UNDA’s Post

Day 18 of AI Sustainability Advocacy Challenge. Concept: Circular Economy Hub Description: A city with an integrated Circular Economy Hub that leverages AI and advanced technology to minimize waste and maximize resource recovery. The focus here is on managing waste and creating a sustainable loop where waste is transformed into resources. Resource Exchange Stations: These are strategically placed across the city. Citizens and businesses can drop off items that are no longer needed but still useful, like electronics, clothes, or furniture. AI algorithms match these items with potential users, creating a marketplace for reusables. AI-Powered Composting Units: These units are distributed in residential areas and public spaces. They automatically compost organic waste, turning it into nutrient-rich soil, which can be collected by local gardeners and farmers. AI monitors the composting process to ensure optimal conditions and quality. Waste-to-Energy Conversion Facilities: The system includes facilities that convert non-recyclable waste into energy using AI to optimize the conversion process, ensuring maximum efficiency and minimal environmental impact. Real-Time Environmental Monitoring: Sensors across the city continuously monitor pollution levels, waste production, and energy usage. AI analyzes this data to make adjustments in real-time, ensuring that the city remains clean and green. Educational Hubs: Interactive digital boards located in various parts of the city educate the public about the benefits of the Circular Economy Hub. These boards display real-time data on how much waste has been diverted from landfills and the amount of energy produced. Benefits: Resource Efficiency: By turning waste into resources, the Circular Economy Hub reduces the need for raw materials, leading to a more sustainable city. Lower Carbon Footprint: Waste-to-energy conversion and AI-optimized composting reduce greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional waste management methods. Community Engagement: Resource Exchange Stations encourage community participation in waste reduction and resource sharing, fostering a sense of responsibility and collaboration. Economic Growth: The Circular Economy Hub creates new business opportunities around the reuse, recycling, and repurposing of materials, contributing to the local economy. Sustainability Awareness: Educational Hubs help raise awareness about sustainability practices, encouraging citizens to adopt more eco-friendly behaviors. Central AI Control Center: The heart of the system, where AI processes all incoming data, optimizes operations, and ensures everything runs smoothly. This concept transforms waste management into a holistic system that supports a circular economy, making the city more sustainable and resilient. #GETINGO #WBGYouthSummit #31DaysofSustainabilityAdvocate #SDGs #SustainableDevelopment #GlobalGoals #UNGoals

Circular Innovation Challenge Top 3 finalists   SOLVE, the Vikāra Institute and the V&A Waterfront are delighted to announce the Top 4 finalists in our annual Circular Innovation Challenge. After some tough deliberation,our panel of circular economy experts decided on the following Top 4 finalists (in alphabetical order):   EWaste Africa Leafline (https://leafline.co.za/) NUDE FOODS Zerocrete (https://zerocrete.co.za/)    This Challenge aims to foster a new wave of innovators, change-makers, and thought leaders in the #Circular Economy. Our top 4 will pitch their idea to a panel of experts in the circularity field at Vikára’s annual conference on 22 October. The winner will be awarded a cash prize, training to speak to any specific needs they have, mentorship, and access to business contacts along with excellent exposure to other businesses and potential customers through testing their product or service at the V&A. #circularinnovation2024

♻️ In 2023 Revolve Your World’s circular economy based waste system took local recycling rates from less than 10% to 75% with their Norfolk Island pilot project. Now their model is set to deliver impressive sustainability outcomes for Australia and the Pacific. 🏝️ 🔗 Register to become an early shareholder in our solution: https://lnkd.in/ge98Faji Investment highlights: 💰 Generating $1.8M+ in annual revenue. 📈 Our Norfolk Island pilot project exceeded all expectations taking waste landfill diversion rate from less than 10% to 75%! With investment, we are on track to exceed the Govt 2030 recycling target of 80%. 🔧 We now have a proven patented model that is highly scalable and ready to be rolled out for communities around Australia and the Pacific 🌍 Our waste systems solve key issues that remote communities face: 🌿 Reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions & air pollution. 🌊 Improving ocean and waterway health by preventing for marine and river dumping. 🌱 Reducing the negative impact of landfilling waste on the ecosystem. 🍃 Boosting local food security by turning organic waste into compost for growers, and improving soil health in the process. 🏘️ Strengthening community resilience – shifting the costs of waste transport & landfill to creating local jobs and products - building community wealth, health & connection. With investment we will: 🔄 Replicate, scale and customise our circular solution to fit a range of other remote communities across Australia. 🖥️ Launch our new 3D design product to drive more revenue through data capture, insights, and licensing models. Don’t miss your chance to become an early shareholder today: *Always consider the general CSF risk warning and offer document before investing.

🌿 Embark on a journey of sustainability and technological innovation with a compelling narrative from the realm of waste management and recycling, centered around PICVISA's revolutionary AI-driven sorting technologies. In our quest for sustainability, our company encountered a significant challenge in effectively managing and sorting waste to minimize environmental impact. Embracing AI solutions from PICVISA, we witnessed a transformation in our operational efficiency, with automated sorting processes streamlining our workflow and optimizing resource utilization. As we delved deeper into the integration of AI-driven technologies, the human element behind these innovations became increasingly tangible. Our team's dedication to implementing sustainable practices and reducing waste was truly inspiring, underscoring the importance of collaboration and collective efforts in driving positive change. Reflecting on this journey, I invite you to ponder: How can we harness the power of recycling and AI to revolutionize waste management practices and build a greener future? Let's spark discussions, share insights, and envision a sustainable tomorrow powered by advanced sorting technologies. Together, let's pave the way for a more eco-conscious world. 🌎💡 #SustainableInnovation #AIforRecycling #GreenFutureAhead I would love to hear your thoughts and perspectives on leveraging advanced sorting technologies for sustainable impact. Join the conversation and let's shape a brighter, more eco-friendly future together. 💬🌱 You could book a meeting to further discuss our technology or solve any inquiries you may have: https://lnkd.in/dH2ACCyd Link of the source: https://lnkd.in/d3YhxRh4

🗑 Turning your trash into treasure 💎   The average European generates 500 kg of municipal waste. Only 45% is recycled. In the REDOL EU Project, Rucha Sawlekar, PhD at Luleå University of Technology, is developing a demonstrator for circular waste in the urban region of Zaragoza, Spain.   - By leveraging AI and robotics, we aim to create systems that not only handle waste more effectively but also contribute to broader sustainability goals. Part of the project is to create a blueprint for scaling and replicating the model in other geographical areas.   Most cities already have recycling systems so why is this problem occurring?   - The greatest challenges in reducing urban waste include the diversity of materials, the contamination of recyclables, and the scale at which sorting and processing need to occur. Robotics and AI can solve these issues by automating waste sorting with precision and speed. Together, they enable smarter recycling systems that reduce the need for manual labor, minimize errors, and improve the quality of recycled materials, thus reducing the overall waste sent to landfills.   What happens with the material we can "save" from landfills with this technology? - We're working with stakeholders on redesigning key value chains for solid urban waste (packaging, plastics, construction and demolition waste, textiles, and waste electrical and electronic equipment), resulting in the creation of 12 circular products. Luleå University of Technology is working with 34 partners from across Europe in Redol, leveraging its expertise in digital innovation. - We're laying the groundwork for a traceability system that ensures circularity within the value chain. Additionally, our team is driving the digitalization of value chains by determining sensor types and locations, implementing both mobile and static sensors, and establishing standards and communication protocols to enable seamless interaction with the platform.    You have a scientific background in biomedicine and the health sector. How does your previous experience play into this project? - My background in engineering (synthetic biology) focuses on complex systems design, data analysis, and sustainability. The health sector increasingly uses AI to improve diagnostic accuracy and automate repetitive tasks. In urban recycling, this translates to using robotics for automating sorting processes and AI for real-time decision-making. My knowledge of how these technologies can streamline operations in healthcare allows me to contribute to proposing robotic sensors and systems that can support the sorting of urban waste. Additionally, the perspective on improving resource efficiency is critical in urban recycling, where the goal is to maximize the reuse of materials and minimize waste sent to landfills.

Embracing sustainability, many entrepreneurs are building businesses around zero-waste, aiming to minimize their environmental impact while meeting consumer demand for eco-friendly practices. As we continue into 2024, this trend is gaining momentum, driven by heightened environmental awareness and the increasing viability of sustainable business models. Here’s a closer look at how businesses can thrive by integrating zero-waste principles into their operations. Understanding Zero-Waste Business Practices: A zero-waste business model focuses on redesigning resource life cycles so that all products are reused and nothing is sent to landfills or incinerators. This approach requires rethinking product design, logistics, and customer engagement to eliminate waste throughout the product lifecycle. Product Design and Packaging: Innovative product design is crucial. Businesses are adopting biodegradable or fully recyclable materials, ensuring that they can be broken down or re-enter the production cycle. Supply Chain Optimization: Optimizing the supply chain for zero waste involves careful selection of suppliers who also adhere to sustainable practices. Circular Economy Integration: Successful zero-waste businesses often operate within a circular economy model, where resource input and waste, emission, and energy leakage are minimized by slowing, closing, and narrowing energy and material loops. This can be achieved through long-lasting design, maintenance, repair, reuse, remanufacturing, refurbishing, and recycling. Consumer Engagement and Education: Engaging customers is essential for the success of a zero-waste business. This involves educating them about the benefits of zero-waste products and practices and encouraging their participation through returnable packaging, product take-back programs, or incentives for recycling. Community and Collaboration: Building networks with other businesses and organizations focused on sustainability can lead to new opportunities for waste reduction. Collaborations can help develop shared resources like community recycling centers or collective composting facilities that benefit multiple stakeholders. Challenges and Considerations: While the zero-waste business model is attractive, it comes with challenges, primarily relating to cost and consumer adaptation. Initial investments in sustainable materials and processes may be higher, although they can pay off in the long run through reduced disposal costs and stronger customer loyalty. Educating consumers and encouraging them to adopt new habits is also crucial and can require significant effort. If you are interested in taking your business to the next level, schedule a free 30-minute info session with us: https://lnkd.in/dNuN3gDk #ZeroWasteBusiness #SustainableEntrepreneurship #EcoFriendlyBusiness #CircularEconomy #GreenBusinessPractices

How do we create a stong circular waste ecosystem? ♻ I am truly inspired by nature and often flabbergasted by the rockstar abilities flora and fauna demonstrate. 🥊 My favourite nature principle? = Building resilience through diversity! Chew on it and think about it..... it is so right and has lifted my perspective in conversations with my kids to professional matters. My take is that we as humans forget to think about this in our pursue towards own victory. And to create fundamental change to our current system, we should not think of ourselves as the key architects of that "tomorrow", but a puzzle in the strong collabortative ecosystem. 🍄 Rockstar examples: Fungi are kick ass facilitators of a regenerative soil system by shaping mutualistic relationships with plants help them absorb water and nutrients & in return get carbohydrates. ♻ To create a strong circular waste ecosystem, we can take great inspiration in this principle and strive to create collaborations across both down and upstream actors. Something I feel Ashley Fill, MSt coined really well in below article 👇 Bower is a catalyst for a connected circular system to help citizens sort the well designed packaging into the right bin. If this is not happening all the efforts from the producers and waste management is worth nothing. So to take the learnings from nature; lets scale circularity not next to each other, but with each other. Always open to chat about how we can do this at scale. https://lnkd.in/eSSzHNzs

🚀 Parkes Special Activation Precinct: Pioneering Circular Economy in Regional NSW 🚀 Following up on my recent post about the Australian Circular Economy Forum 2024, I want to shine a spotlight on the Parkes Special Activation Precinct (SAP) and its role in advancing the circular economy in regional NSW. 🔄 What is the Parkes Special Activation Precinct? The Parkes SAP is a strategically designed precinct that integrates industry, transport, and community development in ways that minimise environmental impact while maximising local economic opportunities. Located at the crossroads of the Inland Rail and major national highways, Parkes is uniquely positioned to be a logistics hub, supporting industries that are future-proofed with circular economy practices. 🌱 How Parkes SAP Applies Circular Economy Principles: 1. Designing Out Waste and Pollution: • The Parkes SAP is committed to reducing waste at every stage of development. This includes construction methods that prioritise the use of recycled and local materials, as well as encouraging businesses within the precinct to adopt waste-minimising practices. • Shared infrastructure, such as centralised waste management and water treatment systems, helps industries within the precinct recycle and reuse materials, reducing their reliance on virgin resources. 2. Keeping Materials in Use: • Parkes will host facilities focused on remanufacturing and recycling, keeping materials like plastics, metals, and textiles in circulation. This “industrial symbiosis” allows waste from one business to become a resource for another, creating a closed-loop system within the precinct. 3. Regenerating Natural Systems: • The precinct will integrate green infrastructure, including parks and green spaces, to help regenerate the local environment. These areas will not only improve biodiversity but also contribute to managing stormwater and improving air quality. • The Parkes SAP is committed to using renewable energy systems, ensuring that energy needs are met through sustainable sources like solar and wind, reducing the precinct’s carbon footprint. 🌏 Why Parkes SAP is a Game Changer for Regional NSW The Parkes Special Activation Precinct is more than just an economic hub, it’s a blueprint for how regional areas can thrive in a carbon-constrained future. By embedding circular economy principles at its core, Parkes is not only reducing waste and pollution but also setting the stage for a more resilient and sustainable regional economy. The focus on innovation, resource efficiency, and collaboration makes Parkes SAP a pioneering example of circular economy precincts in Australia. If you’re interested in the circular economy or regional development, keep an eye on Parkes, it’s setting the standard for what’s possible. #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #ParkesSAP #RegionalNSW https://lnkd.in/g3ykiAuD

Upcycling offers numerous benefits by reducing waste, conserving resources, and fostering creativity and sustainability through the transformation of old items into valuable new products. However, it also presents challenges such as potential quality variations and the time-consuming nature of the process, which can hinder scalability. #Upcycling #Sustainability #Creativity #ReduceWaste

It is with a sense of pride that I bid farewell to Waste Labs, as we shut down its commercial operations. It's been an incredible 4-years, filled with ups and downs. There is much to celebrate in what we built and achieved, so here goes my personal Top-4 highlights package. As a recap, founded in 2020 by Vladimir Chuchkin and myself, we developed and used AI-planning tools to design and optimise recycling systems ♻. 1️⃣ Advancing sustainability What I'm most proud of is that we made a positive contribution to the waste and recycling industry. We helped design and optimise $100million+ recycling systems, spanning four continents, and involving a wide array of waste-types, ultimately, helping our clients to divert waste from landfills. 2️⃣ starting a company from our bedrooms during COVID, with revenue from day 1 We started Waste Labs in early 2020, right at the start of COVID. Despite being confined to Singapore, and our respective bedrooms, we were able to sign-up multi-national clients across the world. You have to be a bit crazy to jump into a start-up, but with just enough crazyness, and support, you can achieve the seemingly impossible. 3️⃣ Finding an awesome co-founder My co-founder, Vladimir Chuchkin, and I met at Entrepreneur First, and I still don't know who was more surprised at meeting another person interested in waste management! Being able to go through this journey with him was an honour and a privilege. The good news, he is still going strong in the sustainability space with Black Square. 4️⃣ Working with incredible people We were fortunate to have worked with some incredible people, spread over Kazakhstan, Singapore, Australia and the UK. Working with all of you was a highlight, and without you, the above highlights would not be possible. I hope we inspired you as much as you inspired us! As for doing incredible things, our ex-CPO, Arthur Goujon, has co-founded his own recycling tech company, Sorted, which is doing amazing stuff in the UK and Europe! 🔶 As for the next phase in my journey, I'm not sure, and that's ok. These are exciting times in tech, and I'm happy to be entering, or reentering it with an open and industry-agnostic mindset. Whether it will be employment (corporate, another startup), building a new startup, or consulting work, I'm leaving all options open for now. What this journey has taught me is that exploration, ideation, meeting interesting people and having good conversations are incredibly valuable. Especially given the rapid changes and advances in the tech world. ✅ In that sense, please reach out if you know of any interesting opportunities or people out there, or if you would just like to formally or informally brainstorm and ideate around some topics. ♻ Lastly, I was fortunate to get input from a lot of experienced founders and executives during my journey, and I would love to pay it forward. So reach out if there is anything that I can assist with!