The green tech-onomy is booming and in this article we take a look at some of the most exciting innovations in the climate-positive economy.
In recent years there has been an explosion of green tech start-ups developing innovative products that are trying to solve major environmental challenges and leave a lasting positive impact on the planet.
This article explores some of the most exciting tech developments in the sustainable economy and the pioneering brands that are bringing us the future of eco-friendly consumption, today.
#1: Meat from Mushrooms (and air)
Once an unfathomable concept, businesses are now producing protein-rich “meat” products using an ingredient abundant in nature: fungi.
To be precise, mycelium refers to the fungal threads in mushrooms that are usually discarded during production. When mycelium is grown with other vegetables and grains in a solid-state fermentation process it transforms those fibres into a protein-rich, natural texture with an umami flavour that resembles real meat [1] [2].
Mycelium has all the amino acids the body needs to produce muscle tissue and is a perfect alternative to meat, with the added benefit of being easier to digest [3].
Why is mycelium such an incredible invention for the environment? Reducing conventional meat consumption through the introduction of alternative sources of protein into people’s diets can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation and over-farming of land.
But perhaps the most amazing benefit of mycelium-produced protein is that it can be cultivated in vertical farms within small spaces: think disused factories or tunnels in the middle of cities [4] [5]. It is extremely energy efficient and does not require soil, fertiliser or light. Plus, the fermentation process lasts only a few days, which means that, along with its ability to be grown in confined urban spaces, it could become a vital tool for combatting food shortages in large cities [6].
Some pioneering brands producing mycelium-based products include My Forest Foods Co, whose bacon alternative is made using mycelium with only coconut oil, beetroot juice, salt, sugar and natural flavourings added to enhance its taste and appearance.
This sustainable brand is passionate about combatting greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation and cruel and intensive cattle farming.
Other meat alternatives on the market come from even more surprising sources. Air Protein has pioneered a novel “air fermentation” process. Air is whisked together with certain cultures to produce a protein which can then be dried, turned into flour, and shaped and moulded into different meat-like textures – like chicken, scallops or beef.
This is a lightning-fast and eco-friendly production method, as the fermentation process lasts only a few hours and consumes little energy and water.
The future of food is already here, as we steadily move away from traditional meat consumption to potentially healthier and less environmentally damaging alternatives.
#2: Batteries from Trees
Electric vehicles – the poster child of a sustainable lifestyle – are becoming more popular as consumers move away from traditional fuel-powered cars.
However nothing is perfect, and electric vehicles come with a negative environmental footprint of their own.
The batteries used to power them require certain toxic and difficult-to-recycle minerals and chemicals – like lithium. Lithium mining has been linked to human rights abuses and poor working conditions in developing nations [7].
Synthetic graphite is another material used in electric vehicle batteries, which involves excessive heating of materials usually done in coal-fired power plants [8].
So, how can these two realities be reconciled? Clearly, we need cars powered by electricity to help bring down emissions and achieve net-zero goals, but not at the cost of human rights or other negative environmental consequences.
Finnish company – Stora Enso – may have the answer. The largest forest owner in the world and already a producer of paper products, they have now discovered a method of producing electric batteries from trees.
Lignin – a polymer that acts as a natural glue for the cellulose fibres in trees – contains the necessary carbon required to produce battery anodes. Lignin usually ends up as a waste by-product of paper production, but Stora Enso claims to have found a way to convert that waste pulp into carbon batteries [9].
Stora Enso claims to be able to produce 50,000 tonnes of lignin per year, which it states is one of the largest sources of renewable carbon [10]. It is expected that lignin batteries will be in production from 2025.
There are however limitations to this wonder product. It is not clear whether the performance and durability of a lignin battery can compete with more traditional lithium-ion batteries (although further research and development in the future may change this).
Further, if this is to be a truly sustainable product, lignin batteries must only be produced from existing waste by-products without causing further chopping down of trees and deforestation.
Although the future of tree-based batteries is uncertain, it is certainly a tech innovation to watch in the next few years.
#3: Fish from 3D Printers
According to WWF, the number of overfished stocks globally has tripled in the past 50 years and the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation states that 33% of the world’s fish species are being pushed beyond their biological limits [11].
There is a real risk of fish populations becoming extinct, which would not only be devastating from a biodiversity perspective but would also have serious repercussions for communities whose livelihoods depend on fishing.
A shift to more sustainable fishing is vital to preserve global fish stocks and this latest tech innovation may have the potential to help alleviate the pressures on ocean species.
It feels like something from a science fiction movie, but in April 2023 a company called Steakholder Foods claimed to have produced the first fish fillet in history using a 3D printer with grouper fish cells converted into customisable bio-inks created by its partner company, Umami Meats [12].
Other companies, including Mycorena and Revo Foods, have also ventured into 3D printing fish, using instead a mycelium-based paste [13]. The “fish” can then be seasoned and cooked in a variety of ways. The artificially produced fillets are said to perfectly resemble the flakiness and texture of real fish.
Whilst it is difficult to imagine 3D-printed fish eliminating the consumption of real seafood entirely, they could certainly reduce dependency on over-fished ocean populations. This may just give sustainable fishing and conservation methods the fighting chance they need to protect the inhabitants of our oceans.
#4: Paper Bags with Purpose
Another initiative that aims to mitigate the negative environmental impact of human activities on our oceans is the alternative advertising strategy pioneered by start-up RAZE (formerly called BagBoard).
RAZE is reinventing and modernising how consumers interact with reusable shopping bags. Its mission is to end the proliferation of single-use plastic bags in London and beyond and to contribute to removing plastic pollution from the oceans.
RAZE’s business concept and the technologies it uses are innovative.
It produces reinforced paper bags which are supplied for free to retailers and consumers. These are no ordinary bags: they are embedded with interactive adverts from sustainable brands that consumers can engage with using RAZE’s app.
The more consumers use their eco-friendly bag and engage with the app's content, the more credit and points they get to spend on RAZE's sustainable partner brands.
By engaging with RAZE, consumers also support efforts to remove plastic pollution from the seas, thanks to the start-up's partnership with SkyOcean Ventures [14].
RAZE’s slogan is: “influence the world around you”, and it has truly done this by disrupting the traditional advertising model. The app puts consumers completely in control of how they interact with the brands on their platform, and it rewards them both for engaging with advertising and for adopting eco-friendly behaviour by re-using RAZE’s paper bags instead of single-use plastic bags. RAZE uses a variety of new and developing technologies both in its bags and the app: including QR codes, RFIDs, algorithmic codes and M-Commerce [15].
RAZE has tapped into the latest tech developments to grow a consumer-driven alternative to traditional advertising – with the potential to transform the advertising industry into a force for good.
#5: Vegan Diamonds
Diamonds get a lot of bad press because of the negative connotations of diamond mining: from environmental damage to civil conflict, and labour exploitation. That’s why sustainable jewellery company – Aether – has invented a new form of laboratory-grown diamonds that are also certified as vegan [16].
Aether’s innovative technology uses captured carbon dioxide pollution from the air to craft glittering, high-quality, and authentic diamonds in every sense of the word. Aether prides itself on making a positive impact on the environment: by capturing carbon dioxide from the air, the company contributes to reducing pollution and carbon emissions [17].
Unlike other types of laboratory-grown diamonds, Aether’s unique production methods do not require the use of fossil fuels and rely only on sustainable energy sources [18].
Aether claims to offer the most environmentally friendly diamond products in both the traditional and lab-grown diamond markets.
To add to its growing credentials as a truly sustainable business, in April 2021 Aether was granted certification by Vegan Action in recognition of its efforts to restore wildlife habitats (that are frequently destroyed by conventional diamond mining) and because of its zero-tolerance approach to the use of fossil fuels in its manufacturing processes [19].
New technologies must develop in ways which drive our global economy towards greater sustainability and contribute to efforts to reduce fossil fuel dependency, carbon emissions, pollution, deforestation and biodiversity loss.
The innovations featured in this article inspire hope that it is possible to construct a more sustainable and balanced economy which prioritises the planet’s needs just as much as the desire to satisfy consumer demands and generate profits for shareholders. The next decade will be a critical time for sustainable tech innovations to flourish and show the world that a better style of consumption is possible.
*This article does not include any form of paid promotion or affiliate marketing.
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