Ethical and Accessible E-waste Recycling at UC Berkeley
About Me Jenny Chiu [E-waste Project Leader] 3rd Year Environmental Sciences major Interested in the intersections between the environment, industry, and society Experience with zero waste Residential Sustainability Program (education committee) Student Environmental Resource Center (zero waste research associate) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (zero waste sustainability intern)
E-waste as an International Issue Notice distribution of red and yellow Red dots - origin of e-waste Yellow dots - destination Graphic created by Elizabeth Goldstein (UC Berkeley 18)
Impacts of E-waste On the environment Heavy metals enter soil-crop-food pathway (Robinson, 2009) On human health Damages brain, lungs, liver, and kidneys (Global E-waste Monitor, 2014) On society Environmental justice - patterns of production and consumption 80% of Guiyu s children - respiratory ailments, lead poisoning (Leung et al, 2008) (Green Era Recycling, 2012)
E-waste Locally Lack of access to e-waste recycling Especially for students with limited resources Cost of recycling e-waste From a large positive value to a negative one Huge cost difference - $40 vs $360 (Struthers 2017) Lack of awareness and motivation (Pixabay, creative commons)
E-waste Project Background Zero Waste Research Center $19,000 TGIF Grant in 2012 Part of Student Environmental Resource Center Who are we? UC Berkeley Materials Recovery and Recycling Facility (MRF) Vermicomposting/Composting Facility Project ASUC SU Green Team Associates. Post Landfill Action Network 2017, Philadelphia University of San Diego Electronics Recycling Center http://www.sandiegoewaste.org/
Conference Key Takeaways Repair and reuse before recycling Environmental benefits Economic benefits Publicity Visibility is accessibility Community outreach E-waste and sensitive information Funding and continuity Image from USD electronics recycling center instagram
Ethical and Accessible E-waste Recycling at UC Berkeley Objectives: 1) To pilot an ethical and accessible e-waste recycling program at UC Berkeley 2) To promote a circular economy and to increase landfill diversion under the campus-wide Zero Waste by 2020 Goal 3) To create an education campaign that will raise student awareness and increase their sense of responsibility about the environmental and social implications of e-waste.
Process 1) Prepare bins and locations, create partnerships 2) Rollout bins and publicize! Collect qualitative and quantitative data a) Student intern to check locations, audit bins, and submit pickup request to Property Management 3) Create program adjustments based on data and stakeholder+student feedback
Proposed Locations
Student Org Partnerships Residential Sustainability Program implementation of e-waste recycling within the residence halls, help with outreach campaign Open Computing Facility accept specific types of e-waste such as toner cartridges to help fund a valuable technological resource ReUSE - redistribute usable electronics to students at low/no cost Global Environmental Theme Housing Program - assist with implementation of e-waste recycling in Clark Kerr, help with outreach campaign
Modularity Recognize and map out current resources and potential partnerships Create a program that can be broken up into parts, and is flexible if changes are needed Make data-based and economical decisions Taking informed risks is essential for growth modularity lessens the risk Create a strong foundation and a transition strategy
Questions? Website https://serc.berkeley.edu/zero-waste/ Contact us! ZWRC: zwrc@berkeley.edu Jenny: jennychiu@berkeley.edu