A future of sustainability that stretches across the planet, from CO2-created diamonds and self-healing cities to deep ocean storage, could be reimagined with IDTechEx’s large portfolio of sustainability market research. Finding new outlets for harmful gases, using robots to clean the streets, and opting for innovative methods to create clothing, food, and packaging could all allow the environment a chance to breathe.
CO2-derived diamonds and concrete
Diamond rings created from CO2 could be just the beginning for carbon-derived materials. Environmentally friendly jewellery may one day be the latest trend, bringing sustainability into style and creating a new class of carbon carat.CO2-derived concrete is another possible creation and could be the foundation for vibrant new cities built out of thin air. As one of the most globally sought-after resources due to the construction sector booming with infrastructure developments, this sustainable approach to manufacturing concrete could mean new buildings coming without sacrificing added emissions. IDTechEx's report, "Carbon Dioxide Utilization 2025-2045: Technologies, Market Forecasts, and Players", explores the extensive possibilities for captured carbon dioxide as a way to make use of the once-compromising gas.
Self-healing cities and cars
Buildings that heal their own cracks could also save builders a job and eliminate the need for additional patching-up materials. When bacteria spores lying dormant in concrete are awoken by water or moisture entering the cracks, they begin to produce calcium carbonate, which acts as a natural sealant. The spores are then reproduced after this process, making buildings not only self-healing but also self-seeding, harnessing their own sustainability cycle.
Cars that can self-heal their scuffed exteriors are also covered in IDTechEx's report, "Self-Healing Materials 2025-2035: Technologies, Applications, and Players". The in-depth coverage of these materials displays how drivers could freely enjoy journeys down narrow countryside lanes without fretting about long-lasting scratches or minor dents that would otherwise require a drive to the garage. Cities and cars that are built from self-healing materials could see longer lifetimes, reduced maintenance, and increased safety.
Driving a car powered by the sun is another possibility for a sustainable future, as printable and flexible thin film photovoltaic technology could be used to charge electric vehicles. The lightweight and increasingly versatile nature of this technology, covered in IDTechEx's report, "Thin Film Photovoltaics Market 2025-2035: Technologies, Players, and Trends", means it could be deposited onto any surface structure. Cars could be more energy efficient, carrying a lighter weight without the need to store a heavy battery.
Neat streets, sustainable style, and lab-grown gourmet burgers
Smarter streets could easily be achieved with the use of innovative robotics technology. Robots that never get tired could soon be employed to quickly and effectively remove litter from the pavements in every city. Their precision and long working hours may mean locals and tourists can enjoy their surroundings without the eyesore of scattered rubbish. As technology evolves, the flexibility and ease of programming robots could see an easy solution to prettier towns, with their smart aesthetic also upgrading the streets. IDTechEx's portfolio of robotics and autonomy market research explores the technology behind the capabilities of robots that could save humans the extra work.
Strolling around in the latest leather trainers could become a statement of sustainability, with new emerging leather materials providing a breather for the environment. Mycelium, grown in large mats with textures that mimic real leather, is quickly becoming a popular alternative, with limited visual or tactile differences. Plant-based leathers grown with natural feedstocks and microbial leathers also have the potential to be biodegradable and have reduced environmental impacts, using less water and producing fewer CO2 emissions than conventional animal leather. IDTechEx's "Emerging Alternative Leathers 2024-2034: Technologies, Trends, Players" report contains details on manufacturing technologies, as well as main application areas for new and environmentally approved leathers.
Digging into a burger in the local joint downtown could prove that lab-grown products aren't just for wearing. IDTechEx's report, "Cultured Meat 2023-2043", explores the technology behind growing meat from starter cells that are extracted from live animals. This approach to producing well-loved food could reduce the demand for land to feed an even larger demand for animals and subsequently reduce deforestation. Cultured meat technologies may also minimize the number of harmful emissions produced from soil cultivation, livestock, and fertilizer as a result of farming animals.
Scarecrow robots and vertical farming
Protecting crops and helping farmers take care of their fields could be another useful job for robots, as they could be used to identify and trap invasive species that may damage grain growth, taking on the role of a mobile scarecrow. Alongside new approaches to crop production, such as vertical farming, farmers will be able to relax without the constant worries of pests and unpredictable weather.
Growing crops in the middle of the city with vertical farming could not only minimize the uncertainties that come with traditional farming but also increase consumer satisfaction. Bringing fresh produce closer to cities and built-up areas will mean people can enjoy local fruit and vegetables that haven't travelled far.The minimization of water and land usage also presents vertical farming as a great sustainability candidate. This approach to farming may additionally reduce the number of pesticides that leak into the surrounding environments, making the outdoors safer and more wildlife-friendly. Vertical farming will furthermore enable maximum efficiency with the use of automation, save space without the need for traditional farming fields, and ensure high crop yields with controlled environmental conditions.
Innovative recycling and sustainable packaging
Creating a circular economy with chemical plastic recycling may help lead one of the most challenging industries for the environment towards a sustainable future. People will no longer need to feel guilty about using a plastic straw that doesn't dissolve in their smoothie or buying a salad with a plastic lid for convenience on the go. IDTechEx's research, found in the "Chemical Recycling and Dissolution of Plastics 2024-2034: Technologies, Players, Markets, Forecasts" report, gives in-depth analysis of different approaches that can support a circular economy, including pyrolysis, depolymerization, gasification, and dissolution.
With the packaging sector in particular being responsible for around one third of yearly plastic production, it still contributes to large amounts of plastic waste filtrating into oceans and landfill sites. IDTechEx covers 21 different materials in the "Sustainable Packaging Market 2023-2033" report that could be used as alternative packaging materials, and that could help lead back into a circular economy.
Eating fish and chips by the sea with a fork made of seaweed could one day be imaginable, as seaweed plastic is one alternative for harmful plastics discussed in the "Bioplastics 2025-2035: Technology, Market, Players, and Forecasts" report. IDTechEx's research draws attention to materials used to create biodegradable plastics that can be broken down by microorganisms in soil and used to create feedstock for new bioplastics, bringing sustainability to both the start and finish of the bioplastic life cycle.
Oceans as a carbon sink
The Earth's oceans could play a part in advancing sustainability themselves and helping humans care for the planet by acting as a pump to extract CO2 from the atmosphere. With approximately 100 times higher CO2 concentrations, the ocean is known for absorbing large amounts of the gas. Direct ocean capture is an emerging carbon dioxide removal strategy that uses electrochemical processes to extract CO2 from the water, which can then be utilized or stored geologically underground. As the CO2-depleted seawater is returned, the cycle can continue. IDTechEx's report, "Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR) 2025-2035: Technologies, Players, Carbon Credit Markets, and Forecasts", covers this technology in great detail, and identifies the numerous other developing approaches to removing CO2 from the environment.
IDTechEx's portfolio of sustainability market research is home to a vast array of the latest technology research, providing statistics and forecasts for an innovative and sustainable future. IDTechEx showcases in-depth coverage of developing technologies across sectors from carbon dioxide utilization and chemical recycling to robotics and self-healing materials.
To find out more, including downloadable sample pages for all reports, please visit www.IDTechEx.com/Research/Sustainability.