OUR CREATIVE INTAKE ON A GLOBAL ISSUE

"We love the latest gadgets. But Australians generate more than 140,000 tonnes of electronic waste (e-waste) each year and most of it ends up in landfill."    

- City of Sydney Website

WHAT... HOW... E-WASTE....?

We live in a digital world where we use so many electronic devices in our daily lives. However, do we know what to do when they stop working or when we do not need them anymore?

In the video above, we created a short scene play about e-waste, as we wanted to emphasise a better and greener way to get rid of unwanted electronic goods, instead of going with our first instinct of throw it in the bin. By thinking about the many ways of disposing our unwanted devices we could take part in contributing a little into saving our environment in the ways as we explored in the video.

For more information on recycling e-waste, please visit the following websites:
1. In 2011 the Australian Government introduced a national, industry funded, recycling scheme for televisions and computers. To find out more, click below:
https://www.environment.gov.au/protection/national-waste-policy/television-and-computer-recycling-scheme

2. The following website has all information you need for recycling your electronic goods.
http://recyclingnearyou.com.au/

RECYCLE, REUSE AND REDUCE

Reduce
Reuse
Recycle




Nowadays people are living a busy lifestyle balancing life with works and family and don't seem to investigate and search about how to recycle E-Waste, therefore here is a easy 3 step guideline demonstrating how to recycle your e-waste.
 

Recycle

 
Being a good recycler requires you to recycle goods and also consider what you are buying while shopping to make  if the products have recycling capabilities.
Purchase products made from recycled materials or with recyclable or reusable packaging. For instances, plastic packaging are marked by codes of 1-3 and these plastic packages are commonly recycled in most municipalities, however several councils now also accept codes 4-7 to find out check with your local council.
By avoiding packaging made of more than one material that can't be separated or put in your waste recycling bin. e.g. plastic laminate on paper.

 

Reuse

• Reuse your plastic bags and look for products that can be reused many times.
• Choose  durable and reusable items rather than disposable ones.
• Carry your own water bottle or reuse water bottles.

Reduce

• Buy products with minimal packaging and recycle and packaging where possible.
• Bulk- buy products with a long shelf life.  
• Avoid individually wrapped items.
• Choose the concentrated or refillable form of products like juices and cleaning products.
• Use a basket, backpack, box or reusable shopping bag instead of plastic bags. Keep then handy in the boot of your car.  

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                           

 

Author:

Najiba Rajabi 

 

 

EFFECTS OF E-WASTE

                                          Effects Of E-Waste

Life in the 21st modern century has  become so busy that many people don't have the time to search an alternative of how to recycle E-Waste and just simply throw their phones, computers, video players etc. in the garbage, ultimately ending up in landfill, it means both human health and the environment are at risk.

A report by Environment Victoria and Total Environment Centre Inc. entitled "Tipping Point: Australia’s E-Waste Crisis/2009/Update" states the following affects from materials found in e-waste.

Lead
This is a toxic material negative to the health affects including brain damage, which is an removal from paints and petrol. The introduction of lead to the food chain and atmosphere (through lead combustion) are the primary causes of health problems in humans. Lead in the environment disrupts the natural functions of water and soil systems.

Mercury

Mercury has a toxic affect on both human and environmental health. A small amount now exists in every household light-bulb (the new energy efficient CFLs), if these light-bulbs are crushed as part of the waste transfer process the elemental form of mercury is easily transferred into local environments. Once in landfill and combined with organics, anaerobic breakdown takes place leading to the production of highly toxic methyl-mercury.

Cadmium


Cadmium is cancer causing to humans. Within environmental systems it rapidly degrades soil health causing flow on effects to local ecosystems; it is also released to the atmosphere if burnt.


Brominated Flame Retardants


When ewaste is oxidized during smelting, bromine will be released. The released bromine may then recombine with unoxidized carbon under certain conditions in smelter emissions in the form of Brominated dioxins and furans.


Beryllium


Inhalation of beryllium or beryllium-containing dust, mist or fume, may cause a chronic lung disorder called beryllicosis in susceptible persons, and beryllium is a probable human carcinogen.


Arsenic


Arsenic is classified as a carcinogen.


Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)


Hazardous chemical additives (like phthalates) can leach when PVC components of electronic products are sent to landfill.


A Dateline documentary of E-Waste effecting environment. 

This Table is a summary of other E-Wastes collected and highlighting the effects in the environment and human.

E-Waste Component	Process Used	Potential Environmental Hazard
Cathode ray tubes (used in TVs, computer monitors, ATM, video cameras, and more)	Breaking and removal of yoke, then dumping	Lead, barium and other heavy metals leaching into the ground water and release of toxic phosphor
Printed circuit board a thin plate on which chips and other electronic components are placed.	De-soldering and removal of computer chips; open burning and acid baths to remove metals after chips are removed.	Air emissions and discharge into rivers of glass dust, tin, lead, brominated dioxin, beryllium cadmium, and mercury
Chips and other gold plated components	Chemical stripping using nitric and hydrochloric acid and burning of chips	PAHs, heavy metals, brominated flame retardants discharged directly into rivers acidifying fish and flora. Tin and lead contamination of surface and groundwater. Air emissions of brominated dioxins, heavy metals, and PAHs
Plastics from printers, keyboards, monitors, etc.	Shredding and low temp melting to be reused	Emissions of brominated dioxins, heavy metals and hydrocarbons
Computer wires.	Open burning and stripping to remove copper.	PAHs released into air, water and soil.

                                                                                                                             Author: Najiba Rajabi

RECYCLING E- WASTE

                                     Recycling E Waste

Firstly I would like knowledge a welcoming to readers, hello, watup, how u doin, as this is my first post. I would like to demonstrate recycling e-waste, which is one of the green technology methods in recycling waste. E-Waste is waste from electronic equipment this includes computers, monitors, televisions, printers, scanners, video players and more including any technological device out of work or unable to use. 

In this section, highlighting the  process of recycling e-waste is a important knowledge in understanding e-waste. There are many companies in Australia collecting and then recycling e-waste, I'm going to focus on one of the top leading companies known as 1800 e-waste, which is a leading e-waste collection and recycling service.

There are a number of procedures followed in order to collect e-waste and recycle them, this procedure begins by the collecting of e-waste by trucks. The collecting of e-waste has a specific dates in a year, for example every 3 -6 months.  Most electronic waste goes through a recycling system called a WEEE, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment, which 95-98% is not only recycles, any data left on hard drives and memories are thoroughly destroyed.

The following is the method carried out to dismantle e- waste.

Picking Shed- This is the first step, all the items are sorted by hand and batteries and cooper are extracted for quality control.

Initial Size Reduction Process-  items are shredded as small as 100mm to prepare the e-waste to be thoroughly sorted. This is also where the data destruction takes place.

Secondary Size Reduction – the small debris is shaken to ensure that it is evenly spread out on the conveyor belt, before it gets broken down even more. Any dust extracted is disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.

Overband Magnet – using magnets, steel and iron are removed from the debris.

Metallic & Non-Metallic Content – aluminium, copper and brass are separated from the non-metallic content. The metallic can then be reused and resold as raw materials.

Water Separation – water is used to separate plastic from the glass content. Once divided all raw materials can then be resold.

This a diagram to help to further understand:

Benefits of recycling E-waste

• E-waste has a highly disadvantage aspect, but also a positive aspect as most of the electronic devices have a variety of materials and these include metals that can be recovered for future uses by dismantling and providing reuse possibilities, intact natural resources are conserved and air and water pollution caused by hazardous disposal is avoided. 

• Recycling reduces the amount of greenhouse gas emissions caused by the manufacturing of new products.
• Another benefit of recycling e-waste is that many of the materials can be recycled and re-  used again.
• Materials that can be recycled include "ferrous (iron-based) and non-ferrous metals, glass, and various types of plastic." "Non-ferrous metals, mainly aluminium and copper can all be re-smelted and re-manufactured. Ferrous metals such as steel and iron can be also be re-used.  
• Due to the recent surge in popularity in 3D printing, certain 3D printers have been designed known as FDM variety, to produce waste that can be easily recycled which decreases the amount of harmful pollutants in the atmosphere. The excess plastic from these printers that comes out as a by-product can also be reused to create new 3D printed creations.

The process of recycling e-waste is time consuming and not simple, however is highly beneficial to the environment creating less pollution and making a green environment     spreading its green colour slowly everywhere.
                                                                                                                          
                                                                                                                                  


                                                                                                                             Author: Najiba Rajabi (the bombshell)

ONE PLANT = ONE EXPERIENCE

"One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, "What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?" - Rachel Carson"

Why go green? Everywhere you go people are talking about going green and how it impacts the planet. From plastic bags to chemical products, people are trying to come up with original ways they can go green. Going green is a personal choice that influences the improvement of this planet and making it place a better place to live for future generations to come.

source: https://nathospblog.com/2015/12/15/blogmas-day-4-five-reasons-to-go-green/

BENEFITS TO GO GREENS:

1. Increase Value of Your Home: You could significantly increase the overall value of your home just by making your home eco-friendly. By installing solar panels on the roof top or adding a water-saving toilet and shower, you will not only save money but create a benefit for new buyers, if you were ever to sell your home. Moreover, green homes use sustainable materials that have low impact on the environment.
2. Save money on your water bill: You can also potentially save hundreds of dollars on your current water bill. Purchasing Energy Star appliances as well as water-saving plumbing systems will consistently save you hundreds of dollars on your water bill.
3. Clean and Green Environment: When you go green, you are efficiently reducing your carbon footprint. By reducing pollution, you are decreasing the amount of energy that is being used and creating a greener and cleaner environment.
4. Recycling Helps You To Be More Creative: Not only do you save energy as well as money but you have the opportunity to create useful items out of recycled materials. This helps you to become more creative and come up with new ways to be energy and material efficient. Buying less and buying used products are also Green choices.

Source: http://www.directenergysolar.com/blog/post/the-top-5-reasons-for-going-solar/

“Where the quality of life goes down for the environment, the quality of life goes down for humans. - George Holland”

Author

-Alfiyyah Gurtala-

IS THIS THE BEGINNING OF A 'GREEN' WAR?

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, Who is 'Greenest' of them all?

Australia is at the forefront of global green building architecture and industry along with some other countries like UK, USA, Dubai and China. We can hope that these green initiatives would continue to take much larger shape in future, not limited to urban development, building and architecture industry. 

In fact, it could even take a form of healthy competition between the power jugglers of the world. How good it would be when countries would be competing with each other with their weapon of green and sustainable technology and practices, than nuclear power. When green war is called upon, we would hear news like these.

“Korea declared a green war against USA”, 

“The T-shirt worn by US President is the greenest of all”.

Please do not take this article otherwise. Intention of writing this article is peaceful, pure and green, as always. This thought strike me when I was watching the above video titled “Australian Green Building”. 

Few Highlights from the video on Australia's Green Building Industry

• Since the Olympic games in 2000, Australia has emerged as a world leader in environmentally sustainable construction and development.
• 20 % of Australian CBD's work spaces are now green star rated.
• Carbon Neutral Pixel Building in Melbourne, one of the world’s greenest building, having achieved the highest green star and LEED rating.

An Australian Sustainable Habitat- Central Park

Another exemplary work of Australian green building industry is Central Park at Sydney CBD.

Green features and facts of Central Park:

• Rooftop Gardens, green walls and smart metering systems
• One of the largest recycling projects in Australia (93% of all demolition waste has been recycled)
• Its own low-carbon natural gas power plant for thermal energy.
• Recycled water network

Some Green Building Examples from the Globe:

1. Pearl River Tower,China
2. Suny-ESF Gateway Center,China
3. Bud Clark Commons, USA
4. The David and Lucile Packard Foundation Headquarters, USA
5. The Crystal, UK
6. One Angel Square, UK
7. Bahrain World Trade Center, Bahrain

Whoever wins the green war, the ultimate winner is the environment and all beings who are part of it regardless of border, color, race and gender. It is in our best interest that the 'Green' war continues.

Author

-Bandita Sharma-