On the 26th and 27th March, by the newly renovated North Spine, Earthlink held Keep Them E-Live, an event aimed at raising awareness on electronic waste, which is a topic discussed not nearly as much as it should be. The constant improvements and updates in the electronics world have made the shelf life of smartphones, laptops and other devices very, very short. New and improved versions of devices are released constantly, and consumers often struggle to stay up to date with their tech, and don t have the time to think about where their old phones and devices are going. Improper disposal of these devices are extremely dangerous for the environment as they contain lead and mercury, and can release toxic fumes when incinerated. Consumers may also be interested to know that their devices contain rare and valuable resources within their circuitry, which could lower the burden on the earth if they were to extract and recycle them.
Often, consumers who haven t the time to repair and salvage slightly faulty devices choose to throw them out and replace them with new ones. However, making an effort to have them repaired could reduce the amount of e-waste produced, while maintaining the device s functionality, and lowering the impact on the earth and the consumers wallet.
Keep Them E-Live focused on educating the NTU community about e-waste in Singapore and around the world, and provided simple tips to cut down on e-waste. This was done through mini games held at the booths that aimed to inspire responsibility and awareness on the consumers part.
The message that Earthlink has for consumers is simple: be mindful of your electronics, repair when you can, replace only if necessary, and the impact we could collectively have on the world would be tremendous. A few simple changes on our part could result in reduced mining and deforestation, preserving ecosystems and reducing the effects of global warming.