Each year, the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge attracts hundreds of entrepreneurs and start-ups from around the world who compete to win the City Solution of the Year award, as well as other awards<\/p>\n
Leading Cities is pleased to announce that the city of Surprise, Arizona, has been selected as the pilot site for an initiative aimed at helping cities and other sites reduce plastic waste. The initiative, developed by UK-based company Automedi, was the winner of the 2022 QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge, hosted by Leading Cities in partnership with QBE North America. Automedi won City Solution of the Year garnering a cash prize of $100,000 to fund the pilot project.<\/p>\n
Each year, the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge attracts hundreds of entrepreneurs and start-ups from around the world who compete to win the City Solution of the Year award, as well as other awards. In 2022, Automedi beat out more than 550 competitors to take the top prize with its circular, self-contained solution to turn plastic waste into functional products using 3D printing vending machines.<\/p>\n
“The City of Surprise is honored to be chosen as the pilot site for Automedi’s innovative plastic waste reduction solution, as our region is in need of forward-thinking recycling solutions,” said Kristin Tytler, City of Surprise Public Works Director. “Like many cities and municipalities across the country, Surprise paused curbside recycling due to soaring costs and a decreased market for recyclables that left a high percentage in the landfill. After searching for more sustainable recycling solutions, the City is in the process of resuming curbside collection. Automedi\u2019s pilot solution will be a great supplement to that and a unique way to showcase how plastic waste can be made into useful products.\u201d<\/p>\n
Automedi, a pioneer in the field of decentralized circular microeconomies, is poised to revolutionize the way plastic waste is managed and repurposed. Its innovative approach involves converting plastic waste into community products at the actual point of use, fundamentally reshaping the standard of care, health science innovation and sustainability.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause of the long-standing commitment QBE has demonstrated to improving urban resilience, this pilot project will serve as a first-of-its-kind deployment in the United States, ushering a new era of plastic recycling possibilities,\u201d said Michael Lake, President and CEO of Leading Cities. \u201cShockingly and tragically, only about 9% of the world\u2019s plastic is being recycled. Instead much of it ends up in landfills or in our oceans, where it is projected to surpass the amount of fish and takes more than 1,000 years to break down.\u201d<\/p>\n
Unlike conventional manufacturing and supply chains, Automedi utilizes localized 3D print vending technology to transform plastic waste into functional products, dramatically reducing CO2 emissions by up to 98%. Through its user-friendly e-commerce platform, local businesses can place made-to-order product orders, contributing to a more sustainable future while supporting the local economy.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis collaboration with the City of Surprise presents an exciting opportunity for us to showcase our solution,\u201d said Ethar Alali, Managing Director of Automedi. \u201cWe\u2019re eager to partner with Surprise in this transformative journey, empowering change at the grassroots level and promoting a greener, more circular future.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pilot project will rotate three 3D printers in various community gathering places, such as libraries, schools and sports venues. The community will be able to print plastic products at no cost to them using plastic recyclables collected in the City.<\/p>\n
The City understands there is an urgent need to address plastic waste issues and this pilot program has the potential to reshape waste management practices both locally and globally. Surprise is committed to pioneering sustainable solutions like this one and intends to work with its smart city consortium partner, The Connective, to share results and best practices with neighboring municipalities, and to identify opportunities to scale this initiative throughout the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re proud to be an integral part in this groundbreaking project with the City of Surprise and Automedi,\u201d said Dean Duncan, Managing Director, The Connective. \u201cThe Connective\u2019s commitment to driving innovation in smart regions aligns perfectly with the mission of this initiative. Together, we\u2019re not only transforming plastic waste management locally but also paving the way for a more sustainable future across the entire Phoenix Metropolitan Area and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n
The City of Surprise, Arizona is part of the Phoenix-Metro area and is home to more than 160,000 residents. The gorgeous Sonoran-desert landscape sets the stage for the city\u2019s vibrant sports and recreation scene, special events, flourishing arts community and fantastic local restaurants! The city\u2019s year-round sunny climate makes it the ideal place for outdoor adventure. Surprise boasts an award-winning tennis and racquet complex, eight gorgeous golf courses and a Major League Spring Training stadium that USA Today ranked the #1 Spring Training Stadium in Arizona! Bordering Surprise, the White Tank Mountain Regional Park offers hiking, biking, camping and a nature center. Visit the city and find your game, find your adventure, find your festival \u2013 find your Surprise! Learn more about the City of Surprise at SurpriseAZ.gov<\/a> and visit the city\u2019s tourism website at ExploreSurprise.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Each year, the QBE AcceliCITY Resilience Challenge attracts hundreds of entrepreneurs and start-ups from around the world who compete to win the City Solution of the Year award, as well as other awards Leading Cities is pleased to announce that the city of Surprise, Arizona, has been selected as the pilot site for an initiative\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":17071,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_scj_primary_category_id":10,"_scj_featured":false,"_scj_featured_from":"","_scj_featured_until":"","_scj_featured_order":0,"_scj_visibility_class":"current","_scj_layout_family":"standard","_scj_article_style":"","_scj_display_overrides":[],"_scj_intro_image_id":17071,"_scj_intro_alt":"Surprise, Arizona Chosen as First U.S. Site for Automedi\u2019s Innovative Solution to Tackle Plastic Waste","_scj_intro_caption":"","_scj_intro_class":"","_scj_intro_float":"","_scj_full_image_id":17071,"_scj_full_alt":"Surprise, Arizona Chosen as First U.S. Site for Automedi\u2019s Innovative Solution to Tackle Plastic Waste","_scj_full_caption":"","_scj_full_class":"","_scj_full_float":"","_scj_media_type":"","_scj_media_provider":"","_scj_media_external_id":"","_scj_media_url":"","_scj_media_poster_id":0,"_scj_media_width":0,"_scj_media_height":0,"_scj_media_aspect_ratio":"","_scj_media_description":"","_scj_gallery_items":[],"_scj_related_post_ids":[],"_scj_additional_authors":[],"scj_layout_family":"standard","scj_media_provider":"","scj_media_url":"","scj_full_caption":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cities"],"yoast_head":"\n