Empowering Students Through E-Waste Recycling

A Collaboration Success Story  ‍

In a time where responsible use of resources and reducing environmental impact is critical for the planet’s future, fostering awareness and responsibility at an early age can have lasting impacts.    

Recently, Mint Innovation had the privilege of working alongside a local school, Willowbank Primary School in Auckland, New Zealand to host an educational and hands-on initiative aimed at addressing the growing issue of electronic waste.  

The project began with a presentation to the students about the global e-waste challenge, highlighting the crucial role that e-waste recycling plays in protecting our planet. The young students were eager to learn about how the materials in everyday devices, such as old phones, laptops, and tablets, can be harmful if not disposed of properly. They found the idea that the materials within, such as gold, copper, and other critical metals, could be recovered and reused in new electronics equally fascinating.

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The Zero Waste Market Day

Following the educational session, the students were ready to put their newfound knowledge into action during the school’s Zero Waste Market Day. In partnership with Echotech, New Zealand’s largest e-waste recycler, we helped the school organise a community-wide e-waste collection drive—an initiative designed to help local families responsibly dispose of their unused or broken electronics.  

Families from the community participated, contributing everything from old smartphones to obsolete computers. The turnout exceeded expectations and demonstrated how small community efforts can contribute to global environmental sustainability by driving conversations.  

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A Successful Outcome

The event was not just a learning experience for the students but also a success for the broader community as a significant amount of e-waste was collected and picked up by Echotech for safe and sustainable recycling.    

“After the educational session with Mint, the Willowbank students became super engaged in learning about e-waste. I noticed they could explain why they need to recycle their electronic waste, and a deeper level understanding of how to do this”, says Teacher and Enviroschools Lead, Emily Kidd, “The Zero Waste Market Day was a great success for the school made even better by the fact we collected so much e-waste from the community that we know will be properly recycled rather than potentially ending up in a landfill somewhere.”  

By educating young minds and offering hands-on opportunities to make a difference, we can collectively reduce e-waste and help us make the necessary transition towards a circular economy—where sustainable metals are repurposed over and over again using technology like Mint’s, reducing the need for new resource extraction.  

Extending a call to action to industry leaders  

This collaboration marks an important milestone in Mint’s ongoing efforts as part of our Get eWise program to contribute towards circularity beyond the industrial and commercial sectors. Engaging with communities helps empower the next generation. This involvement creates a ripple effect that goes beyond the classroom.    

As the global e-waste problem increases, local communities are key in addressing environmental issues. However, they are just one part of the solution. In sharing the positive action taking place in our communities, we hope to encourage technology leaders and large corporations to join in the effort to take responsibility for their e-waste. The Willowbank students have demonstrated that no action is too small, and we are all equally responsible for taking care of our planet.

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