Introduction
The 51st Earth Day was observed this year. Emerging environmental consciousness and concerns make the front page on this day, but "Earth Day" should be celebrated every day. Working toward the Sustainable Development Goals is critical for a brighter future, and every day of the year, new projects, ideas, and start-ups are bringing about global, national, and local changes.
Here are ten projects that aim toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the categories of the Earth, Energy, Water, Animals and Plants, Circular Economy, Improving the Quality of Life, and Plastic Waste:
Build resilient infrastructure, promote equitable and sustainable industrialisation, and support innovation as part of Earth SDG 9.
Construction of buildings is one of the most material and carbon-intensive enterprises.
Energy
SDG : Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all.
Do you want to catch wind and use it for your needs while you're outside?
KiteX, a Copenhagen-based start-up, has unveiled a professional wind turbine made of high-quality recycled fiber that takes only 15 minutes to assemble. This kite-inspired device is ideal for campers: it weighs 10 kg, folds up to fit in a 200x20x20 cm bag, and can produce up to 600W depending on the model; enough to charge an e-bike or boil water. The other model, the 200W Wind Catcher lite, is ideal for lower wind speed climates, with enough power to run a small fridge, a few lights, or charge a phone.
IWater
SDG: Ensure universal access to and sustainable management of water and sanitation.
In Peru and other parts of the world, people still wash their clothes in rivers. This routine is not only useful, but it is also part of Peruvian cultural heritage. Unfortunately, the cleaning products used by women end up spilling into and contaminating the river.
Andea, a Peruvian mineral water brand, and Cirsys, a team of engineers, chemists, and biologists, discovered a unique microorganism capable of producing probiotics that feed on river pollutants and are used in laundry soap bars. When soap is used, it emits particles into the water. Particles cling to the stones and algae there.
Plants and animals
SDG:Protect, restore, and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems; manage forests sustainably; combat desertification; and halt and reverse land degradation and biodiversity loss.
Piatex® is a novel textile made from waste pineapple leaf fibers that can be used as a sustainable alternative to both mass-produced leather and polluting synthetic materials, providing a better option for a better future. It is made from pineapple plant leaves, which are traditionally discarded or burned as a byproduct of the fruit industry. The finished material is ready for use in fashion, furnishings, and even automotive applications after special treatment.
Improving the quality of life
SDG :Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all ages.
Would you like to get real-time feedback on your moves and poses while practising yoga online, to be sure you are doing everything right? Meet Zenia, a motion-tracking yoga app that tracks movement through your phone’s camera and tells you if you are not doing the exercises correctly. The app can identify 16 joints across the body, and a built-in voice assistant provides feedback on your yoga practice. The software also adapts to each user’s pace, and it monitors progress over time to offer metric-based feedback.
Waste plastic
Many of the SDGs have been influenced by the ubiquitous plastic in some way. As a result, we have included two companies that are addressing the issue of plastic waste.
Do you know what, after single-use plastic, is the second-largest microplastic pollutant in our ocean?
The correct answer is tyre wear, which accounts for up to 50% of air particulate emissions from road transportation. The Tyre Collective, a British start-up, created a device to reduce microplastic emissions by capturing tyre wear at the source, ensuring clean air and protecting our environment and health.
The device is placed near where the tyre meets the road to take advantage of airflow around a spinning wheel, and it captures charged tyre particles as a result.
Can we transform used cosmetic packaging into something beautiful and useful? Handle an innovative start-up with a circular approach, believes that used beauty packaging isn’t waste but a raw material that can be repurposed. Handle collects beauty packaging directly from salons, retailers and consumers, then recycles and repurposes the different materials to create a premium range of beauty accessories with handles made entirely from the recycled material.
Internet
The internet is the key to success if you use it correctly For example, a good student enhances his or her knowledge, as well as benefits the business community and the community at large.