The United Nations has formulated 17 Sustainable Development Goals, which contribute to a better and more sustainable future for all. The goals address global challenges of poverty, inequality, climate change, environmental degradation, peace and justice. These 17 goals are interconnected and to ensure that no one is left behind, it is vital that we achieve all of them by the year 2030.

We believe we can make an impact on the following Sustainable Development Goals:

– No poverty
– Fair work and economic growth
– Industry, innovation and infrastructure
– Sustainable cities and communities
– Responsible consumption and production
– Climate action
– Partnership to achieve goals

No poverty

Although the number of people living in extreme poverty has fallen from 36% in 1990 to 10% in 2015, it appears that the COVID-19 crisis could slow this progress or even set it back several decades. The 734 million people representing 10% of the world’s population now live on less than $1.90 a day. Predicting that this group of people will grow is a step in the wrong direction that could lead to financial and social disruption.

The PVB waste that we use as raw material for our products is ubiquitous. If people own cars that are scrapped after their life cycle, there is not yet a suitable use for the PVB waste. In that case, the PVB waste is burned or landfilled, while it is the perfect raw material for our sustainable and circular building materials. We aim to produce PVB waste in close proximity. If we achieve that, we will create jobs for people all over the world. We will also burn less fossil fuels, because the products produced locally can also be sold locally.

Fair work and economic growth

Over the past few centuries, millions of people have experienced tremendous economic growth. The global unemployment rate was 6.4% in 2000 and 5.6% in 2017. However, the growth in wealth is still unfairly distributed. The United Nations states that men earn an average of 12.5% more than women in 40 of the 45 countries with data. If we are to promote inclusive and sustainable economic growth, we must create decent work for all.

However, the COVID-19 crisis has disrupted millions of lives. The IMF expects a global recession equal to or even worse than the one we experienced in 2009. We must ensure that people’s jobs are protected and that essential health services are available.

Industry, innovation and infrastructure

To generate jobs and income, inclusive and sustainable industrialization, along with associated infrastructure, can unleash dynamic and competitive economic forces. However, the COVID-19 crisis is hitting the manufacturing sector hard. Even before the COVID-19 crisis, the growth of the manufacturing sector was declining worldwide.

As mentioned above, we aim to produce close to PVB waste around the world. By doing so, we are creating jobs around the world. We strive to work closely with NGOs and the public sector to promote and achieve sustainable growth in developing countries.

Sustainable cities and communities

More and more people are moving to cities. Half of the world’s population, 3.5 billion people, now live in cities and 5 billion are expected to do so by 2030, even though cities cover only 3% of the world’s land. Cities contribute 60% of global GDP, but at the same time are responsible for 70% of global carbon emissions and 60% of resource use. This puts enormous pressure on our systems, leading to increasing air pollution, overburdened infrastructure and more slum dwellers, to name a few.

With our innovation, we hope to replace many of the unsustainable roofing materials currently in use. By doing so, we are creating more sustainable and livable living conditions for billions of people worldwide.

Responsible consumption and production

We have made tremendous economic and social progress over the last few centuries. Unfortunately, this has been accompanied by environmental degradation. This endangers the systems on which our future, or perhaps even our very survival, depends. The way we use our primary resources today has had a devastating effect on our planet, and if we don’t make changes, it will continue. If we continue social and economic progress worldwide on the same scale as we have in the past, we would need the equivalent of 3 planets to sustain an estimated population of 9.6 billion people by the year 2050.

Many of the products being designed today are not necessarily intended to be recycled. 300 trillion tons of plastic are produced each year, half of which is for single use. 91% of the plastic produced is not recycled. So year after year we produce more and more plastic for which fossil fuels are used and burned, while the previously made plastic ends up in our oceans. This causes serious damage to birds, marine animals and fish, and ultimately to ourselves.

When we started designing Leadax’s products, we set ourselves an ambitious mission: to use today’s waste to prevent global waste forever. The raw material for our products is polyvinyl butyral (PVB), the safety film used in car windows, among other things. Of this plastic waste, 1.5 billion kg is available annually in Europe alone. After the life cycle of our products, they can be recycled and reused in new Leadax products. We alone cannot solve the plastic waste problem, but in addition to our own efforts, we hope to inspire other entrepreneurs to do their part as well.

Climate action

The consequences of climate change are already visible: storms and forest fires have become more frequent in recent years. To ensure that we limit the rise in temperature to less than 1.5 °C, we must act now. The world has taken a big step forward with the adoption of the Paris Agreement, in which all countries in the world have taken measures to combat climate change. On a smaller scale, however, we must realize that our limited resources are not unlimited. Collectively, we can make a change by choosing renewable energy over fossil fuels.

At Leadax, we are committed to drastically reducing our carbon footprint. In 2020, we have invested in more than 1,500 solar panels at our production facility, making our sustainable products even more sustainable. In addition, we are reducing our use of fossil fuels, and reducing the plastic waste problem by using recycled PVB as a raw material for our products.

Partnership to achieve goals

We are all in this together. The COVID-19 crisis has had a huge impact on our daily lives, including partnerships between developed and developing countries. If we are to solve the world’s problems, we must ensure that strong and sustainable partnerships exist and are sustained.

At Leadax, we are committed to a future where we can produce PVB waste close to where it is produced. We believe that a sustainable future is one where every citizen is part of our global movement. Therefore, we encourage other entrepreneurs and companies to also look for opportunities to ensure that local conditions (both social and economic) can be improved.