Innovations for a sustainable Earth

 

Starting with the Industrial Revolution, there was for many years a perception that industrial progress inevitably came with a price: harm to the environment. The most cost-effective and efficient technologies and processes were rarely the most environmentally friendly ones. But in the 21st century, this mindset is changing. Businesses are realizing that pursuing sustainability doesn't have to hurt their bottom line. In fact, recent innovations in the field of green technology and sustainability highlight that profitability and sustainability can go hand in hand.

U.S.-based Ecovative is a manufacturer of packaging and insulation products. What sets their business apart, however, is the material: Ecovative products are made from agricultural waste and fungal mycelium. This means their packaging materials are completely biodegradable and can even be composted. Ecovative is still developing new products and expanding their product catalog, but it's one example of modern technology allowing companies to switch to sustainable products that still fulfill their business needs.  

Renewable energy sources are a popular topic when discussing sustainability -- solar power, wind power, hydropower, etc. But there is an additional way to reduce dependencies on oil: the creation of synthetic oil and petroleum substitutes. Amyris, founded in San Francisco by a group of scientists at the University of California, Berkeley, is one such company. Their key product, Biofene, is a custom-made, long-chain, branched hydrocarbon molecule that can form the basis of materials like diesel and jet fuel as well as detergents and industrial lubricants. Unlike oil and petroleum, Biofene is entirely renewable.

But that's not to say that areas like wind energy are passé when it comes to renewable energy. Companies continue to make exciting new innovations in this field as well. Festo, a Germany-based industrial control and automation company, recently debuted the DualWingGenerator. This is a small-scale wind turbine of sorts, featuring a central vertical column that supports two long, horizontal "wings." As the wind blows, the wings move in opposite directions (up and down), and the motion is used to generate electricity.  Though still  being tested, this turbine has the potential to completely alter the market for smaller wind turbines, particularly because of its effectiveness at slower wind speeds.

A final example that shows the intersection of going green and (potential) profitability, is that of The Ocean Cleanup, based in the Netherlands.  This is an ambitious project conceived of by the company's 19-year-old founder, Boyan Slat. Still in its nascent phases, the Ocean Cleanup hopes to rid oceans of the plastic debris currently clogging the seas, damaging environments and threatening wildlife. Their prototype consists of solid, floating barriers that make use of the ocean's currents to attract and collect floating plastic. Moreover, they also hope to be able to sell the collected plastic to recyclers, thus the project has the potential to both benefit the environment and to make money at the same time. It is still a ways from being fully realized (the company will soon be releasing its first feasibility study), but the possibilities of what it could achieve are quite exciting.

The field for green technologies and sustainable business practices continues to grow and develop in exciting ways, as ideas that once seemed hopelessly idealistic and unfeasible slowly become reality. Thanks to the combination of ambitious ideas and ground-breaking innovations, we are drawing nearer and nearer to a sustainable, environmentally friendly future -- a future that also holds exciting possibilities for the businesses behind these grand ideas.