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Systems change through education.
We enable the circular economy and the energy transition through broadscale education.
What is education’s role in the circular economy and the energy transition?
The circular economy and the energy transition bring a lot of questions and the need for big changes with them. The first step to tackling any issue, challenge, or change is always understanding it. It is after all very difficult to address a matter or to solve a problem, if you do not know what you are dealing with.
While raw materials, electronics circularity, e-waste, and renewable energy technologies are complex topics, that does not mean that understanding them should be reserved to a select few. From a societal or democratic perspective, it can be highly problematic if only a small group of people understand, and get to make decisions on, issues that have a larger societal relevance.
A smaller group retaining knowledge for themselves and then making decisions for others may, for example, not understand the realities of different stakeholders or they may not always have the best interests of the collective at heart. Beyond poorer decision-making, the exclusion of groups can also lead to political or social backlash.
Our mission at The E-Waste Column is to democratize knowledge on raw materials, electronics circularity, e-waste, and renewable energy technologies. We believe that this plays a key role in building a just and sustainable future for all.
What educational resources are currently missing?
The problem when it comes to raw materials, electronics circularity, e-waste, and renewable energy technologies is that a lot of the information available is highly technical and unfriendly to newcomers or laypersons. Alternatively sometimes, the information is overly simplified to the extent that it loses the necessary nuance and does not allow users to really comprehend what is going on. The information on these topics is often also very scattered and rarely available in one central location. A lot of industry relevant information is also not written down or not publicly available.
Beyond this, there are few sources that really connect the dots, take a truly interdisciplinary approach (by, for example, combining STEM and non-STEM perspectives), and contextualize the information within the bigger picture (be that for the whole lifecycle or supply chain of an electronic device or for the broader societal impact). While there is an abundance of information on the technical and quantitative aspects of raw materials, electronics circularity, e-waste, and renewable energy technologies, the social and qualitative aspects of these topics are not covered to the same degree. Information on key societal questions – such as human rights, labour rights, and gender equity in supply chains or consumer behavior and involvement – remains fairly scarce by comparison.
At The E-Waste Column, we work tirelessly to close these knowledge gaps and make reliable information easily accessible and understandable to all.
Why do we need to invest in education for the transition now?
Different market actors need to work together if we want to transition over to a circular economy and renewable energy technologies. It is not only possible to build a more sustainable future, but also to increase energy sovereignty and security in this way.
To make this happen, we need to invest and put the necessary infrastructure in place. While there are a lot of changes that need to take place, creating education that allows different actors – from consumers to businesses and policymakers – to understand the problem and what is at stake, and to then participate as well-informed actors in creating solutions, is a vital step to take now. The problem is that the educational foundation that underlines and supports all other actions for the circular economy and the energy transition is still far too often overlooked and disregarded.
Since 2022, the social enterprise Palsa & Pulk has funded The E-Waste Column and invested in the education needed to make the circular economy and the energy transition possible. We now welcome you to join the effort by supporting or funding our project — and other educational initiatives like ours.
Understand our impact.
How does The E-Waste Column contribute to the future of the transition?
"Christine Nikander and The E-Waste Column [...] are on a mission to demystify responsible supply chains as we transition to a low-carbon world."
— Jessica Robinson
"In my work at the European Environmental Bureau (EEB), where I coordinate the EU Raw Materials Coalition, we increasingly see that reducing Europe's dependence on primary extraction requires much greater attention to electronics circularity, repair, reuse and high-quality recycling. The E-Waste Column helps bridge these discussions by connecting developments in e-waste with broader debates on critical raw materials, responsible supply chains and environmental justice.
Beyond providing high-quality information, it creates an important space for collaboration between policymakers, researchers, businesses and civil society. As Europe accelerates its circular economy ambitions, platforms like The E-Waste Column will be essential in translating policy discussions into practical action and fostering the partnerships needed to build a more resource-efficient and resilient economy."
— Robin Roels, Senior Policy Officer at the European Environmental Bureau
"The E-Waste Column shines a light on some of the most important yet often overlooked aspects of the critical raw materials and electronics value chain. At a time when discussions are heavily focused on security of supply and strategic importance, Christine's work helps bring greater awareness to the sustainability, circularity, and social dimensions that can easily be hidden beneath the surface. It is a valuable resource for anyone seeking a more balanced and holistic understanding of the challenges and opportunities within the critical raw materials ecosystem."
— Abhinav Uniyal
"The E-Waste Column is exactly the kind of resource we need more of: clear, accessible and grounded in the real-world links between e-waste, critical raw materials, responsible supply chains and a just transition. It does a great job of making complex issues easier to understand, while keeping sight of the people, places and ecosystems affected by the electronics lifecycle."
— Zoë Lenkiewicz, Founder & Director of Global Waste Lab
"Besides data about possible environmental impacts, the column highlights something not-well known, even by experts, since value chain are very wide: the social impact. Hopefully, the awareness on this so far 'blind-eye' of waste management will grow as quickly as the column did over the past few years."
— Robin Ronceray, R&D EPR consultant
The "E-Waste Column doesn't just share information, it connects policy, business, and sustainability in a way that is practical and easy to follow. The platform has broadened my perspective, strengthened my research, and continues to inspire meaningful conversations on responsible electronics management."
— Dr. Virginiah Onyara, Founder of Green ICT Kenya
"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
"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."
— Tomaso Manca, Head of Marketing & Co-founder of Hiro Robotics
"Recycling of end-of-life (EoL) devices will gain increasing attention in Europe as the race for critical raw materials accelerates. Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) represents a valuable yet still largely underutilized secondary source of critical raw materials. A valuable learning resource on WEEE, critical raw materials, and the circular economy [...] worth exploring is the Learning Hub developed by Christine Nikander through The E-Waste Column.
Understanding the material foundations of the digital and energy transition is becoming increasingly important. Electronics, renewable technologies, and AI infrastructure all depend on complex supply chains for metals and critical raw materials. [...] As the global economy moves toward electrification and digitalization, understanding the lifecycle of materials in electronics will be critical for building resilient and circular supply chains."
— Arda Işıldar, PhD
"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. Most resources either go deep on the material science side of CRMs and WEEE, or they zoom out to the regulatory picture. The E-Waste Column does both, and it does so in a way that is actually readable.
For me personally, it became a go-to reference at a moment when I was trying to make sense of the EU governance gap in WEEE management. I was working on a few projects examining the bottlenecks slowing down secondary markets for raw materials, and the Column gave me a sharper analytical angle than I could have built from scratch through scattered institutional sources. I have been a fan ever since.
What I found missing elsewhere, and what the Column consistently provides, is that sense of context. Policy developments do not exist in a vacuum, and neither does the e-waste challenge. The Column connects the dots between governance moves, market dynamics, and circularity outcomes in a way that helps you form an actual view, not just accumulate information."
— Giovanni Rialto, Policy & Advocacy at Global Renewables Alliance
"The E-Waste Column is making an important contribution to the global circular economy by translating complex topics around e-waste, critical raw materials, and responsible supply chains into accessible, actionable insights. Your ability to connect policy, sustainability, and industry perspectives is both timely and valuable.
As professionals working at the forefront of e-waste recycling technologies manufacturing and technical consulting in India, we appreciate platforms that foster informed dialogue and encourage 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
The E-Waste Column "is a credible and valuable independent resource that helps bridge practical industry experience with wider system-level understanding in electronics circularity."
— Don Chou, Co-founder of Topyet Electronic Limited
"To become smarter in using the continuously growing pile of e-waste, knowledge and collaboration are vital."
— Thamar Zijlstra, Standards Manager at GRI
"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
"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
"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