By Chloe Charitey Pudjo (22SO3G)
Fast fashion, e-waste, plastic waste, food waste… the list of problems plaguing our world seems to be endless. These issues of consumerism are not new to us, but how many of us can truly attest to taking action to mitigate their impact?
In their annual batch project, “Consumer Class”, Community Advocates aims to provide students a full rundown of all the vital information we need to know to get on board the expressway to a Zero Waste Nation.
E-rase your E-waste
With the emergence of iPhone 12, 12 Mini, 12 Pro Max, some of us might have fallen prey to Apple’s power play strategy in marketing the small yet “highly distinguishable” differences in phone models. This leads to a seemingly endless cycle of consumerism and increasing amounts of e-waste. That begs the question: where do the rest of our electronic devices go?
That’s where Virogreen comes in. Virogreen is one of the only few companies in Singapore to provide complete environmentally friendly e-waste management services, specialising in recycling e-waste and data dismantling. They provide consumers a safe avenue to discard their electronics by safeguarding their own personal information through secured data dismantling.
E-Waste: What a Waste Forum
“E-waste is perhaps one of the most detrimental sources of waste, but not many people take it seriously.”
Ms Avelin, an employee of Virogreen SG.
As part of their efforts to raise awareness, the CommAd team collaborated with Virogreen SG to conduct a forum on the impacts of e-waste.
The forum highlighted the pernicious effects of E-waste on both the environment and our health. The toxic chemicals emitted from the discarded waste are not confined to our landfills, but make their way up the food chain. Virogreen shed light on the proximity of the impacts e-waste has on human health, citing how worrisome medical conditions such as chronic and cardiovascular diseases, live and kidney diseases may arise from it.
However, even if the e-waste problem appears to be ominous or daunting, there is still time to fix it, albeit limited. Virogreen reassures us that these impacts can be mitigated by a transformation of mindsets, and incorporating a change in lifestyle habits. Simple acts of choosing to repair instead of discard, or simply holding off on our itching desires to obtain hold of the latest gadgets can reap significant impact in managing e-waste.
Following the forum, Community Advocates uploaded their very own TikTok showing the different locations for electronics repair and recycling. The “Consumer Class” project touched on the multifaceted sources of waste prevalent in Singapore. From homemade recipe videos, to Instagram challenges and their very own DIY Eco-enzymes.
Making better choices and changing our own lifestyle habits may seem like just one small step towards better recycling practices, but collectively, it is a giant leap towards a more sustainable future.