Jury Finalized for 2013 International Sustainable Electronics Competition

 The jurors for this year’s International Sustainable Electronics Competition (formerly known as the International E-Waste Design Competition) have been announced. Returning again this year are past participants Bill Olson, Director of the Office of Sustainability and Stewardship for Mobile Devices Business, Motorola, Inc., and Jason Linnell, Executive Director of the National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER). They are joined this year by: UIUC alum and President of HOBI International, Inc., Craig Boswell; competition founder, UIUC Professor of Industrial Design in the School of Art + Design and ISTC Affiliated Faculty Scientist, William Bullock; Executive Director of the Northeast Recycling Council and Program Manager for the State Electronics Challenge, Lynn Rubinstein; and CEO of iFixit and Dozuki, Kyle Wiens. For complete juror bios, see http://www.ewaste.illinois.edu/judges.cfm.

Registration is free and opens September 1, 2013. Participants are asked to explore solutions to remediate the existing e-waste problem, prevent e-waste generation in the future, and foster a more sustainable system for electronic device development, use, and management. Submissions include a project description, brief YouTube video, and bibliography. See the competition Rules for complete details on eligibility, categories, judging criteria, and submission requirements. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three entries in each of two categories. For more information on participating, incorporating the competition into a class, or sponsoring the competition, contact Joy Scrogum via email or at 217-333-8948.

Student Involvement: Museum Studies and Raising Awareness of the Impacts of Electronics

Karen Morrison, at her museum studies minor defense, May 10, 2013, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

In addition to conducting and sponsoring research, the Sustainable Electronics Initiative (SEI), works to integrate principles of sustainability into the curricula and educational experiences of engineers, industrial designers, computer scientists and others involved in the design, manufacture, consumption, and end-of-life management of electronic products. With its location on the UIUC campus, SEI is well positioned to work with the academic community to address electronic product life cycle issues and sustainability, as well as to involve students in such considerations via internships and research projects. The connections to discplines such as industrial design, materials science, and electrical or computer engineering are fairly obvious. But we like to point out that sustainable electronics can relate to virtually any field of study, especially when you consider how ubiquitous electronics have become in our society. We all use and benefit from electronics, and are all in some way part of the system related to electronic device production and consumption, which must be made more sustainable as part of the overall effort of making human existence more sustainable. So we need to all be part of considering and creating those sustainable solutions, regardless of factors such as our individual area of expertise. As a fine example of this, we had the pleasure of working with a student this past semester (Spring 2013) who was minoring in Museum Studies here at UIUC. “We” being me, Joy Scrogum, Co-coordinator for SEI, and ISTC’s Environmental Education Specialist, Kirsten Hope Walker. Karen developed an interactive display related to sustainable electronics for use in outreach activities. She was a chemistry major, so she was comfortable with science and translating scientific concepts to the general public, but she had no previous experience considering the sustainability of electronic devices. So it was great to watch as she worked her way methodically through the issues with our guidance, and considered how to present them, effectively learning the material and then figuring out how to teach it to others. Karen wrote the blog post below, describing her experience. We’re extremely proud of this intelligent, resourceful, and affable young woman, especially given her recent acceptance of a position with the California Council of Science and Technology in Sacramento. Congratulations, Karen!

Interdisciplinary is the new buzzword in academic circles. Being interdisciplinary is all about crossing boundaries and using techniques and notions that were designed or developed in one field to benefit or answer questions in another. Interdisciplinary is often used synonymously with progress, radical ideals, and breaking barriers, and many of the original melded areas (chemical biology or women’s studies) are today recognized as established disciplines in their own right.

By its very nature, sustainable electronics is an interdisciplinary field. The lifecycle of electronics – development, manufacture, sale, disposal or reuse – touches aspects of computer science, environmental law, operations research, sociology, human rights, and economics. The questions and problems in creating and empowering sustainable electronics are complex and cannot be addressed with simple answers.

One of the biggest challenges in sustainable electronics, then, is translating this complex problem to you and me (and the broader society we live in) and encouraging us to respond in some way.

This is where being interdisciplinary becomes helpful. Presenting material and then probing the public to engage and respond is one of the central tenants of modern museum studies. Although it is easy to think of the science museum where every panel is carefully constructed with simplistic information, or the art museum where visitors are visually stimulated and left to form their own conclusions, modern museums are aiming to do so much more. Museums exist in a unique sphere where people from different backgrounds and experiences can come to one location and engage with questions that are faced by our current society.

My goal in working with the ISTC Sustainable Electronics Initiative was to apply the theories and paradigms of content display used by museums to SEI. This involved four key steps: narrowing down the material, identifying the audience, creating display material, and revising the material iteratively.

In my initial discussions with Joy and Kirsten, we loved the idea of an interactive globe to show how the physical materials in a laptop move across the globe, from raw materials to the final product and sale. Logistically, however, this was difficult to execute in a reasonable amount of time. We also wanted material that was flexible and could be used for adult or school-age audiences.

With that in mind, I developed a scrolling presentation that identified the locations that laptop materials came from, the factories where parts were manufactured and assembled, the countries where laptops are sold, and where laptops move after their first use. Although this presentation met many of our content needs, it didn’t allow for people to engage directly with the material or choose what topics they wanted to learn more about. In essence, we were feeding information to people rather than engaging or provoking them to dive deeper on their own.

This realization pushed me to a web-based platform. Web 2.0 allows users to navigate through many layers of material at their own pace based on their personal interests (much like you’re doing with this post now!). Ultimately, this platform addresses many of the fundamental questions we wanted to originally address and will hopefully spur more discussion about the complicated questions faced in creating and maintaining sustainable electronics!

Check out the project: evokewonder.com/istc2.

–Karen Morrison

International Sustainable Electronics Competition: New Name, New Categories, New Criteria

The International E-Waste Design Competition has changed its name, categories, & judging criteria. The competition, now known as the International Sustainable Electronics Competition, is part of the Sustainable Electronics Initiative (SEI) at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (ISTC). It originated in 2009, when it emerged from a class on e-waste issues taught by industrial design Professor William Bullock, an affiliated faculty scientist at ISTC. The competition was focused entirely on reuse of electronic scrap during that first year. What began as a local UIUC event became an international competition in 2010, with submissions being made online by college students and recent graduates from around the world. The competition has evolved a bit each year, and grew to incorporate the entire life cycle of electronics, rather than focusing solely on reuse. Organizers noticed that recent entries seemed to incorporate both prevention of e-waste generation (through design modifications to extend the useful product life cycle of electronic devices) and reuse of electronic scrap, regardless of whether or not they were submitted for the “Prevention” or “Reuse” category. So for 2013, categories have been changed to “Product” and “Non-Product,” with the concepts of prevention and reuse integrated throughout the revised judging criteria. The new name and judging criteria are part of the continuing effort to better focus the competition on ideas for a sustainable system for the design, manufacturing, use, and end-of-life management for electronics. The competition has always been open to students in any discipline, but most entries were from engineering or industrial design students. The new categories will make the multidisciplinary nature of the competition more apparent, as “non-product” entries could more obviously be made by students from other fields.

To learn more about the competition and new categories, visit www.ewaste.illinois.edu. Entries include, among other elements, a brief project description paper and YouTube video summarizing the concept. Expert jurors award cash prizes to the top three projects in each category. Registration is free and will open on September 1, 2013. For more information, contact Joy Scrogum at jscrogum@illinois.edu or 217-333-8948.

HDTVs Now Meet EPEAT Standards

This post was written by ISTC staff member Kirsten Walker.

As of April 2, 2013 high definition televisions are part of the greener electronics family of EPEAT. LG and Samsung, who contribute to one third of the global shipments and revenues, are  major participating companies.  Televisions must meet 24 performance evaluation criteria to be included in the EPEAT registry. Some of the criteria include life cycle basis, elimination of toxic substances, use of recycled and recyclable materials, design for recycling, product longevity, energy efficiency, corporate performance and packaging. The inclusion of TVs comes shortly after the approval of imaging equipment like scanners or copiers.

According to the EPEAT blog, “Since 2006, purchasers choosing EPEAT-registered electronics over products that don’t meet the system’s criteria have eliminated greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 11 million U.S. vehicles’ annual impact, avoided more than 394,000 metric tons of hazardous waste and reduced solid waste by nearly 167,000 metric tons – equivalent to  nearly 86,000 U.S. households’ annual waste.”

For more information, visit the the EPEAT blogGreen Tech Advocates, and Environmental Leader

Webinar: Introduction to the State Electronics Challenge

Find out how the State Electronics Challenge can help your organization meet its sustainability and stewardship goals.  The Challenge offers a simple, straightforward approach to greening your organization’s office equipment. The State Electronics Challenge helps public agencies, schools, colleges and universities implement sustainability and stewardship in their operations. The Challenge helps organizations that join the program—known as Partners—to buy green office equipment, use it efficiently and recycle it responsibly.  Partners get access to implementation tools, support and technical assistance, and receive an annual sustainability report that documents the impacts of the program on specific sustainability indicators.

To learn more about the State Electronics Challenge, register for an introductory webinar: March 14, 3 p.m. Eastern./2 p.m Central/Noon Pacific.

To register: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/3635301347725787392

Call for Papers: “Electronic Waste–Impact, Policy and Green Design”

Challenges logoSEI’s Professor William Bullock and Joy Scrogum will guest edit a special issue of the journal Challenges, entitled “Electronic Waste–Impact, Policy and Green Design.”  From the issue’s rationale:

“Electronics are at the heart of an economic system that has brought many out of poverty and enhanced quality of life. In Western society in particular, our livelihoods, health, safety, and well being are positively impacted by electronics. However, there is growing evidence that our disposal of electronics is causing irreparable damage to the planet and to human health, as well as fueling social conflict and violence.

While global demand for these modern gadgets is increasing, policy to handle the increased volumes of electronic waste has not kept pace. International policy governing safe transfer, disposal, reclamation, and reuse of electronic waste is nonexistent or woefully lacking. Where laws do exist about exporting and importing hazardous waste, they are routinely circumvented and enforcement is spotty at best. While European Union countries lead the way in responsible recycling of electronic and electrical devices under various EU directives, most industrialized nations do not have such policies. In the U.S., for example, most electronic waste is still discarded in landfills or ground up for scrap.

It is imperative that we consider how green design practices can address the growing electronic waste problem. This special issue is meant to do just that and spur discussions on how electronic products can become greener and more sustainable.”

If you are interested in submitting a paper for this special issue, please send a title and short abstract (about 100 words) to the Challenges Editorial Office at challenges@mdpi.com, indicating the special issue for which it is to be considered. If the proposal is considered appropriate for the issue, you will be asked to submit a full paper. Complete instructions for authors and an online submission form for the completed manuscripts are available on the Challenges web site at http://www.mdpi.com/journal/challenges/special_issues/electronic-waste. The deadline for manuscript submissions is June 1, 2013.

GreenBiz Series on Conflict Minerals Continues

The latest entry in the GreenBiz.com series on conflict minerals has been published, entitled “Industry, government team up for conflict-free mineral markets.” The series is being written by Patricia Jurewicz, the Director for the Responsible Sourcing Network (RSN). RSN is a project of As You Sow, a nongovernmental organization that  “promotes environmental and social corporate responsibility through shareholder advocacy, coalition building, and innovative legal strategies.” In this latest installment, Jurewicz highlights industry efforts to trace and maintain conflict-free supply chains, while also contributing positively to Congolese communities.

The series began in late August, 2012, and is a response to the recent U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) vote to adopt Section 1502, a provision of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. That rule requires manufacturers to trace their supply chains and disclose whether or not the tin, tantalum, tungsten, or gold used in their products come from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) or an adjoining country. For more information on this rule and links to the previous installments in the GreenBiz series, see my previous post on the series.

GreenBiz.com Featuring Series on SEC Conflict Mineral Reporting Rule

The popular online source for sustainable news and resources related to business, GreenBiz.com, is featuring a four-part series of articles on compliance with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rule Section 1502. The SEC recently voted to adopt Section 1502, a controversial rule which is a provision of the 2010 Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act. The rule requires manufacturers to trace their supply chains and disclose whether or not the tin, tantalum, tungsten, or gold used in their products come from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) or an adjoining country. These minerals are referred to as “conflict minerals” because militant groups within DRC use violence (rape and other gender based violence, as well as murder and other atrocities) to control miners within that country, which include women and children. The purchase of conflict minerals from DRC funds a war between the government and rebel militias over control of the country’s mines. Controlling those mines means power because those minerals are used within virtually all electronic products that we use in today’s world. What makes the rule controversial is what some groups have called a “loophole” that allows companies to declare the source of these minerals as indeterminable; flexibility is also allowed on scrap and recycled minerals. For more information on the recent SEC vote and the controversy, see the GreenBiz article “SEC’s conflict minerals vote comes under fire.” For more information on conflict minerals in general, see the previous SEI blog post entitled “Every action has an equal and opposite reaction,” as well as the Raise Hope for Congo web site. Read the text of the final rule (Section 1502) here.

The first article in the GreenBiz series was published on 8/30/12 and is entitled “Full disclosure: How SEC’s conflict mineral rule could affect you.”  It was written by Patricia Jurewicz, the Director for the Responsible Sourcing Network (RSN). RSN is a project of As You Sow, a nongovernmental organization that  “promotes environmental and social corporate responsibility through shareholder advocacy, coalition building, and innovative legal strategies.” This article discusses what companies will have to report on and how, discusses room for interpretation of the SEC rules, and provides a list of products (not just electronics) that contain conflict minerals.

The latest article in the series, also by Patricia Jurewicz, is entitled “Tackling tungsten, tin: Choosing tools for conflict mineral reports.” This article discusses systems and tools used to facilitate the reporting process in compliance with Section 1502. Included at the end of the article are links to possible software solutions that manufacturers may wish to explore to help track their supply chain.

Watch GreenBiz.com for subsequent articles, and keep an eye out for future SEI blog posts related to conflict minerals and supply chain management.

Registration Now Open for the 2012 International E-Waste Design Competition

Registration is now open for the 2012 International E-Waste Design Competition. Participants in this competition are asked to explore solutions to both remediate the existing e-waste problem and prevent e-waste generation in the future. Registration is free and open to current college/university students from around the world and recent graduates. See the competition web site for complete details, and my previous post announcing the competition.

Submissions are being accepted in two categories: E-Waste Prevention (products or services that prevent e-waste generation through life-cycle considerations) and E-waste Reuse (ideas that incorporate e-waste components into a new and useful item). Note changes to the rules for this year, if you participated in previous years. The project description is now a minimum of 500 words, with a maximum of five pages, and a bibliography with a minimum of five references is required. An important component of the submission is a brief YouTube video highlighting the entry’s design, features, and special design concepts. See “Rules” on the competition web site for complete details and requirements.

SEI is grateful to Dell, Inc. for their corporate sponsorship of this year’s competition. The Jury will award one entry from each of the two categories a Platinum Award of 3,000 USD, a Gold Award of 2,000 USD, and a Silver Award of 1,000 USD, for a total of six monetary awards. The decisions of the jury are final. Honorable Mention awards may be given at the discretion of the judges, and will receive certificates and recognition on the competition web site and in press releases. No cash prizes will be given for Honorable Mentions.

The 2012 Jury is comprised of the following individuals:

  • Jason Linnell, Executive Director, National Center for Electronics Recycling (NCER)
  • Chris Newman, Materials Management Branch, U.S. EPA Region 5
  • Bill Olson, Director, Office of Sustainability and Stewardship, Mobile Devices Business, Motorola, Inc.
  • Steven Samuels, Brand & Design Manager of ReCellular, Inc.
  • Kerstin Nelson Strom, Ecodesign Section Chair, Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA)

If you are interested in supporting the competition, individuals may use the secure online link to the U of I Foundation available on the competition web site. Corporations may contact Joy Scrogum at 217-333-8948. Donations are used for cash prizes and program administration.

For more information, contact Joy Scrogum, SEI Education Coordinator, via email or at 217-333-8948.

Call for Papers for Electronics & Sustainability: Design for Energy and the Environment

The second annual SEI Symposium, Electronics & Sustainability: Design for Energy and the Environment, is scheduled for March 23-24, 2011 on the campus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The call for papers is available online.

The annual symposium brings together members of industry, academia, government, technical assistance providers, representatives of relevant non-profit organizations, and others to discuss the growing problem of e-waste generation and handling, as well as how to create a more sustainable electronics manufacturing system throughout product lifecycles. See the SEI web site for highlights from last year’s symposium.

Questions can be directed to Aida Sefic Williams, Conference Coordinator.