ZRR, a ZenRobotics Recycler, created by ZenRobotics, a Finnish technology company, is an intelligentrobot which could help confront the mounting problem of global waste. The construction and demolition sector worldwide contributes over one third of all global waste. The EU alone has a staggering 900 million tons of construction and demolition waste, the UK brings another 120 million tons, and the U.S. produces 325 million tons of waste every year. Currently construction and demolition waste are sorted manually which is prohibitive and hazardous for health. ZRR is a recycling robot which separates construction materials on a conveyor belt, picking out recyclable materials and depositing them in bins for collection. Jufo Peltomaa founder of ZenRobotics considers its creation will help ease the burden of the tiresome and dangerous job of waste classification.

Waste Watchof UK says that over 80% of all household and municipal waste across the developed world, which potentially could be recycled, arepresently deposited in landfills, where the adverse problems are pollution, contamination, methane gas and others.In recent years, some countries, such as Germany, Austria, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Switzerland, have banned the disposal of untreated waste in landfills. The alternatives to landfills are waste reduction and recycling strategies. Industrial designer Stefan Lindfors believes the robot could contribute to global efforts to improve recycling. Regardless of this new green machine, our basic problem is, there should be less waste for us to have to sort to begin with. We have a lot to think about how we pack things, how we wrap things up and how we use materials, says Linfors.

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Tidbits:

The ITF and its maritime affiliates will be supporting this year's ‘Day of the Seafarer' on 25 June.

Under the theme of ‘Faces of the Sea’, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) day aims to spotlight the human face of shipping and the sacrifices that seafarers make to provide the vital supplies the world economy needs to function. It is aimed at anyone working within the maritime sector and urges companies to recognise seafarers’ role in their operations and supply chains and be responsible employers by promoting seafarer welfare.