If you are not already familiar with the Internet of Things (IoT) you will be at some point soon in the future, as it is being billed as the way technology will interact with big data in order to make all of our lives more efficient and better organized.
The question that needs answering is whether this greater level of connectivity through technology, can be harnessed in a positive way in order to tackle the mountains of rubbish that we are accumulating around the globe on a daily basis.
Concerns for the future of our planet
If you look at some statistics produced by the Australian Bureau of Statistics regarding the general topic of how we can deal efficiently with our rubbish, you get an example of how many people feel on this subject.
Australians produce in excess of 43 million tonnes of solid waste every year, and about two-thirds of adults expressed concerns about the accumulation and disposal of household waste.
Amplify those concerns across the majority of developed countries and you get a sense that the majority of responsible adults share concerns about how the daily accumulation of rubbish is dealt with, and that there is a collective will to play some part in helping to address the issue.
Companies like Same Day Rubbish Removal have the potential to offer one part of the solution, as they provide a waste removal service that offers to dispose of rubbish in the most efficient way possible, and in a way that is environmentally friendly as possible.
Good to use again
Recycling is another important factor in terms of dealing with our rubbish as responsibly as possible.
When you consider that every tonne of mixed paper that is recycled, represents an energy saving that is equivalent to 625 litres of fuel, you quickly get to appreciate just how relevant and important recycling is to our environment.
It is clear to many of us that we all need to play some sort or part in recycling as many items as feasibly possible, and there is a unique opportunity to take advantage of technology like the IoT in order to make clear-up and recycling targets, more definable and also more achievable.
IoT is expected to achieve widespread coverage by 2025, and one of the questions being asked, is whether it is technology that could help us all to become more eco-friendly in the future?
IoT is the future
There seems to be a general consensus that the Internet of Things has a very bright future and that the amplified connectivity that it offers, has the potential to influence so many different aspects of our lives.
What IoT provides is the scenario where everything basically becomes a node on a giant network, which will result in much greater efficiency, as this improved level of communication and information sharing, will mean that capacity planning and decision-making is greatly enhanced by this improved flow of real-time data.
Reduced wastage
One of the principal reasons why the IoT should be welcomed as a positive way forward, is down to the fact that it is a great way to reduce wastage in a number of different ways.
If you have access to more accurate information, it gives you the chance to reduce your inventory levels as a result of better predictability surrounding logistical flows and improved assumption planning.
In simple terms, the IoT allows you to see exactly where usage levels are, how much stock is needed and when it will be needed by. Taking the guesswork out of this process will greatly improve efficiency and should ultimately result in reduced wastage.
Less human involvement
It seems strange or perhaps scary that the IoT will be communicating without as much human involvement as would be expected in the current way of working, but the reality is that most of our devices will actually be doing most of the communicating on our behalf.
What this means is that the IoT will be interacting with the physical and virtual world seamlessly and without necessarily interacting with us in the process.
This fundamental shift in the way we interact with technology represents a noticeable move away from what we currently know as a single-do device that operates autonomously, to using multiple devices with overlapping functionality, that has an ongoing relationship with other devices.
Creating a more sustainable world
It may well be a bold claim, but there is no doubt that the IoT definitely has the potential to help us all to create a more sustainable world in the future.
One example of how this technology could help improve the environment for example, would be the use of contaminant sensors in our water supply. We are not quite there yet in making this a widespread reality, but is estimated that the IoT will have been developed sufficiently from 2020 onwards, to be able to discover any potential issues with the quality of the water supply and reported these findings, before any contaminated water started to flow through pipes and into our homes.
This is just one example of how the IoT could have a positive environmental impact and it highlights the almost limitless possibilities of the technology, that goes way beyond the useful feature of having a fridge that knows when you need more milk delivering.
Going back to the subject of water. It is also worth noting that drought conditions could also be potentially avoided or at least significantly reduced, with the help of IoT. Soil sensors could be used for more efficient crop watering, only targeting areas that need watering, protecting valuable water resources through greater efficiency in the process.
Reduced e-waste
We all seem to go through gadgets and devices at a rapid rate of knots, which means that there are plenty of cell phones, household appliances and TV’s that are regularly discarded once they become obsolete.
The IoT could be used to monitor products through their life cycle and when a technology is discarded, sensors could send a signal to the manufacturer to identify which components could be repurposed or reused, rather than simply being thrown away.
When you think about the possibilities, the IoT offers an exciting future that could definitely have some positive benefits for the environment.
Matt has worked in the rubbish removal industry in Sydney for more than a decade. He works hard to assist clients in promptly and efficiently disposing of their waste, and doing so in an environmentally friendly manner, and enjoys seeing jobs through to completion.