Sustainable technological innovations intentionally aim to meet the needs of current generations without compromising the needs of future generations. Let's have a look at the five sustainability innovations that might just change the world.
5 Sustainability Innovations for a Better Future
Our society has progressed drastically in terms of technological innovation. In the ancient age, fire was a revolutionary technology. Today, Generative Artificial Intelligence and Cryptocurrency are hailed as revolutionary technologies of this age. Now, people are looking up to sustainability innovations to solve society’s environmental problems.
A number of independent researchers and organizations are working together to find innovations that will help grow the economy at zero cost to the environment. Down below is a list of the five most promising sustainability innovations that might help us save our environment one day:
1. Sustainable Plastic
The word sustainable plastic might sound oxymoronic to some people because of the bad reputation of plastic. Most of us realize that plastic is not good for the environment, and yet we use plastic many times a day because there is no real alternative.
There are a number of projects that might replace the use of plastic completely. One such project is sustainable plastic by AirCarbon. It includes a net carbon-negative method of making plastic. The plastic is not synthetic plastic and can easily be broken down by microorganisms.
2. Biodegradable Packaging
Almost 80 per cent of all the plastic we use is used for packaging food. So, the highest priority of scientists is to find an environmentally friendly way of packaging food. Many people are working on creating a wrap that is plastic-like but made from natural sources that are edible.
An eatable and biodegradable packaging mean that you can eat the packaging along with the food. Even if you discard the packaging, it will degrade easily by microorganisms in a short period of time. Many companies have successfully created packaging that is made from edible silk proteins and has the ability to elongate the natural shelf life of food.
3. Solar Generators
Apart from plastic, another major cause of harm to the environment is the high consumption of energy that is produced by non-renewable resources. Thankfully, we have already discovered a number of ways to convert solar energy, wind energy, and hydro energy into electrical energy that can fuel daily use appliances such as mobile chargers and vacuum cleaners.
Scientists are still working on increasing the efficiency of renewable sources of energy. For example, we might soon be able to capture solar energy even on cloudy days.
4. Renewable Energy Storage
Our job is not done at producing energy from a renewable source. If we want to reduce our carbon emissions, we also need to store this energy for future use. One major problem with the conventional way of producing solar energy was that its storage was quite inefficient. But this might change in the new future.
There are many promising projects creating ecological ways of storing solar energy. In a future where all cars are electric, we are going to need bigger and more efficient energy storage.
5. AI-focused Alternatives
Generative artificial intelligence cannot just help in creating beautiful graphic images in seconds but also in creating technological solutions that otherwise might take months or years.
There are some AI-focused projects that are trying to find ways to decrease pollution created during the food production process. AI is helping to create ingredients that are organic, sustainable, and green. AI can process data at a level many times faster than a human being. Thus, AI is proving to be helpful by suggesting alternatives backed by data.
Way Forward
From biodegradable plastic to AI-focused alternatives, there are many sustainability innovations that can keep us hopeful for a better future. As individuals and organizations, it is our duty to use as many sustainable technologies as possible. If you do not know where to start your journey of becoming an environment-friendly organization, you can consult any reputable consulting service provider.