other products like oils and plastics, and even new proteins for our diets or base products for health or cosmetic end uses,” Warren says.

“We need to do more with less—in our existing systems. And at the same time, we need to be working on the systems of the future.”

A sustainable source of bioenergy and biofuels

Biofuels can be a renewable and sustainable fuel for transport. Made from biomass, it can be used as an alternative to fossil fuels. Biomass is material from living things like agricultural crops and waste, animal fats and vegetable oils.

However, growing crops specifically to make biofuel takes up valuable agricultural land, which is already under increasing pressure from our food systems. So, we need new ways of producing the biomass feedstock that go into biofuels. Which is why we are looking at algal biomass and other future feedstocks.

Demand for biofuels is increasing. It’s being driven by increased oil prices and climate change policies. People are already starting to reduce emissions with biofuels by using E10 (regular unleaded petrol with 10% plant derived ethanol) or by using sustainable aviation fuel.

Algae as a livestock feed additive

FutureFeed is a supplement for livestock made from a type of native seaweed (Asparagopsis). It can reduce methane emissions by more than 80% in cattle, sheep and goats. This is important because each molecule of methane has 28 times the warming potential of carbon dioxide (on a 100-year scale). This makes methane a potent greenhouse gas for our warming atmosphere.

Asparagopsis seaweed contains bioactives, which are compounds that have a biological effect and can interact with the microbes in a cow’s stomach. They disrupt the normal processes that would lead to the formation of methane gas.

Dr. Michael Battaglia is a Director at FutureFeed and leads our Towards Net Zero Mission.

“FutureFeed, a great Australian innovation, looks promising. But for these solutions to create impact, we need to focus on scaling seaweed cultivation, aggregation and processing,” Michael says.

FutureFeed has been driving commercialization of Asparagopsis, with licensees growing the product. We’re continuing to research and develop the product to drive adoption. However, we need to attract more investment in sustainable seaweed farming and speed up the regulatory process.

Seaweed can help tackle climate change and biodiversity loss

Seaweed ecosystems could also become strong nature-based solutions to tackling climate change, biodiversity loss and help protect our coastlines. Kelp is a kind of macroalgae, which creates large underwater forests. Kelp forests cover an area more extensive than coral reefs or rainforests.

Through photosynthesis, kelp use sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to grow. This converts carbon dioxide to organic biomass for short-term storage. If kelp is not grazed, consumed or decomposed, it can be buried in seafloor sediments or transported to the deep ocean. There it acts as long-term carbon removal to help mitigate emissions.

“A lot more work needs to be done in this area to accurately measure the long-term storage of carbon captured via kelp forests,” Anusuya says.

Maintaining healthy seaweed and kelp ecosystems is part of the puzzle in protecting our oceans.

“If we want to use kelp in the ecosystem restoration economy, we need to incentivize kelp protection and restoration through carbon value,” says Anusuya. “But the value of kelp in the carbon cycle is complex and ways to monitor sequestration aren’t yet fully understood.”

Challenges of scaling up algal-based solutions

Each type of algae comes with unique challenges. As demand for algae grows, we need to make sure we work to manage cultivation and farming to ensure sustainability.

Microalgae can be grown on land in controlled bioreactors. But for it to be useful, we need to invest in new ways of harvesting algae on a large scale. It is all about understanding how to grow algae in the most efficient way. On the other hand, we can’t control the environments of macroalgae as much, because they grow and are farmed along our coastlines. To unlock the ability of kelp to retain carbon, while restoring balance and boosting biodiversity, we need to follow an ecosystem-based approach to sustainably manage kelp forests and protect the ecosystem.

For all these algae-based solutions, scaling up has challenges. But algae have a role to play in working towards net zero. They can increase efficiency in our traditional agricultural systems, while expanding our ability to produce products like food, fuel and chemicals from new sources. It’s why we are working with research and investment to scale and de-risk some of these solutions to increase adoption.

Renewable energy battery systems could harness eggshell proteins for electricity conduction

Posted on October 26, 2023 by dishanth

Chicken eggshells may be the answer to developing safer, sustainable and cost-effective rechargeable battery storage systems, according to new research.

Murdoch University Associate Professor Dr. Manickam Minakshi Sundaram, from the Center for Water, Energy and Waste at Harry Butler Institute, for a doctoral thesis has successfully developed a new mechanism associated with electrode materials and electrolytes, offering an alternative to the expensive and impractical power storage technologies of the past and present.

“We’ve found that chicken eggshells can be used as electrodes—a conductor of electricity—in powering batteries. Eggshells contain a high level of calcium carbonate, and when they are baked and crushed, their chemical compositions change and they become a more efficient electrode and conductor of power,” Dr. Minakshi said.

“The current lithium-ion batteries used for renewable energy storage typically use fossil fuels.

“Repurposing a bio-waste product like eggshells could add considerable value to the renewable energy market. They also offer a potentially safer option, as the current lithium battery technologies are high-cost and potentially unsafe in the event of catastrophic failure.”

As the world continues to prioritize renewable energy sources, this breakthrough marks a significant step forward, offering hope for a greener and more sustainable future.

The study, conducted by Dr. Minakshi as part of his higher doctorate thesis with Flinders University, focused on the development of sustainable electrodes in aqueous-based energy storage technology.

“The implications of this study go beyond scientific discovery,” Dr. Minakshi said.

“Chicken eggs and related products are used in large quantities in the food processing and manufacturing sectors, households, the nutrition industry and even in the pharmaceutical industry, but their shells are typically sent as solid waste to landfill.

“However, eggshell and shell membranes contain a range of active chemical compounds that can be used. The reversibility of this new approach allows for efficient energy storage and retrieval. The study demonstrates that highly conductive aqueous lithium and sodium electrolytes with varying salt concentrations have the potential to replace existing non-rechargeable primary batteries. The discovery holds the promise of high energy capacity, long cycle life and affordability in aqueous batteries.”

By incorporating suitable additives such as biodegradable redox polymers, titanium boride/sulfide (TiB2, TiS2), or bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) compounds, the electrodes can be further modified to improve their performance.

“The potential applications of this breakthrough are immense,” Dr. Minakshi said. “We could transition from a linear economy to a circular economy, reducing, reusing and recycling waste improving both sustainable development and addressing waste management.”

The studies on sustainable electrode materials have also been extended to other biowaste including chitosan derived from crustaceans, mango seed husk, and grape marc from wineries. From these biowastes, N-doped carbon was derived, which exhibits excellent electrochemical performance.

Source – Tech Xplore

Sandvik: Building sustainability into upstream supply chain

Posted on October 20, 2023 by dishanth

Mats W Lundberg is the Head of Sustainability Strategy for Sandvik, which is delivering a strategy to decarbonise raw materials to cut supply emissions

According to figures from Sandvik’s 2022 Annual Report, the business of sustainable manufacturing and mining machinery is booming. The high-tech engineering group supplies new solutions to industries to support their actions in these areas, which will also help them reach their sustainability goals.

However, it’s about more than just machinery as the company is now delivering a new sustainability strategy that will allow further impact in the future while also ensuring commercial success for Sandvik and the users of its solutions.

In September 2023, the company made a significant update to its sustainability shift strategy, which was originally brought to public attention in 2019. This also aligns with how the structure of the organisation has evolved as Sandvik Materials Technology was separated from the Group and listed on Nasdaq Stockholm as a business called Alleima. Alongside this further businesses were acquired by the company, making sustainability a crucial strategy for its growing business.

“We are leaning on the good work that has already been done,” says Mats W Lundberg, Head of Sustainability, Sandvik.

“But the field of sustainability is evolving. It is becoming more mature with new legislation and increasing customer, shareholder and employee expectations. We need to evolve with it and meet the new demands.”

The Key focus areas of Sandvik Group’s sustainability strategy include:

Sustainable solutions – An emphasis on closely aligning with customers and their businesses, pioneering change through engineering
Ecosystem regeneration – Sandvik’s innovative approach to collaborating with partners throughout the value chain, focusing on revitalising diverse ecosystems, promoting responsible water management, and mitigating pollution
Circularity and resource optimisation – The objective encapsulates the aspiration to achieve greater output with fewer resources and to embrace resource efficiency as a fundamental mindset
Net Zero Commitment – Sandvik pledges to attain science-based net zero targets, which received approval from the Science Based Targets Initiative in September 2023
People and Communities Engagement – Sandvik’s approach to its interactions with the communities in which it operates and provides its products
Responsible Business Practices – commitment to conducting ethical and responsible operations across the entire value chain.

Sandvik solutions for the sustainable industry

As an organisation that covers a number of industry practices, and is heavily involved in early-stage supply chain activities, Sandvik is digging deeper to create more value for businesses through its mining and machinery solutions. Taking a leading role in decarbonising its supplies from the top, Lundberg explains how the business will generate value across multiple facets.

“We have focused much more on our contribution and how our businesses create value”, says Lundberg. “The new strategy is connected to the Sandvik purpose of advancing the world through engineering, it is forward leaning and shows that Sandvik wants to be a positive driving force.”

Lundbergy is also correct in saying that raw material is one of the primary components of all value chains, whether that involves the production of goods or machinery to ensure services are provided sustainably.

“For any product to be truly sustainable, the entire value chain needs to be sustainable, from raw material sourcing to the manufacturing and usage of the products,” says Lundberg. “And we operate in important and relevant areas here; the mining and processing of raw materials and the machining. If we can contribute with sustainable solutions in these areas we can have a massive impact on sustainability outside of our own operations.”

McKinsey & Company research states the mining industry generates between 1.9 and 5.1 gigatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2) every year. These emissions originate from all of the major resources required to sustain consumer product industries, but also those that are critical for providing sustainable electricity and clean-energy-driven solutions to transport. An example of this being the use of cobalt, nickel, and lithium in the electric vehicle (EV) sector as major components in platform batteries.

As the global demand for raw materials grows, the pressure on mining, rock excavation, drilling, and cutting processes is forever impactful to the emissions embedded in their supply chain. Understanding how crucial this stage is to the reduction of overall emissions in the atmosphere, therefore the ability to reach net zero, will allow greater impact on the environment moving forward.

Source Sustainability

Sustainable Supply: Transforming the Global Supply Chain with Green Practices

Posted on October 18, 2023October 18, 2023 by dishanth

Sustainable Supply: Transforming the Global Supply Chain with Green Practices

People can already feel the effect of global warming, making them ask what they can do to combat the crisis. Riding a bike to work and recycling are excellent starting points.

Still, the world needs more significant changes to ensure future generations have opportunities to succeed. How can humanity achieve a better planet? It starts with a sustainable supply chain.

Here’s a guide on why it’s the next step in solving the climate crisis.

How to Achieve a Sustainable Supply Chain

Actions speak louder than words, and they’re how the Earth will achieve long-lasting change. These six strategies demonstrate creating a sustainable supply chain this decade and beyond.

1. Switch to Renewable Energy Sources

Sustainability starts with switching to renewable energy sources. Solar, wind, nuclear and geothermal power are only some of the options available. Renewable energy sources are better for the environment because they don’t release greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as carbon dioxide (CO2). They’re also better for the supply chain because you can produce renewable energy locally instead of depending on a far-away supplier.

Renewable energy has increased in the past few decades, with experts seeing consumption triple since 2013. These sources have become more commonplace as governments and companies see the benefits of installing solar panels, wind turbines and other technologies.

2. Reduce Fossil Fuel Consumption

Increasing renewable energy consumption needs to happen simultaneously with reducing fossil fuel utilization. According to the United Nations, fossil fuels are the largest contributor to climate change. Coal, oil and gas constitute about 90% of CO2 and 75% of GHG emissions. Ocean temperatures are rising, glaciers are melting, and natural disasters are worsening daily. It’s hard not to look at fossil fuel as the primary suspect.

The supply chain would benefit from reducing its fossil fuel consumption because of how volatile prices can be. Gas prices fluctuate with supply and demand, so even minor disruptions in production can significantly increase costs. For example, severe weather increases natural gas demand and leads to suppliers raising rates. Relying on renewable resources removes the uncertainty for many companies.

3. Electrify the Fleets

Removing fossil fuels from the supply chain means scrutinizing which industries use them the most. A good place to start is the automotive industry, considering the millions of cars and trucks driving on the streets daily. Most automobiles you pass have tailpipes emitting GHGs. The European Union (EU) says road transportation contributed nearly 72% of total emissions from member nations.

Electrifying fleets is the fastest way to reduce emissions from the transportation industry. Electric vehicles (EVs), trains and other forms of transport are slowly electrifying as manufacturers see the benefits of using this technology. The global supply chain would become more sustainable and secure because you can produce electricity at home. In contrast, oil and gas often come from international suppliers. Plus, EV research, manufacturing and production create thousands of job opportunities worldwide.

Integrating EVs into the supply chain requires more widespread adoption. Unfortunately, EVs cost more than petrol cars due to higher production costs. Manufacturing should become less expensive in the next decade to make these vehicles more accessible and affordable.

4. Change the Packaging

E-commerce is another sector worth scrutinizing due to its environmental impact. The world has relied more on e-commerce since the pandemic, with online retailers making shopping more accessible for consumers. Experts foresee a 14.7% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) until 2027 in the e-commerce market, demonstrating how the world has shifted in its buying preferences.

Reducing the environmental impact of e-commerce entails switching to EVs and changing the packaging. Many sites use non-recyclable materials for their packages, and the environmental cost adds up quickly. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) says packaging and containers significantly contribute to municipal solid waste, adding to landfills worldwide.

The supply chain would become more sustainable if e-commerce companies switched to more sustainable packaging. Some businesses have changed to mushroom, seaweed, cornstarch and other more environmentally friendly materials for their packages. These options are more sustainable because they’re biodegradable and compostable. The end user can dispose of the container and feel better about their carbon footprint.

5. Emphasize ESG Scores

How will the planet get large companies on board with a sustainable supply chain? The leading motivator for multinational corporations is environmental, social and governance (ESG) scores. This metric tracks how a company promotes environmental policies, social justice and governing equity.

How many women and people of color are on the board? What were a corporation’s emissions last year? ESG scores determine these statistics on a 0 to 100 scale, with a score below 50 indicating poor performance.

Why do ESG scores matter? Investors are talking with their wallets. Shareholders are more likely to invest in companies demonstrating care for the environment and people within the organization. Businesses with minimal or no concern for the planet are more likely to fall behind because they’re less sustainable and profitable.

6. Push for Government Action

Ultimately, it’s up to governmental bodies worldwide to enforce environmental policies and hold companies accountable. Corporations can release statements supporting eco-friendly ideas, but some find themselves greenwashing and doing more harm than good. Environmental lobbyists and activist groups push the government to push businesses to do the right thing and enact favorable policies.

Why a Sustainable Supply Chain Is Necessary

Companies have touted making a sustainable supply chain this decade, so it’s worth asking why it’s necessary. Here are a few reasons why improving the supply chain is vital.

Stabilizing Economies

The supply chain disruptions from 2020 to 2022 demonstrate global economies’ vulnerability. A sustainable supply chain means increasing regional domestic solutions instead of relying on international suppliers. Ports can close due to infectious diseases and other issues, so making an efficient supply chain is essential moving forward.

Curbing Global Warming

The top reason for making a sustainable supply chain is to curb global warming. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) says summer 2023 was the hottest on record, with information dating back to 1880. Scientists attribute the rise in global temperatures to human activity worldwide. Reducing this rise requires making the supply chain more sustainable. s

GHGs are a significant factor in climate change, with countries like the U.S., China and India contributing the most each year. Reducing emissions is essential to prevent climate change’s worst environmental and human health impacts. Research shows a positive correlation between CO2 emissions and disability-adjusted life years, meaning reducing emissions leads to longer and healthier lives.

Lowering Costs

A sustainable supply chain makes sense for the environment and a company’s bottom line. Sustainable supply chains lead to reduced costs associated with energy production and consumption. Relying on solar and wind power at home is less expensive and more reliable in the long run than depending on foreign oil.

Ensuring a Sustainable Supply Chain for the Future

Time is running out to stop the worst effects of climate change. Fortunately, the planet still has a few years left to control rising temperatures and set humanity on a better path. Creating a better Earth starts with building a more sustainable supply chain. These six ways demonstrate what needs to happen.

Source – Happy Eco News

The Environmental Benefits of Recycling Your Car with a Wrecker

Posted on October 17, 2023 by dishanth

In today’s world, where people are highly aware of environmental issues, we need to take action and reduce our carbon footprint to protect the planet for future generations. Recycling is one way to make a positive impact on the environment. While most of us are familiar with recycling paper, plastic and glass, it’s worth knowing that you can also recycle your car.

Recycling your old car with car wreckers in New Plymouth, like https://www.megacarcollection.co.nz/cash-for-car-new-plymouth/, can have significant environmental benefits. When vehicles reach the end of their life, they often become a burden on the environment. Car wreckers play a crucial role in reducing this environmental impact.

Recycling cars prevents hazardous fluids, like oil, coolant, and transmission fluids, from leaking into the environment. These toxic substances can contaminate soil and water, harming ecosystems and human health. Car wreckers are experts at safely disposing of these fluids and recycling or properly disposing of other vehicle components. By recycling your car with them, you’re contributing to a cleaner, greener world while freeing up valuable space in your driveway.

Let’s delve deeper into how recycling your car with a wrecker can positively affect the planet.

Preservation of Natural Resources

The manufacturing process of cars requires large amounts of resources such as iron ore, aluminium and plastic. By recycling your car, you play a role in conserving these resources. When a wrecker dismantles your vehicle, they recover parts, like the engine, transmission system and various components that can be reused in vehicles. This helps decrease the necessity for manufacturing new parts, which helps conserve resources.

Decrease in Air Pollution

Older vehicles tend to emit higher levels of pollutants compared to newer ones. These pollutants, such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide and hydrocarbons, contribute to air pollution, which harms human health. When you recycle your car, you effectively remove these polluting vehicles from the roads and replace them with newer, cleaner ones. This ultimately aids in reducing air pollution levels, leading to an enhancement in the air quality within your community.

Energy Conservation

Recycling cars also leads to energy savings. When a dismantler breaks down a vehicle, it can recover metals like steel and aluminium. These metals can then be melted down and utilised for manufacturing car parts. Recycling and producing parts from existing metals require less energy compared to mining and processing these metals from scratch. By recycling your vehicle, you are indirectly contributing to energy conservation efforts.

Decrease in Landfill Waste

The average car consists of materials such as steel, glass, rubber, plastic and fabrics. These materials can take decades or even centuries to decompose when disposed of in landfills.

By recycling your car, you’re actively preventing these materials from ending up in landfills, which takes up valuable space and harms the environment. When wreckers dismantle your vehicle, they carefully separate the materials and send them to appropriate recycling facilities. This ensures that the materials are given a lease of life rather than being left to waste in a landfill.

Encourages a Circular Economy

Opting to recycle your car through a wrecker is a significant step towards promoting a circular economy. Following an approach where resources are used and discarded, a circular economy focuses on keeping resources in use for as long as possible. By recycling your car, you’re helping prolong the lifespan of its parts and materials by giving them another opportunity for reuse. This reduces the demand for resources and minimises waste generation, contributing to a more sustainable future.

Conclusion

Recycling your car with the assistance of a wrecker provides benefits. From conserving resources and decreasing air pollution to fostering an economy and saving energy, opting for recycling rather than sending your old vehicle to the landfill is an accountable decision that can have positive implications for our planet. So, if you find yourself with a car that’s no longer roadworthy, consider recycling it through a wrecker instead of simply disposing of it inappropriately. We should all contribute to protecting the environment for the benefit of generations.

Source Happy Eco News

Can AI Recycling Robots Solve the Waste Crisis?

Posted on October 13, 2023October 13, 2023 by dishanth

Our global waste crisis is enormous, with billions of tons of trash generated each year, and much of it ending up in landfills instead of being recycled. A major reason recycling rates remain low is actually the extreme difficulty of efficiently sorting and separating the complex jumble of materials in our waste streams. But what if AI recycling robots could take over this dull, dirty, and dangerous work from human sorters? That’s the ambitious vision of EverestLabs, a startup aiming to totally transform recycling as we know it.

AI Recycling Robots Faster, Smarter

EverestLabs was founded in 2020 by a team of engineers and technologists from Apple, Google, NVIDIA, and other leading tech companies. They’re on a mission to bring the power of artificial intelligence, computer vision, and advanced robotics to tackle the massive challenges facing global recycling efforts. Imagine conveyor belts loaded with trash of all types, with sophisticated robotic arms directed by AI rapidly grabbing items and precisely sorting them into different bins for recycling.

RecycleOS is an AI recycling robot operating system for recycling plants that uses vision technology, robotics, and data analytics to improve the efficiency and accuracy of recycling. It uses 3D depth-sensing cameras to identify recyclable materials like plastics, metals, and paper. The system then uses robotic arms to sort the materials into different bins. RecycleOS also uses data analytics to track the system’s performance and identify improvement areas.

RecycleOS is designed to be more efficient and accurate than traditional manual sorting methods. It is being used in a variety of places, including recycling centers, manufacturing plants, and retail stores. The company has also partnered with a number of major companies, such as Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble, to deploy AI recycling robots.

Coca-Cola: EverestLabs and Coca-Cola have partnered to deploy RecycleOS at a number of Coca-Cola bottling plants in the United States. The goal of the partnership is to improve the efficiency and accuracy of recycling at Coca-Cola’s plants.
Procter & Gamble: EverestLabs and Procter & Gamble have partnered to deploy RecycleOS at a number of Procter & Gamble manufacturing plants in the United States. The partnership aims to improve the efficiency and accuracy of recycling at Procter & Gamble’s plants.

In addition to Coca-Cola and Procter & Gamble, EverestLabs has also partnered with a number of other major companies, including:

PepsiCo
Kraft Heinz
Walmart
Target
Unilever

It may sound futuristic, but EverestLabs AI recycling robots are already built and working. As prototypes, they can sort the waste at speeds no human worker could match. The AI recycling robot system can consistently achieve over 90% accuracy across dozens of material categories like plastics, paper, electronics, and metals. That leads to much purer recycled material streams that retain their value.

Potentially Huge Business Scale

EverestLabs is running pilot projects with major waste haulers and recyclers to prove the AI recycling robot solution. They’ve also raised $16 million in venture funding to hire engineers and scientists across AI, computer vision, and robotics disciplines to turn the technology into commercial-ready products. The founders envision their automated recycling concept eventually operating 24/7 at massive scales, processing waste volumes human sorters could never handle.

Adoption faces challenges, from high upfront costs to reluctance by old-school waste companies to change. But the sheer size of the opportunity makes EverestLabs hard to ignore. The environmental payoffs would be enormous if advanced intelligent automation could boost global recycling rates and economics. Untold millions of tons of usable materials could be recovered rather than dumped or incinerated.

As urbanization intensifies globally, solving the waste crisis is increasingly urgent. EverestLabs and other startups applying cutting-edge tech see huge potential for robots and AI algorithms to handle the waste sorting that humans simply cannot physically achieve. Autonomous recycling may even protect thousands of vulnerable workers from hazardous manual labor. The future remains uncertain, but companies like EverestLabs show how emerging technologies could positively disrupt even our most entrenched industrial systems.

Source Happy Eco News

Transparent Solar Panels: a Powerful Alternative to Glass

Posted on October 10, 2023October 10, 2023 by dishanth

In the foreseeable future, transparent solar panels hold the potential to take the place of conventional windows, although several challenges must first be overcome. Transparent solar panels are crafted from materials that permit visible light to pass through while capturing the sun’s energy to generate electricity. This unique feature grants them an aesthetically pleasing advantage over traditional, bulky, and opaque solar panels.

However, the best technologies still have lower efficiency than their traditional counterparts, resulting in lower electricity generation per square meter. Moreover, the cost exceeds that of traditional ones, making them less economically viable for the majority of consumers.

Transparent solar panels are made of a transparent material, such as titanium dioxide or amorphous silicon. These materials allow visible light to pass through while still absorbing some of the energy to generate electricity. This makes transparent solar panels more aesthetically pleasing than traditional solar panels, which can be bulky and opaque.

They are still in the early stages of development, but they have the potential to revolutionize the way we generate electricity. They could be used to power buildings, cars, and other devices without taking up any extra space. For example, transparent solar panels could be used to create solar-powered windows that would allow natural light to enter a building while also generating electricity. They could also be used to create solar-powered car roofs or windows that charge the car’s battery whenever it is exposed to sunlight.

They will make economic sense in larger applications despite their lower power-generating capacity. For example, a large high-rise building with good solar exposure could have all the windows facing the sun made with solar panels instead of glass. On a large surface area, this would provide a significant amount of power to run the systems in the building. When combined with high-efficiency LED lighting, regeneration from elevators, and energy storage, the building could become energy neutral or even a net producer.

Numerous companies are vigorously working on enhancing the efficiency and affordability of glass solar panel windows. Successful advancements in this direction could potentially position transparent solar panels as a practical alternative to traditional windows in the future.

Here are some companies actively involved in developing transparent solar panels:

SolarWindow Technologies: Pioneering the field, SolarWindow Technologies has created a transparent solar panel utilizing a thin film of titanium dioxide. This material absorbs sunlight and converts it into electricity. The company claims its transparent solar panel boasts 90% transparency and has the capacity to generate up to 10 watts of electricity per square meter.
PolySolar is a company that specializes in the development and manufacturing of transparent solar panels. PolySolar’s transparent solar panels are made of a thin film of cadmium telluride (CdTe), which is a semiconductor material. CdTe is a very efficient material for absorbing sunlight and converting it into electricity. PolySolar’s transparent solar panels are also very transparent, allowing up to 80% of visible light to pass through.
Onyx Solar is a company that specializes in the development and manufacturing of transparent solar panels. Onyx Solar’s transparent solar panels are made of a thin film of amorphous silicon (a-Si), which is a semiconductor material. a-Si is a very transparent material, allowing up to 80% of visible light to pass through.

These companies represent just a glimpse of the ongoing efforts to develop solar panel windows. With continued research and development, it remains promising that glass solar panels will eventually emerge as a compelling option for replacing windows in the future.

Source Happy Eco News

Can AI Ever Be Sustainable?

Posted on October 9, 2023October 9, 2023 by dishanth

The AI genie is out of the bottle. There is no going back, but we can make it more sustainable. Here’s how.

AI is here, and it has a big footprint. As a recent article in the Guardian pointed out, AI is already a vast resource hog in its current form.

Like the intense energy consumption that the crypto mining industry experiences, the data centers that power the AI are already at par with and will soon exceed them; with AI, though, the energy consumption problem is worse for a few important reasons. The computers that power crypto mining are a big part. Of course, they use a lot of energy; they are on the fringe of legality and social acceptance. Everyone knows it. Most of us have read about someone stealing power from the grid to power illicit mining rigs.

But not so with AI.

To most who use it, using an AI like Microsoft Bing or Google Bard feels like using a search engine. You type your search term or query, and a second later, you receive the reply. Repeat and refine as you go. It seems simple and harmless; after all, the companies that run these machines are some of the most trusted household names.

You don’t search for something; you Google it.

But behind the scenes are millions upon millions of connected computers housed in large data centers. Most are in faraway places with low taxes, cheap power, and lots of free water.

Water, because it’s not just about energy anymore either; it’s now also about water as a coolant. These machines generate immense amounts of heat as they process all the information required to create the silicon functional equivalent of thousands of artificial brains. Water cooling is the best way to get the heat out of the machines. The cheapest way to do that is to have a large constant supply of fresh water that can enter the system cool and exit the system hot – bringing with it the excess heat created in the machines.

There are other unaccounted costs as well. According to Uptime Institute’s Global Data Center Survey 2021, the global data center industry replaces an estimated 2.5 million servers annually. This number will grow to 3.2 million servers by 2025. Sure, some are recycled, but if the number is the same as general electronic waste, only 17.4% of servers are recycled, and the vast majority end up as e-waste.

Despite this bleak picture, I’m confident it will get sorted quickly. At a glance, the focused use of renewable energy generation for data centers is an evident and technologically-ready solution. Solar power installation is currently 90% cheaper than ten years ago and is still falling, even during this inflation period.

The cost of solar panels has fallen by about 80% in the past ten years. This is due to the increasing efficiency of solar cells and the economies of scale achieved in the solar manufacturing industry. The cost of other components, such as inverters and mounting systems, has also fallen in recent years. Governments in many countries have offered financial incentives to encourage the adoption of solar power. These incentives have helped to reduce the cost of solar power installation due to a surge in availability and local production of high-quality solar panels.

In the case of data centers, the energy required will come from renewables and will not have the same footprint as it did five or even ten years ago. In some cases, the energy consumed will have a net zero or possibly a negative carbon footprint.

Solution Water

Closed-circuit geothermal cooling systems are an evident and easy-to-implement solution for water consumption. Rather than using the cold water from a river or reservoir and risk heating and damaging natural river and lake systems, geothermal systems can create a contained and efficient cooling system.

For smaller systems, a ground-source heat pump would suffice. This type of system uses a series of pipes that are buried in the ground to extract or transfer heat. The pipes are filled with thermal conductive fluid that is cooled by the ground. The cooled fluid is then circulated through the data center and used to cool the servers inside.

For larger systems, a water-source heat pump would provide cooling. This type of system uses water pumped from a well into the data center to extract heat and cool the servers. The heated water is pumped back into the well to be cooled by the Earth, and the cycle begins again, with the only operational cost being the pumps that circulate the water.

Geothermal systems are very efficient at extracting or transferring heat. This can help to save energy and money on cooling costs. Geothermal systems can run on renewable energy, so do not produce any emissions and do not cause immediate damage to riparian areas, so they are considered environmentally friendly. Finally, geothermal systems are very reliable and can operate for many years without any problems and require little maintenance and can last for up to 50 years in ideal conditions.

Solution Hardware Churn

The automatic and mindless replacement of millions of servers worldwide seems flawed. Indeed, there are business critical machines that must be replaced to have 100% uptime, but applying that mentality to all servers is extreme and flawed. It results in unnecessary waste of machines that are still fit to function, until something fails.

The servers could be made to last longer. Currently, due to technology upgrades and other factors, the average lifespan of a server is only 3-5 years. The major hardware components of servers could easily be designed to last 20 or more years with only upgrades to specific components as technology increases. This would ensure they maintain valuable and relevant for the longest period of time and would save enormous amounts of valuable hardware resources from ending up in the waste pile.

The components and systems that must be replaced could be recycled more effectively, with much of the precious elements recaptured for reuse in new components. Similar to the recycling systems now being deployed by ROSI in France for solar panels, the same process could be applied to servers and their components. In the ROSI system, 99% of the elements in a solar panel can be recaptured. Severs have a variety of precious elements inside them; a high-efficiency recycling process would recapture gold, silver, platinum, copper, and palladium.

A Bigger (Flawed) Picture

The bigger problem is the fact that the current AI business model is flawed. Most AI programs are run as typical capitalist profit machines, only open to the public as toys and tools for writing or entertainment. The is a gold rush mentality right now where all the players are vying for position and the attention of investors.

To be successful, therefore, they need to exploit resources (energy, water, and hardware) as cheaply as possible to make the product that they sell for as high a price as possible. If the actual cost of the energy and water were factored in – cost to society and the planet – many of these so-called profit centers would disappear overnight.

It is hard to believe that some of the largest companies in the world, which, through the application of proprietary AI, are fundamentally changing the way humans live and work, are not paying their fair share of taxes. These companies are making billions of dollars in profits while striking deals with governments to avoid paying the true costs of running their businesses.

They set up in low or no-tax jurisdictions manipulating local governments who make concessions to normal business applications based on the promise of offshoots or trickle-down economic benefits, such as jobs and ancillary services. But if the situation becomes less than favorable, these mega companies leave town and move on to the next host like a parasite.

This is no different from many other subsidized, so-called capitalist businesses. Most of the fossil fuel industry, bottled water, junk food, wheat, soy, automotive, and many other industries would simply not have a business case if the actual cost of production was felt. If the real cost to operate an AI data center were factored in, fewer people would be using it. That could be a good thing.

Do we need to rely on AI more than we do already? Let’s be real; we were able to communicate, make recipes, plan our trips, and all the other things before AI; there is no reason we can’t do it now too.

The Solution

If there was a requirement for AI companies to manage their own environmental impact, for real, and if there were strict controls on the use of AI. It could begin to be used for a higher purpose. It would be used for things like reducing the effects of climate change, developing drought-resistant crops, fixing broken cities, improving the welfare of developing nations, or for medical advances like less invasive therapies, advanced antibiotics, and vaccines.

The best part is that all this is possible and happening now. Many governments are placing tighter restrictions on the use of AI, and others are forcing big corporate consumers to include a full accounting of all their combined footprints. These days, the responsible corporation includes details of all aspects of its footprint. AI is already being used for the benefit of society and the planet, we just need to find the right balance of use and benefit, and I believe we can; it’s just a matter of time.

Knowing that makes me very hopeful for the future and the use of AI.

Source Happy Eco News

The Power of Responsible Sourcing

Posted on October 5, 2023 by dishanth

Climate change, circular economies, ESG and sustainability have all become business priorities over the past few years, with global supply chains sitting right in the middle of these issues – both as a major contributor to the problem and as an area of focus for improvements. Businesses must, therefore, purchase materials and products from companies that can show that they have good sustainability practices, from both a labour and manufacturing point of view.

The benefits of responsible sourcing and sustainable packaging

Responsible sourcing has been shown to influence consumers buying decisions, with studies suggesting that up to 70% of consumers would pay more for sustainably-produced goods. Businesses must therefore meet the increasing demand from consumers for products that are both environmentally and socially responsible.

Yet businesses are still learning when it comes to improving their responsible sourcing process, with Richard Howells, Vice President of Solution Management for Digital Supply Chain at SAP, describing it as an “evolving landscape,” allowing businesses the opportunity to combine sustainability initiatives with efficiency efforts and customer demand.

“While the ‘Amazon Effect’ has led to heightened consumer expectations for quick delivery, there is a similar demand for eco-friendly products,” Howell says. “In fact, 90% of Gen X consumers say they’d be willing to pay more for sustainable items – compared to 34% just a couple of years ago.

“In today’s market, for businesses to prosper and expand they must discover novel approaches to meet rising demands for ESG standards, placing greater emphasis on responsible sourcing.”

Responsible sourcing within procurement

For businesses to build a responsible and resilient supply chain, leaders need to acknowledge that procurement is the first step. “The procurement team begins the sourcing process by evaluating potential goods and materials that would make up the products made and distributed in the supply chain,” says Etosha Thurman, Chief Marketing & Solutions Officer, of Intelligent Spend and Business Network at SAP.

“In their evaluation, they are considering the environmental, societal, and economic impact of sourcing the materials. For example, potential risks with energy efficiency, water and land usage, and hazardous materials.”

To ensure businesses adopt responsible sourcing, leadership needs to set out clear definitions which align with the ESG goals of the organisation. Procurement professionals must also be educated about the necessary steps to ensure the goods and services under consideration meet the criteria.

Technologies role in responsible sourcing

In today’s rapidly evolving business landscape, technology stands as a pivotal ally in driving sustainability across the source-to-pay (S2P) and procure-to-pay (P2P) processes. By seamlessly integrating innovative solutions, organisations can navigate strategic sourcing, procurement, and supplier relationships while adhering to responsible and ethical practices.

“Technology can help organisations follow sustainable practices at every stage of the S2P and P2P process,” Thurman says. “In strategic sourcing, the right solutions can help analyse current and future spending, find and source from suppliers, ensure compliance and reduce risk with sustainability in mind. SAP Ariba Sourcing is a good example of a solution that enables users to prioritise suppliers that align with ESG goals.”

During the P2P process, Thurman reminds organisations that it is important to use solutions that help guide business users to make risk-aware and sustainable purchases, ensuring contract compliance with sustainable procurement policies. “The guided buying capability in SAP Ariba Procurement solutions can help guide employees to purchase from sustainable suppliers,” she adds. “Technology can also be a valuable tool in nurturing relationships with sustainable suppliers. Taulia’s Sustainable Supplier Finance solution allows users to reward suppliers that share their ESG qualifications with early payment incentives.

What’s more, to build a sustainable and risk-resilient supply chain, businesses need to establish strong relationships with key suppliers, which must be diverse. The supply chain data then needs to be monitored and analysed in real time, and investment needs to be made in technologies that can enhance supply chain visibility and agility.

“Efficient, effective technology can help businesses acquire and manage the data and information they need to measure compliance, minimise risk and boost sustainability,” Howells says. “Businesses must examine their value chains comprehensively, from sourcing raw materials to understanding the end product’s lifecycle. By adopting technology-driven solutions like blockchain and IoT, companies can ensure that their sustainability efforts extend beyond the surface level to every aspect of their operations.”

What’s more, SAP works with its partners to provide efficient solutions to business operations, while recognising the importance of monitoring and measuring not only cost, speed, profitability and customer service, but increasingly, emissions, waste, inequality and other sustainability and risk KPIs across the supply chain. This can be accomplished by connecting every process, contextualising every decision and collaborating with partners without obstacles. However, there is no one-size-fits-all solution for supply chain complexities.

Howell explains: “Buyers on SAP Business Network can choose vendors based not only on price and availability but also on human rights records and third-party sustainability ratings. Suppliers share human rights questionnaires to their profiles on SAP Business Network, where buyers can access them. Buyers are automatically notified any time a supplier they are doing business with updates their questionnaire. This saves suppliers time and helps buyers easily prepare for due diligence processes.”

Final thoughts

Embracing responsible sourcing is paramount for businesses aiming to navigate the evolving landscape of sustainability, satisfy consumer demands and enhance their growth prospects. Through integrating technology, fostering diverse supplier relationships and monitoring supply chain data, organisations can achieve a holistic approach to ESG standards, ensuring lasting positive impacts on both their operations and the wider world.

In a rapidly changing business environment, responsible sourcing stands as a gateway to sustainable success. By aligning with ESG goals, leveraging technology-driven solutions, and nurturing supplier relationships, businesses can forge resilient supply chains that not only meet current demands but also pave the way for a more environmentally and socially conscious future.

Source Sustainability