40 inspiring ideas for cleaner power, less waste, and a more sustainable world
The Energy and Sustainability honorees are part of Fast Company’s 2023 World Changing Ideas Awards. Explore the full list of projects we’re honoring for making the world more equitable, accessible, and sustainable.
The Energy and Sustainability category of Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards honors projects that address clean power, battery technology, recycling infrastructure, or any other creative solution that helps reduce emissions. This year’s winner is Renewcell’s recycling plant, which turns old textiles into a pulp that can then be used to make new fabric. Read more about the winner here, and see all the honorees below.
Finalists
Battery-recycling technology, Ascend Elements
Climate Impact Benchmarking, Persefoni
Closed-loop beverage vending system, Kadeya
Concept Luna, Dell Technologies
Microbial fuel cell for wastewater treatment, PepsiCo
nuGen zero-emission mining truck, First Mode
OneWater System, Epic Cleantec
Power-beaming technology, Emrod
RefRecycling, Reformation
The World’s Whitest Paint, Purdue University
Honorable mentions
4.0 Smart Sensor, ActivePure Technologies
AutoGrid, CLP Power Hong Kong
Climate Innovation and Development Fund, Goldman Sachs, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and the Asian Development Bank
Climate SMART, Land O’Lakes
Coffee Werks pods, Smile Compostable Solutions
Diamonds by Pandora, Pandora
Digital Flare Mitigation, Crusoe Energy Systems
Energy in a Box, KOC Bridges for Peace
Fair Earth Farms, Fresh Prep
Fuel-Agnostic Linear Generator, Mainspring Energy
Gold Hydrogen, Cemvita
IndigoZero, Indigo Mill Designs
Ma’aden Solar I, GlassPoint
Midori-Bio, Midori-Bio
Mycelium material to replace plastic foams, Ecovative
Off-road, solar-powered microgrid, Campworks
Passive cooling cart for street vendors, Trane Technologies
PFAs-free packaging, Keen
Piñatex, L&C New York, Dole Sunshine Co., Ananas Anam
Precision Fermentation Plant, Amyris
Repreve, powered by Textile Takeback, Unifi Manufacturing
Second+Delaware, Yarco
Smart Water Network, Moen
SonnenConnect, Sonnen
Summit Carbon Solutions, Summit Carbon Solutions
Tainr, Tainr
Thermal Energy Storage, Brenmiller Energy
Thermal energy storage for industrial heat and power, Antora Energy VersichargeXL, Siemens and Nexii