Tech for Sustainability: Adastra Wins EUTECH SDG Award for Waste Monitoring Innovation
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TORONTO — A project focused on the Czech Republic's plastic recycling programs, developed in collaboration with the Czech Ministry of the Environment, has triumphed among 170 global finalists selected from over 1000 applications in the EUTECH SDG Awards 2024. Winners were chosen through a rigorous evaluation process composed of public voting and an external jury, ensuring that recognized projects drive meaningful change based on their local and global impact, alignment with SDGs, scalability, and maturity level. In the SDG 9 category: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure, the project stood out among global competitors leveraging technology to tackle sustainability challenges. The initiative, for which the Adastra team received the highest award, aimed to determine what happens to plastic bottles after they are discarded in a sorted waste bin.
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'To track their movement, we used IoT chips connected to a smart IoT platform, both custom-developed with a focus on minimal carbon footprint. We wanted to verify how many plastic bottles in the Czech Republic get recycled and leverage real, transparent data to improve the entire process,' said Petr Blabla, CEO of Adastra LAB. Thanks to this project, the Ministry of the Environment gained key data for planning strategies to improve the overall efficiency of plastic waste disposal.
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'This award confirms that innovation and technology can make a significant contribution to sustainability solutions. It's fantastic to see our work have such an impact,' added Petr Blabla, CEO of Adastra LAB.
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The EUTECH SDG Awards
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recognize outstanding projects that leverage technology to drive sustainable development and address global challenges. Organized by the European Technology Chamber (EUTECH), the awards celebrate initiatives that align with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), highlighting innovation, impact, and scalability.
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