Electronic waste is often illegally dumped and hazardously recycled in third world countries such as Ghana and Nigeria, but Esource by Hal Watts, a designer and recent graduate of the Imperial College in London, hopes to change that. Instead of stripping the electronic by hand or setting them ablaze with fire for metals, which exposes the 'miners' to harmful toxins, it provides an easier and safer way to recycle copper wiring.
Esource by Hal Watts is made up of a bicycle connected to a shredder that turns copper and their plastic coating into dust. It is then dumbed into a sorter to separate the copper from the plastic. This process results in two per cent greater yield of pure copper
Bicycle-Powered Copper Shredders
Esource by Hal Watts Makes E-Waste Mining Safer and Better
Trend Themes
1. Safer E-waste Recycling - The use of bicycle-powered shredders in e-waste recycling provides a safer alternative to hazardous manual stripping or burning.
2. Efficient Copper Extraction - The use of bicycle-powered shredders increases the yield of pure copper by two percent, making the extraction process more efficient.
3. E-waste Mining Innovation - Esource by Hal Watts represents an innovative approach to e-waste mining, using bicycles to power the recycling process.
Industry Implications
1. E-waste Recycling - The bicycle-powered shredders have the potential to disrupt the e-waste recycling industry by providing a safer and more efficient method of copper extraction.
2. Renewable Energy - The use of bicycles as a power source for shredders in e-waste recycling aligns with the renewable energy industry's focus on sustainable practices.
3. Environmental Protection - Esource by Hal Watts' bicycle-powered shredders contribute to protecting the environment by reducing the harmful practices associated with e-waste mining.