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Brokering the Transition
Explore our functions as a "circular transition broker" for e-waste and electronics circularity.
Why is e-waste important for both the circular transition and the energy transition?
E-waste contains finite metals, minerals, and raw materials that we need to produce both new electronics and new renewable energy technologies.
We need to recover materials from our e-waste, in order to have a circular economy and move away from endlessly mining for new metals, minerals, and raw materials – that will ultimately also run out in the Earth's ground at some point.
The materials we can recover from e-waste are needed to produce solar panels, wind turbines, batteries, and other renewable energy technologies. Without these materials, we cannot scale our renewable energy production and the energy transition.
At The E-Waste Column, we work to connect stakeholders with one another, as well as relevant information and opportunities, in order to empower both the circular transition and the energy transition.
What difficulties are there in scaling the transition when it comes to electronics and e-waste?
The materials and parts used in electronics or found in e-waste pass through many different hands throughout their supply chains and over the course of their lifecycles. To be able to better address risks and tap into opportunities, it is important to have access to both upstream and downstream information and partners. This is, however, currently not always the case.
Lacking connections and collaboration throughout electronics lifecycles and supply chains still present a key barrier to electronics circularity today. Issues around the predictability of intake and offtake can make it difficult to invest in and scale solutions. Similarly, the lack of transparency and knowledge sharing can make it difficult to find effective solutions.
At The E-Waste Column, we work to bridge gaps between stakeholders and know-how.
What is a "circular transition broker"?
"Circular transition brokers" help connect, align, and guide circular transitions across systems. In other words, they in essence act as connectors, translators, orchestrators, and doers.
"Circular transition brokers" bring different organizations, governments, communities, and sectors together to create action. This process includes aligning stakeholders, infrastructure, funding and timelines, regulation and incentives, behavior and implementation pathways, as well as procurement and logistics across entire value chains or value networks.
By connecting, aligning, and guiding circular transitions across raw materials, electronics, and e-waste systems, The E-Waste Column functions as a "circular transition broker".
How does The E-Waste Column act as a "circular transition broker"?
Our work at The E-Waste Column helps bring different organizations, governments, communities, and sectors together. We act as a continuous bridge in an otherwise still largely dispersed sector.
Through our innovation and action hubs, we also help different stakeholders find the necessary resources and support they need to take real-life action, maintain and grow their operations, and push the needle forward on electronics circularity.
By connecting the dots and creating pathways to real-life action, The E-Waste Column acts as a transition broker within e-waste and electronics circularity.
How does The E-Waste Column act as a broker?
"The E-Waste Column is an essential knowledge and networking platform for the e-waste and electronics circularity sector. It has helped us stay informed about industry trends, connect with key stakeholders, and gain valuable insights into global best practices. The platform fills an important gap by bringing together professionals across the value chain and promoting collaboration towards a more circular electronics ecosystem."
— Sagar Kapoor, Operation Manager at Gauvins Green Management Private Limited
"Working in the e-waste sector in Québec and across North America, I am constantly looking for credible sources that help me stay ahead of emerging trends, regulations, innovations and the broader conversations shaping our industry. The E-Waste Column has become one of those rare references I genuinely look forward to reading.
What I particularly appreciate is the quality of the angles covered and the expertise behind the content. Christine has a unique ability to connect people, ideas and realities from different parts of the world. Her work has helped me better understand developments in Europe while creating valuable bridges with our North American perspective."
— Gabriel Trottier-Hardy, Executive Advisor - Strategy, Growth & Partnership
"In a sector that is becoming increasingly strategic, The E-Waste Column plays a very important role: it brings together knowledge, market updates, regulatory developments, company news, and sector-specific insights in a way that is both accessible and highly relevant for people working in the industry. For us, it has been a valuable source of information and perspective, especially because the e-waste sector is still fragmented and reliable, focused, and regularly updated resources are not always easy to find.
I believe that in the coming years The E-Waste Column has the potential to become a true point of reference for the industry. E-waste recycling and electronics circularity will only become more important, driven by market growth, technological trends, increasing volumes of electronic waste, and new regulatory requirements. From 2027 onward in particular, recycling and proper treatment of this material class will become even more central — not only for recyclers, but also for producers, retailers, and all stakeholders involved in the electronics value chain.
What makes The E-Waste Column especially valuable is that it does not only report information, but helps connect the dots across the sector. It provides context, highlights relevant players, and helps make visible the challenges and opportunities that define this industry. This is extremely useful for companies like ours, because it supports a better understanding of where the market is moving and where collaboration opportunities may emerge.
Working with Christine has also been a very positive experience. She brings an uncommon level of dedication, curiosity, and professionalism to everything she does. She has built The E-Waste Column with a clear mission and with a genuine commitment to supporting the development of the e-waste and electronics circularity ecosystem. Her ability to listen, connect people, identify relevant topics, and communicate complex industry developments clearly is a real strength.
The E-Waste Column has supported us not only as a source of information, but also as a platform that helps create visibility, credibility, and connections within the sector. In a growing industry where collaboration is essential, this kind of work is extremely valuable."
— Tomaso Manca, Head of Marketing & Co-founder of Hiro Robotics
"The E-Waste Column is a very useful resource for researchers and practitioners working on circular economy, e-waste and electronics sustainability. I particularly appreciate the way it provides accessible, well-curated and practical insights that help connect academic debates with concrete action."
— Sebastien Bourdin, Full Professor at IESEG School of Management
"As professionals working at the forefront of e-waste recycling technologies manufacturing and technical consulting in India, we appreciate [that The E-Waste Column] foster[s] informed dialogue and encourage[s] practical solutions for a more sustainable electronics value chain. We look forward to seeing your continued impact on advancing knowledge and collaboration across the sector."
— Parvez Murshid, Founder of Createch.Green
"It's so encouraging to see the circular movement grow! We all view circularity from different perspectives and can learn a lot from each other.
In this spirit, we wanted to share Christine Nikander's amazing list of 100 circular impact makers that she published in the circular advent calendar in December. Lists like these are valuable tools for finding partners to collaborate with."
— World Circular Economy Forum
"The E-Waste Column occupies a genuinely rare position in the e-waste and electronics circularity space: it sits at the intersection of technical depth and policy literacy, which is not a combination you find easily."
— Giovanni Rialto, Policy & Advocacy at Global Renewables Alliance
"The resources provided by the E-Waste Column have given me a greater sense of how tackling the modern human societal phenomena of e-waste can be an effective method of climate action in terms of better management of precious materials and how effective management of e-waste can make the electronics industry more conscious of the environmental impacts of the lifecycles of their products and services."
— Cian Donovan, Research Assistant
Understand our impact.
