How to make upper-air observation less damaging to the environment?

Meteomodem has been working for more than two decades on reducing the environmental impact of upper-air observation, by lowering the quantity of material used to manufacture its radiosondes.

What is the position of Meteomodem in terms of environmental impact ?

By taking into account all the elements that make up a radiosonde, Meteomodem's M20 is clearly the instrument on the market with the lowest environmental impact.

We can see that the M20 is the radiosonde with the fewest polluting materials. We believe that, to achieve effective results, the work to be done is not necessarily based exclusively on changing the materials used, but rather on reducing the quantity of materials per instrument.

Meteomodem has always worked on trying to lower, as much as possible, its impact on the environment.

In 20 years, Meteomodem has divided the quantity of polystyrene of its instruments by a factor of 12, the weight of electronics by 3 and the weight of batteries by 6.

The M20: it is only 5g of polystyrene, 16g of battery and 15g of PCB.

And there are also other environmental benefits, thanks to its design and light weight:

Launching an M20 uses 15 to 30% less gas (extraction energy and transport) than previous models
It is also 1m² less plastic if the parachute can be removed according to local regulations
It also involves the possibility to use a balloon at least one size smaller but still with the same altitude performance, so that less material falls to the ground
Even without a parachute, the fall is slowed down and the impact on the ground is very low, ensuring safety for people and goods.

What else can we do on our M20 radiosonde ?

Meteomodem has evaluated different materials as alternatives to polystyrene for the M20 radiosonde, with no tangible results. The bagasse used by our competitors, for example, requires a lot of energy to be dried after moulding, which makes the product very polluting to manufacture, while increasing the final price.

We also wondered if it is easier to find a radiosonde with a white polystyrene shell that protects the circuit and battery, or with an electronic board left exposed in nature because the shell has decomposed/biodegraded?

On all four images, there is an M20 radiosonde. On the left, without the polystyrene box, and, on the right, with it. Despite a low rate of radiosondes falling back to land, we are hopeful that they can be found and recycled.

What is next ?

Upper-air observation is a polluting activity, but it is absolutely necessary for many sectors. Meteomodem has been trying to reduce this impact while improving the performance of its solutions for over 20 years.

A Meteomodem team member is fully dedicated to eco-responsibility, which is a key aspect of our design policy.

In 2025, we have some surprises in store regarding the last aspects on which we have levers for improvement:

A brand-new 100% biodegradable unwinder

The use of a polystyrene shell manufactured with 30% renewable energies
Our ISO14001 certification, demonstrating the company's environmental management and commitment.

How can you do more for the planet? Use M20 radiosondes.

All information comes from public data dated 2024.