How Robots are Making the World More Sustainable

Industries and companies have been finding ways to utilize automated systems to improve their processes, allowing businesses to be more efficient and profitable. Along with these benefits, it is becoming evident that robotics helps improve sustainability efforts. Robots in today’s world are helping to fight climate change, improve recycling, and make manufacturing more sustainable. Robotics and automated systems are revolutionizing our increasingly modernised world and changing industries, such as manufacturing, healthcare, food production, and agriculture, amongst others. They have also proven to play a significant role in delivering the United Nations' (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). As such, robotics will have an influence on how the SDGs are met, by, for example, supporting human or manual labor tasks, enhancing remote access, improving monitoring, and promoting innovation.   

 

Green robots

Sustainability initiatives adoption rates are increasing year on year, with robotics being incorporated more and more into these processes. Fighting a modern global crisis, such as climate change, requires an equally modern solution. Due to the extremity of the problem we face to have any marked improvement, our efforts need to go beyond what is “humanly” possible.

 

Scientists have begun to make headway by implementing robotics and automated systems in sustainability strategies known, appropriately as “green robots”.

Here are just three of the various applications robots can be used successfully in climate change efforts:

 

Depolluting the ocean

Approximately eight million tons of waste is disposed into the ocean each year, often resulting in garbage patches - large islands of collected floating waste.

 

Protecting ecosystems

Green robots are being used to help protect vital ecosystems, by either monitoring or keeping invasive species under control and, secondly, simply observing ecosystems in a less intrusive manner.

 

Counteracting climate change

The ultimate and overarching goal of fighting climate change is to improve and slow down the global temperature from climbing any higher. With the planet warming up 1°C each year, scientists have now begun to employ robots to tackle this directly.

 

 

Sustainable manufacturing

Environmentally friendly production and manufacturing are vital to the success of businesses in this climate, so to speak. With the spotlight being firmly fixed on climate change and any and every measure to counteract it, consumers today are extremely cognizant of how products are made, their impact during production and after, and how or if they can be recycled or reused. To address these needs and concerns, manufacturers of all types are turning to robotics to ensure their business is top of mind when it comes to sustainable practices.

 

Robots and automated systems are being incorporated into these processes in a variety of ways, such as:

 

Reducing carbon footprints

Adding robots to production lines has a positive impact in that they are reducing manufacturers’ carbon footprints. Many factories and production plants are actively releasing carbon into the atmosphere, exacerbating climate change. As a result, many are turning to automated robots to reduce their carbon footprint.

 

Speeding up recycling processes

Robots and automated systems take tedious jobs and speed them up. Robots can be used to sort recyclables. The recycling of materials can be done quickly and efficiently, and does not require all of the safety gear and training that manual labour generally needs. 

 

Improving sustainable manufacturing

Robots are now being used in a variety of manufacturing processes to improve efficiency with fewer resources. Robots also reduce the possibility for errors, which means less waste. When less waste is produced, robots can find and separate small parts more efficiently.

 

Sustainability is on everyone's mind and conscience these days and the sum of the parts - every dedicated initiative - is making a positive impact on the whole. Adding robots to these attempts are amplifying the results of everyday actions, as well as playing a starring role in research projects.

 

When it comes to working together towards a common goal, humans and robots have proven to be partners in arms, protecting wildlife, humanity and the planet itself.

 

Yaskawa

We are a trusted partner and leader in the manufacturing of robotic solutions for palletizing and depalletizing. It involves flexibility through 2D and 3D vision software as well as specialised software and tooling to enable customization for speed, safety, accuracy, and maximum productivity. We can also provide you with the necessary training to use your robot to its full potential. Contact us for more info.