Electronic Waste

The UW has a new partner for batteries. Batteries Plus has a contract with the University providing recycling and disposal along with offering batteries for purchase. 

Guest post by Cailin Winston

Imagine living in a village where computer monitors and circuit boards line the streets, where the air creates a stinging sensation in your eyes and nose, where you dare not eat the rice that you grow because it is likely to be contaminated with heavy metals and toxins. This is Guiyu, China, one of the largest informal recycling operations for electronic waste in the world.

By Mishu Pham-Whipple

Members of the UW’s Electrical Engineering Department hope to make strides to solve the issue of electronic waste with funding from a Green Seed Fund grant. Awarded $50,433 by the Fund, this group is focused on the sustainability of electronic waste and how to better divert the waste flow to more renewable options.