Eco-Friendly Technology Trends to Watch in 2024 Continued

Continuing our journey through 2024's eco-friendly tech landscape, we delve into critical areas shaping our sustainable future.

In the first part of our series, we explored advancements in renewable energy, electric vehicles, and smart homes. Now, we focus on the equally vital sectors of Waste Management and Recycling, Sustainable Agriculture, and Green Computing and Sustainable IT.

Waste Management and Recycling

♻️Advanced Recycling Technologies: Chemical recycling, spearheaded by companies like Agilyx, Dow Chemical Company, and Eastman Chemical Company are breaking down plastics at the molecular level.

These advanced technologies are poised to satisfy 4 to 8 percent of total polymer demand by 2030.

🤖AI and Robotics in Waste Sorting: AI-driven robotic systems, as developed by AMP Robotics and ZenRobotics, identify and segregate recyclables with high precision.

The adoption of such AI technology has the potential to enhance sorting accuracy by up to 50%.

🧫Biodegradable Materials: The push for biodegradable materials is gaining traction, led by innovators like BASF and NatureWorks, whose materials are engineered to decompose naturally and safely, providing sustainable alternatives to traditional plastics.

Sustainable Agriculture

🌱 Precision Farming Tools: AI and IoT-based tools in precision farming companies like Taranis, significantly enhance crop management, leading to improved yields and reduced resource use.

These technologies have been shown to increase crop yields and reduce water use and we are only in the early stages of innovation.

🏙️ Vertical and Urban Farming Technologies: Perfectly Fresh’s vertical farming, characterized by crops grown in stacked layers, optimizes space use, especially in urban environments.

It's notably efficient, using up to 95% less water and no pesticides compared to traditional farming.

🌾 Climate-Resilient Crops: Genetically modified crops for climate resilience are crucial in sustainable agriculture. These crops are designed to withstand extreme weather, enhancing food security.

They have been shown to improve yield stability by 20-30% under stress conditions compared to traditional crops.

Green Computing and Sustainable IT

💻 Energy-Efficient Data Centers: Google's data centers use high-efficiency cooling systems and machine learning to optimize energy use, making them 1.5x more energy-efficient than the industry average.

Microsoft, through projects like Project Natick, explores the feasibility of underwater data centers for natural cooling and renewable energy use.

🔌 Eco-Friendly Hardware: Apple uses recycled materials like aluminum and tin in its products and aims for a 100% carbon-neutral supply chain and products by 2030.

Dell offers a recycling program and uses recycled and sustainable materials in its products, like ocean-bound plastics and recycled carbon fiber.

🌐 Software for Sustainability: Salesforce's Sustainability Cloud helps businesses track and reduce their carbon emissions.

IBM offers solutions like the Environmental Intelligence Suite, which helps businesses forecast and respond to environmental risks.

Entering 2024, we're witnessing a dawn of sustainable innovation, signaling an exciting and transformative year ahead!

Samsung: Catching Microplastics

Around 15% of the microplastics messing with our oceans can be blamed on synthetic fabrics.

Samsung's Less Microfiber Filter, created with Patagonia and Ocean Wise, is a filter for your washing machine. It’s compatible with any manufacturer’s washing machine.

Samsung says the device – currently available in the UK, Europe, Turkey, and South Korea and coming to the U.S. and Canada this year– filters out 98% of microplastics released during the washing process.

⛏️ A Norwegian Company Set Up A Land-Based Aquaculture Farm, But It’s Not Salmon They Bet On

• Hima Seafood has invested $250 million USD in a 30,000 square meter land-based aquaculture farm, farming 8,000 tonnes of eco-friendly Norwegian trout annually.

• This project uses a modern RAS system, increasing fish welfare and environmental care with Norwegian salmon farming facing scrutiny.

💧 Yes, This 800-Pound Steel Box Extracts Drinking Water From Thin Air

• The WC-100 WaterCube by Genesis Systems weighing in at 800 pounds is designed to extract water straight from the air.

• This $20,000 gadget offers a futuristic solution to global water scarcity symbolizing a significant leap in the quest for sustainable water sources.

🥛 Forget Cows and Almonds—Lab-Grown Dairy Is the Future of Milk

• Startups are revolutionizing dairy with lab-grown milk that's just like the traditional milk but made without animals, using fermentation and cell-culture tech.

• Lab-grown dairy can potentially reduce methane emissions and meet the growing demand for sustainable options, positioning itself as a key player in the future of environmentally conscious food production.