Team:Edinburgh/Sustainable
Sustainable development goals: how do we fit into the picture?
Goal 9: Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Sustainable innovation and changes in infrastructure can help drive economic growth and generate employment. This goal plays a key role in creating and promoting new technologies that simplify and make processes more efficient. There is a huge need to accelerate development in the manufacturing sector and it can also boost investment in scientific research and development. The supergrider fits this sustainable goal as it creates an innovative technology that would essentially result in greener processes. It fosters innovation in better dealing with the most common recalcitrant insoluble polymers such as cellulose, chitin, keratin and poly(ethylene) terephthalate. This also provides the possibility for the sustainable industrialization of these polymers and downstream substances. Moreover, if the SuperGrinder is used to generate high value products from waste we could create a circular bioeconomy. Such a cycle would result in a higher employment rate and a boost in sustainable practices, which could significantly improve the overall infrastructure of local economies.
Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production
Consumption and production are the forces that drive economies worldwide. However, the way we use up the Earth’s resources has had a destructive effect on the planet. Excessive energy production is related to products such as water pollution, air pollution, climate change. Each year one trillion dollars' worth of food goes to waste because of bad harvesting or transportation practices. If we want to keep sustaining our growing population, we need to implement innovative and sustainable practices for consumption and production of the available natural resources. We believe that the supergrinder fits this goal as it enhances the current methods for extraction and grinding of the materials mentioned above. The supergrinder is a sustainable alternative that could be used to fuel a circular bioeconomy where waste products are turned into useful materials.
Goal 14: Life Below Water
Oceans are the world’s largest ecosystem, which are homes of approximately a million known species and reserves of abundant resources. Statistics have shown that over 3 billion people depend on marine and coastal biodiversity for their livelihood. However, regardless of efficient protection of life below water, inappropriate exploitation and over-exploitation of the water has already put the water ecosystem in an alarming danger. There is also significant waste entering the water. Specifically, an estimated 5 to 12 million metric tonnes of plastic float into the ocean, costing roughly 13 billion dollars per year. Moreover, approximately 90% of the plastic litter found on the ocean floor are single-use items. Therefore, if the SuperGrinder can efficiently degrade the waste, especially the PET, this can do immense help to decrease the pollution to the water and save life below water. The ocean-friendly design of the SuperGrinder can promote the protection of water life and further inhibit the damage to marine and coastal biodiversity.