
World’s First Reusable Tote Bag

The Sustainability Problem:
The more we learn about the negative effects of fossil fuels, the more the world is looking to alternative and renewable sources of energy. New technology has been explored to create energy from various waste streams for many years now. Focus is on looking at waste readily available in particular locales and finding new uses for them, including energy generation.
The Technology Solution:
A new technology has figured out a way to create energy from human urine through the process of bacteria metabolism. By designing special urinals to capture the urine and introduce the bacteria, they are able to harness the energy. The Science News article explains the technology this way:
“The technology in the prototype is based on microbial fuel cells (MFC), which, like batteries, has an anode and a cathode,” explains Irene Merino, who is a researcher on the team thanks to a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and works alongside another Spanish worker, Daniel Sánchez.
The cells are installed inside a container which collects the urine, currently only from male users due to the design of the urinals. Inside, bacteria colonise the anode electrode and act as a catalyst, decomposing the organic material in the pee.
This decomposition releases both protons, which travel from the anode to the cathode across a semipermeable membrane, and electrons, which travel through an external electrical circuit. To complete the cycle, an oxygen reduction reaction also takes place in the cathode. The process generates enough energy to power light bulbs or LED tubes.
Stakeholders:
Implementation:
Source:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/07/160706092216.htm
Sustainability Problem:
This technology is addressing plastic waste pollution, by transforming used plastic into bricks. Plastic can take up to 500 years to biodegrade and 75% of plastic produced globally is in a landfill or not formally disposed of.
Technology:
Stakeholders:
How to deploy this technology:
References:
Problem: Synthetic plastics are used to produce food containers, because these plastics do not to chemicals in food. This turns out to be an issue when these containers go to landfills and do not degrade. There current methods for recycling plastics are energy intensive. The technique in this article and the research is geared towards reducing plastic pollution and in turn creating usable liquid fuel.
Technology:
Stakeholders:
Steps for deploying technology:
Sustainability Problem:
While we can’t live without it, plastic becomes an issue when it comes to waste management. Especially in places with no proper infrastructure for waste management, plastic becomes a major challenge that comes with a multitude of negative environmental impacts. Being largely developing and driven by the tourism industry, the island of Bali, Indonesia, is a clear example of a place that faces this issue.
Technology:
The Plastic to Fuel project, started by a local start-up called Eco-Mantra, is a project that aims to develop a low-tech, low cost plastic pyrolysis technology that could convert plastic to diesel. This technology not only deals with the issue of plastic waste, but also provides an alternative energy source using materials that are readily available. Technologies such as these could potentially be a decentralized and market based solution to the larger waste management problem of the island and other places alike.
Technology stakeholders:
Implementation:
Sources:
http://eco-mantra.com/plastic-to-fuel/