ABAX removes 1,000,000 plastic bottles from the environment

In developing nations, where waste management is inadequate, devastating effects from plastic pollution are present. ABAX has joined Empower to help developing countries establish effective recycling solutions and expand our environmental impact portfolio. 

From oceanic waste and landfills to plastic burning, the effects of ineffective plastic management systems are rife. To make matters worse, developed nations send excess waste to developing nations for processing when these countries are ill-equipped to deal with the burden. 

It's a problem that has become so big it's found everywhere you turn, polluting natural spaces the world over. And while we understand that plastic is practical for many relevant applications, in food distribution, for example, the future of plastic will need to be different if we truly respect the finiteness of planet Earth.  

Data and technology solutions

It is clear that to reduce plastic pollution effectively, Waste Management Systems need to improve quickly. ABAX has joined this cause by sponsoring a Norwegian tech company that has already made this possible in 23 developing countries. The solution is based on the Norwegian plastic bottle and can collection system because of its world-leading status and executed by, Empower using blockchain technology and circular economic principles. By giving plastic waste value, Empower has altered community attitudes to see value where there once was trash and help develop an economy that formalises collecting and creates viable, sustainable business opportunities in developing communities.  

Through their recent campaign. ABAX financed such impact, in effect removing 1,000,000 plastic bottles that would have otherwise been sent to landfills or ended up in the environment. The circular economy that Empower has established relies on certifying the collection and creating a marketplace where recycled plastics can be traded and tracked back to the clean-up location for marketing uses in B2B and B2C.  

ABAX's CSR focus

Developing local communities and continuously reducing our environmental impact are core values at ABAX. We show this when we partner with organisations, such as Empower and WeForest, creating positive environmental impact across the globe. Furthermore, through the ever-increasing applications of our open-platform, sensor technology. More recently, our offering has been applied in the Waste Management industry where our sensors enable highly efficient waste handling and collecting, saving a broad scope of resources. We also help European municipalities manage expensive resources, reducing waste, and saving money that can be deployed where it is needed most. 

As well, we've closed a loop within our supply chain. ABAX owns its hardware which increases its value to the organisation and makes our supply chain more responsible. Giving worth to waste is a fundamental building block for effective, circular economic practices. We have chosen to take it a step further by designing to facilitate refurbishment and redistribution. 

The ABAX carbon-neutral journey is in full swing. We became carbon neutral for scope 1, 2 and business travel in 2020 and targeted a green supply chain by 2022. Technology and sustainability are vital components as we forge a harmonious and balanced future between humans and the earth. Through the application of smart technology, such as ABAX or Empower, efficient resource management is enabled for communities across the globe. 

Taryn Lynne Sumpton
Sustainability Consultant
taryn.sumpton@abax.no
(+47) 902 56 108