The Energy Globe Awards, an initiative founded in 1999 by energy pioneer Walter Neumann, are today among the most prestigious sustainability awards in the world.
The awards annually distinguish projects in the categories of Life, Earth, Fire, Water, Air and Youth, plus a special category. Projects focussing on energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources are submitted from all over the world. In their founding country of Austria, the Energy Globe awards are presented regionally, in all the provinces of Austria. The awards are also presented at the national level, this year in over 180 nations and finally, at the international level, where each year, a jury determines who has submitted the best sustainability solutions worldwide.
Redwave, an Austrian manufacturer active in the recycling and waste treatment industry was this year’s winner of both the regional award and the national Austria award in the category of ‘sustainable plastics’.
Some 300 environmental projects from all over Austria were submitted in the preliminary rounds in the states. Redwave’s winning project was ‘Process optimization of recycling plants to increase the efficiency of material resources’.
The company developed an intelligent Industry 4.0 software solution able to monitor, control, and optimise the entire sorting process at a recycling plant. This allows the full functionality of the plant to be used, which also means it will operate much more efficiently and cost-effectively. Ongoing optimisation steps guarantee the highest possible quality of the recycled materials. The service life of the entire plant and of the individual machines is extended due to the constant utilization. The system is applied in plastics recycling, as well as being used at paper, glass, and metal recycling plants worldwide.
As a digitalisation project, this Redwave Mate a solution will boost the circular economy and increases resource efficiency. The company said it will continue to pioneer new solutions, and ‘find answers for a path towards zero waste’.