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SDG Awards 2024

Finalist Profile

Welcome to the SDG Awards, a distinguished recognition program honoring the remarkable contributions of individuals, organizations, and initiatives in championing the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Finalist Profile

Adastra LAB

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Adastra
About Company
  • Company Type: Information and Technology
  • Founded in 1995
  • Located at Worldwide
  • Employees: 1k - 5k

SDG Awards 2024

Category - SDG 9 - Industry, innovation and infrastructure
Voting Portal

Enhancing Infrastructure: Providing data management and AI solutions to modernize IT systems.

➜ Enhancing Infrastructure: Providing data management and AI solutions to modernize IT systems.
➜ Driving Innovation: Partnering with leading tech firms to integrate advanced technologies.
➜ Empowering Decisions: Offering analytics and data governance for informed, productive decision-making.
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1. What is the local impact your organization has achieved regarding your selected SDG? (No Word Limit)

How many plastic bottles actually enter the recycling process in the Czech Republic? The Ministry of the Environment wanted to find out what happens to plastic bottles after they are thrown into sorted bins for plastic waste. In collaboration with Adastra LAB, a project was initiated using IoT technology to track the movement of sorted bottles, providing real data to improve the entire recycling process. The results of the project showed that only 58.9% of bottles enter the recycling process. 19.3% of plastic bottles go to recycling centers, and 39.6% are sent to sorting facilities or collection yards. Contrary to the law, 11.8% of plastic bottles end up in landfills. And what´s more... almost one-tenth of plastic bottles are exported abroad from the Czech Republic, specifically to Slovakia and France. The goal is to inspire other countries / businesses to execute similar eye-opening projects and gain supporting evidence to improve waste management and recycling across the whole of Europe. Plastic bottles deposit system launch being just one of the goals in the pipeline. All these results of the project sparked much discussion in society at the lay and professional level - it was even debated in the Chamber of Deputies. In the context of the alarming results, the Czech Minister of the Environment is proposing a solution to the plastic waste management situation - the introduction of a deposit system in the Czech Republic. To give some context: the project has also appeared in the first two months 75 times in the nationwide media - on radio, prime time TV, print and online media.

2. What is the global impact your organization has achieved regarding your selected SDG? (No Word Limit)

The project illustrates that development & deployment of innovative IoT E2E solutions can deliver break-through data proof insights driving informed discussion amongst academics, business, state organizations, non-profit but also general public. Involving all those subjects in a constructive dialogue is a fundamental premise for a tangible change of SDG / Circular activities adoption globally. We are currently working on a global communication to trigger interest and scale similar projects across various stages of supply chain and industries driving sustainable changes.

3. What is the scalability of your innovation and how do you plan to achieve it? (No Word Limit)

Adastra Lab Integrated E2E IoT solutions are built from components to allow adaptation to almost any use case across supply chain stages and rapid scaling. As per below diagram, we can adapt the physical multi-sensor devices according to specific client needs, robust IoT platform in cloud allows collection and analysis of data in various formats, and adaptable reporting / AI optimization tools allowing flexible presentation of data insight driving informed decision making. Integrated and Scalable Adastra LAB IoT Solutions: IoT Consultation -> Needs Assessment -> Data Collection -> Data Transmission -> IoT Platform -> Insight, Prediction and Optimisation In view of PET tracking project, we’ve used the same proposition: Adastra LAB equipped empty plastic bottles with advanced tracking chips tailored in size / functionality / battery life span etc. and monitored their movement for 3 months. Robust IoT platform enabled real-time tracking of the bottles’ position and condition, providing a visual overview of their movement. Thus, the solution is easily scalable especially if it is necessary to track and visualize the movement, condition and handling of goods, materials and waste. Companies, non-profit or government agencies can easily enhance efficiency and gain valuable insights into their recyclable materials. Without the real data provided by Adastra LAB's chips, they would not know the real situation and thus could not improve the processes, including recycling.

4. What is your organization’s unique strategy for using technology to achieve your selected SDG? (150 Words Limit)

Adastra LAB wants to contribute to an efficient circular economy by doing what it does best - using innovative advanced IoT solutions. We believe that you can only improve processes if you have a complex understanding and data insight about the subject. Experience proves that without continuous real-time data collection it is hard to do. That's why we want to work not only with commercial companies, but also with non-commercial entities to help them improve their environmental, logistics, business processes and infrastructure. In this way, Adastra LAB wants to contribute to a sustainable future.

5. What challenges did you encounter while working for your selected SDG, and how did you address them? (150 Words Limit)

Adastra LAB's goal was not only to monitor the process of plastic waste management in the Czech Republic. The challenge was how to do it safely, economically and environmentally friendly. Therefore, the project used safe environmentally friendly chips (optimized with minimum needed components) and low-voltage, non-rechargeable batteries with non-flammable electrolyte embedded in plastic bottles. The whole device was designed to last without being destroyed in the sorted waste bins and on the collection truck journey to the recycling facility with no risk of explosion or fire. Optimized hardware devices allowed cost efficiencies and along with flexible cloud platform / adaptable reporting are ready to scale globally.

6. How did you engage local communities and stakeholders in your work, and what was their feedback? (150 Words Limit)

Adastra LAB collaborated on the project with the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic, which needed to find out how many plastic bottles actually end up in the recycling process. Another collaborator was the Institute of Circular Economy - INCIEN, which provided expert support for the project. Leading beverage producers complemented the team with industry knowledge and challenges consultation. Both the Ministry of the Environment and INCIEN continue to present its results at the professional and legislative level and rely on the data in order to promote the process of deposit system for plastic bottles in the Czech Republic - in the future also other waste, such as cans.

7. Which organizational skills and resources did you use to deliver goods/services without harming the environment or society? (150 Words Limit)

To make the project as credible as possible and to provide real data, it was necessary to create a team of experts in various fields. Adastra LAB put together a team that included experienced multi-sensor devices designer, data insight analysts, IoT experts, as well as communication experts who helped present the project not only to the media but also on a professional platform. This was done in collaboration with experts on the circular economy and the waste management process in the Czech Republic and the Ministry of the Environment, which covered the project.

8. In your view what roles do businesses, governments, and civil society should play in achieving the SDGs, and how can they collaborate effectively? (150 Words Limit)

Collaboration is the only effective way to achieve greater sustainability. If we talk about cooperation between companies, government organizations, civil society - each specializes in something different. If each entity helps in doing what it does best, it will make a real impact on sustainable projects. One example from all of them? Adastra LAB is an expert in working with data and IoT, the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic is a major government organization with enough influence on legislators, the Institute of Circular Economy can provide expertise and FMCG/Beverage brands the industry knowledge. When all the parties came together with common goal, they were able to open a society-wide discussion on plastic waste management and finding sustainable solutions.

9. What advice do you have for individuals or organizations aiming to create positive change and support the SDGs? (150 Words Limit)

Companies, academics, non-profit or public like evidence-based data insight which is ultimately driving more informed discussion. It’s vital to find a common silver line connecting all mentioned parties and deliver an unbiased point view proven by data, as the new currency of the 21st century. Together with the right partners and communication channels this can deliver tangible and sustainable results driving SDG goals globally. It is also important to share success stories and good ideas, for example through professional communication platforms or social networks.

10. How would winning this SDG Award help you enhance your impact and expand your project? (150 Words Limit)

The EUTECH SDG Awards is a prestigious project that helps to raise the profile of sustainable projects across Europe. Adastra LAB believes that by publishing a project it can help open the debate on improving waste management and recycling process, while offering an easily scalable solution based on real data. Our ambition is to spread the message internationally via our global offices across continents and Award-winning solution is always adding a credibility to any innovation allowing rapid adoption to drive a tangible change.

11. What are your future objectives regarding your selected SDG? (150 Words Limit)

Since Adastra LAB's IoT solution is easily scalable, we can see its use in the context of Green Deal in monitoring the movement of other commodities such as textiles or cans. Adaptability of the solution allows to monitor also other metrics connected with circular economy (energy consumption, CO2 emissions, efficient resources utilization etc.) and driving SDG goals improvements over time. Waste management needs to be improved and streamlined across the EU and Adastra LAB wants to help in what it does best - working with data. In addition to the EUTECH SDG Awards, Adastra LAB plans to communicate at the European level to promote changes in waste management - for example within the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform and the European Environmental Bureau.
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