New solutions to reduce waste and adopt circular economy models
Systems able to monitor and optimize the quality of the environment, apps to raise awareness about recycling, alternative biorefining methods and circular econonomy initiatives at MFR 2022
The technology sector has always had a strong impact on the environment and plays an evident role in the ongoing climate change. Just think that the IT industry accounts for nearly 3% of world CO2 emissions and is the third largest consumer of electricity in the world. In addition, many of the technological devices that we use require materials and metals that deplete natural resources and electronic waste, so-called WEEE, are difficult to dispose of and only minimally recyclable.
At the same time – and perhaps for this very reason – digital and technological innovation is now an essential ally in building a sustainable future. It continuously transforms the way we live, communicate and work: smart working and e-commerce reduced the worldwide movement of people and goods, while wireless sensors and advanced IoT and monitoring systems enabled the development of devices, vehicles, buildings and even smart cities, capable of optimizing energy consumption, safety and the general well-being of people.
Today, much of the effort aimed at finding new solutions to reduce waste and adopt circular economy models that focus on social and environmental sustainability. Also at Maker Faire Rome 2022 were presented initiatives and projects pointing in that direction.
ASTRALE Automatic Meteor Detection
ASTRALE is an automated and low-cost system, developed by the AstronomiAmo Association, for the detection of transient events in the night sky, with the aim of involving the public in the classification of these events and measuring the quality of the air that we breathe.
The system is based on a station to be installed with or without a camera and connected to a centralized system that allows the viewing of the sky live, the classification of events and the display of the relative statistics.
AstronomiAmo, which developed the project, is an association that has over 200 members throughout Italy and collaborates with universities and research institutions in Europe. The purpose of the association is rise awareness on climate and environmental problems togheter with astronomical dissemination.
Refurbish Ninja
A social innovation and circular economy project created by the cultural association Metro Olografix, in collaboration with Melting Pro and supported by the Municipality of Pescara.
Refurbish Ninja aims to overcome the limits of the planned obsolescence of WEEE electronic waste, by creating a better future through 3 macroactions: the recovery of donated electronic material in appropriate collection points; the development of personal and professional skills for young people under 35 through laboratories of refurbishment, digital storytelling, the conscious use of social networks and creative entrepreneurship, and finally the creation of a relational work.
Metro Olografix is a virtual community founded in Pescara in 1994, based on the free circulation of information, that includes members from all over the world which are committed to spreading the culture of innovation in an ethical key.
MOQA: measure and optimize the quality of your home
What if your voice assistant could suggest you how to keep your house cool in summer and warm in winter? What if it did that by reducing the costs? MOQA is a project created to monitor energy consumption and the comfort of the house, suggesting actions to be taken and optimizing your routine.
It is a low cost plug&play system for environmental and energy monitoring of homes. A hub able to connect IoT devices in the house, collect data on consumption, temperature, humidity, indoor air quality and more. Based on these data, MOQA then provides useful indications to improve the health of the inhabitants of the home and to reduce the impact of our daily actions on the planet.
MOQA was created by Nicola Callegaro, a construction engineer specializing in home automation and low-cost sensors for monitoring and improving internal environmental quality, as well as a problem solving enthusiast.
Green, innovative and sustainable biorefining methods to produce biological value fractions from microbial biomass
A project that aims to produce biological fractions of value starting from microbial biomass, through innovative and sustainable methods.
The proposal presented during Maker Faire Rome 2022 concerns the pretreatment of microbial and microalgal biomass to obtain lipids, proteins and carbohydrates to use in the food and cosmetics sector.
The project, developed by Marco Bravi, Scarsella Marco and Sapone Vittoria, involves the use of locally modifiable solvents, which allow a simpler and more sustainable treatment of microbial biomass to separate fractions and compounds.
Recycling 4.0 – Don’t Waste Your Future
Recycling 4.0 is an app designed to help people properly differentiate waste, using innovative technologies able to inform citizens and to monitor the collection of waste not served by the “door to door” service. The app simplifies the information, maps the bins of the City and controls their filling status, with the aim of increasing people’s awareness on the waste topic.
The application is also a useful tool for decision-makers in territorial planning, but also for waste management bodies and companies. Recycling 4.0 also encourages citizens to become more aware of the environment, with a consequent increase in separate collection and a reduction in costs in the management of waste-related processes.
The project was carried out by the ITS Fondazione Mobilità Sostenibile Trasporti – Catania.
Organic and circular architecture: tessellating space, digital fabrication and natural materials
A project consisting in the realization of new organic construction systems through spatial tessellation, using materials with high ecological compatibility and digital manufacturing techniques.
Presented during the tenth edition of Maker Faire Rome, the project proposes a search based on architecture that uses natural and high eco-compatibility value materials, through the conception of organic spaces, built using the technique of space tessellation.
The control of the formal project takes place through the use of digital techniques, both in the design phase and in the prototype construction phase. The design of the project forms is obtained with the use of open source parametric and generative software platforms, while the construction of the prototypes uses digital fabrication techniques.
The project is curated by Nicola Parisi, architect and director of FabLab Poliba, involved in national and international research projects, summer schools and workshops with a focus on digital manufacturing, smart city, sustainability, self-building and urban regeneration.
Maker Faire Rome – The European Edition has been committed since its very first edition to make innovation accessible, usable and profitable for all. This blog is always updated and full of opportunities and inspiration for makers, makers, SMEs and all the curious ones who wish to enrich their knowledge and expand their business, in Italy, in Europe and beyond.
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