1. Ethical and Accessible E-waste Recycling at UC Berkeley

2. 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)

3. 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)

4. 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, )
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)

5. 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)

6. 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

7. 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

8. Ethical and Accessible E-waste Recycling at UC Berkeley
Objectives:
To pilot an ethical and accessible e-waste recycling program at UC Berkeley
To promote a circular economy and to increase landfill diversion under the campus-wide Zero Waste by 2020 Goal
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.

9. Process Prepare bins and locations, create partnerships
Rollout bins and publicize! Collect qualitative and quantitative data
Student intern to check locations, audit bins, and submit pickup request to Property Management
Create program adjustments based on data and stakeholder+student feedback

10. Proposed Locations

11. 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

12. 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

13. Questions? Website Contact us! https://serc.berkeley.edu/zero-waste/
ZWRC:
Jenny: