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Advancing the SDGs
Understand how our work contributes to accelerating progress on the Sustainable Development Goals.
Low and unfair wages paid in the mining, mineral refining, electronics manufacturing, and informal e-waste recycling can contribute to perpetuating poverty. Moreover, e-waste is often shipped to low-income countries and creates an additional burden to local communities that are already struggling. Our educational work and awareness raising aim to help combat these issues.
Mining and informal e-waste recycling can lead to land use changes and the contamination of soils. This can impact the ability of communities to grow and produce food, and therewith also plays a role in hunger globally. Moreover, the payment of low or unfair wages in the mining, mineral refining, electronics manufacturing, and informal e-waste recycling sectors can lead to food poverty. Our educational work and awareness raising aim to help combat these issues.
Mining and informal e-waste recycling come with considerable risks to human health and well-being. Hazardous chemicals are used in mining and found within e-waste, and these can cause serious harm to individuals and communities. Moreover, unsafe working conditions and equipment can also lead to significant risks. Our educational work and awareness raising aim to help combat these issues.
We offer accessible and high quality education on raw materials, e-waste, electronics circularity, the circular economy, and the just energy transition.
To disperse information to governments, companies, and civil society, we produce a free weekly column and monthly newsletter, and operate an affordable e-learning platform.
To disperse information to governments, companies, and civil society, we produce a free weekly column and monthly newsletter, and operate an affordable e-learning platform.
There is considerable gender inequality in the mining, tech and electronics, and energy sectors. Moreover, women's reproductive health is strongly impacted through informal e-waste recycling. Our educational work and awareness raising aim to help combat both of these issues.
E-waste contaminates drinking water. It also lands in the ocean. Our educational work and awareness raising aim to help combat both of these issues.
Raw materials are needed for clean and affordable energy, and e-waste is a significant resource for secondary metals and minerals. Our educational work and awareness raising aim to help governments, companies, and civil society recognize and tap into the value of something that is currently still seen as waste.
The working conditions in mining, mineral refining, electronics manufacturing, and informal e-waste recycling are not always ideal. Human rights, labour rights, and labour safety issues can occur. Our educational work and awareness raising aim to help combat all of these issues.
There is a huge potential for innovation in the mining, electronics, waste, and energy industries. There is also a need to update outdating infrastructure in all of these sectors. Through our educational work and awareness raising, we aim help governments, companies, and civil society tap into this potential.
There are considerable inequalities present in the mining, electronics, waste, and energy sectors. It is also not uncommon for the benefits and burdens in these sectors to be unfairly distributed between the Global North and the Global South in these sectors. Our educational work and awareness raising aim to help call our and combat these inequalities.
Our cities and communities need to curb e-waste and actively engage in electronics circularity to become sustainable. We work towards reaching this goals through our education and awareness raising work.
E-waste is a production and consumption problem. Too many electronics are produced and discarded each year. We work to combat this through education and awareness raising.
The electronics industry is estimated to have emitted 580 million metric tons of CO2 in 2020. By increasing the lifespan of electronic devices by 50% to 100% — for example through repair, refurbishment, and reuse, it is possible to mitigate up to half of the total greenhouse gas emissions created by the electronics industry. We work to raise awareness around the benefits of repair, refurbishment, and reuse — and therewith advance climate action.
E-waste contaminates drinking waste. Both contamination and waste from electronics also end up in the oceans. Our educational work and awareness raising aim to help combat these issues.
Mining and informal e-waste recycling can lead to land use changes and the contamination of land. This can impact the ability of communities and species to exist and benefit from the land. Our educational work and awareness raising aim to help combat these issues.
The work of The E-Waste Column revolves around fostering peace, justice, and strong institutions by pinpointing key issues and solutions in relation to raw materials, e-waste, electronics circularity, and energy. Amongst others, we write and disperse knowledge about e-waste governance, policies, laws, and regulations,
The E-Waste Column works to build and foster meaningful partnerships with government, companies, and civil society to help reduce e-waste globally and improve electronics circularity. We consider ourselves as educators, connectors — and community builders, and our work bridges across all 17 SDGs.
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