Page 62 - Plastics News April 2019

in the news

Industry leaders to address climate Indian student invents robots for

change, create new model by 2022 cleaner, greener environment

ndustry leaders came together under the umbrella of n Indian student in Abu Dhabi has developed
IIndia 2022 Coalition to address the climate change issues Arobot - MBot to help protect marine life according
bogging the country. About 300 business and government to reports. Sainath Manikandan, a student at GEMS
leaders will deliberate on finding solutions and achieving United Indian School, built the Marine Robot Cleaner
sustainability. Some prominent member among them (MBot Cleaner) and Agriculture Robot (Agribot)
present at media briefing were Deepak Natarajan, CFO, that help reduce the labour of farmers who work in
Baker Hughes, a GE company; Satish Pai, MD, Hindalco; hot countries like the UAE, that helps preserve the
Harry Brekelmans, projects and technology director, marine environment. MBot is a prototype robot that
can remove floating wastes from surface water. It
is basically shaped like a boat and can be operated
remotely with a radio control. It runs with two motors
that help the boat move in the water an innovation he
hopes would be implemented on a bigger scale in the
UAE. He added that popsicle sticks are attached to a
wheel and then to the third motor to push the waste
from the water bodies into the storage basket.“Solar
panels can also be used instead of batteries.
Royal Dutch Shell; Sanjiv Mehta, chairman and MD,
Hindustan Unilever; Thierry Pilenko, executive chairman, Although this project could plausibly restore the purity
TechnipFMC; and Dr. Osvald Bjelland, CEO, Xynteo This of water, it nevertheless could be the initial step
year, the partners have decided to focus on solving four taken forward towards creating a better ecosystem,”
challenges: finding clean energy solutions, establishing he said, adding that developing this robot on a bigger
working models for managing plastic waste, delivering scale, “we can try to preserve our marine species
high quality and accessible diagnostic healthcare, and and environment.” AgriBot too is powered by solar
adopting the best sustainable mining practices. Launched
in 2017, Xynteo, a Norway-based environmental advisory,
is spearheading the platform for galvanising leaders and
catalysing ideas.
The global business coalition is committed to creating
a new model of growth by 2022, industry leaders said.
Sanjiv Mehta, chairman & managing director, Hindustan
Unilever Ltd, said, “We have started seeing traction.
This is a business-led coalition. We have some of the
most respected names internationally and from India.
The whole idea was how can we come together, pull our
resources and look at some of the impracticable problems panels and along with it, drones could be used to
that face society. Thierry Pilenko, executive chairman, assist and control the seed-planting process on farms.
TechnipFMC, said, “Between the waste track and the AgriBot performs the elementary functions involved in
energy track, we have found synergy. Once you take plastic farming, such as ploughing the field, sowing seeds, and
waste you can actually recycle it to some extent, or you covering the seeds with soil. The robot is autonomous
can transform it back to the state when it was in the form and provides the facility for the optional switching of
of a petroleum product. So it is back from plastic to fuel.” the ploughing system when required,” the report said.
Mr. Pilenko said “We are now in a position to identify the Manikandan is also involved in several eco-friendly
technology at the right scale. That could be implemented programmes."I have launched my own campaign, PEPC
to transform plastic waste into fuel. We have shortlisted campaign, through which I collect paper, electronic
technologies, including one from India. wastes, plastics and cans for recycling," he said.

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