Evaluation

Although it was difficult to gain information for primary research due to the pandemic, the primary research showed that people do acknowledge E-Waste as a problem and take steps to solve the problem even if they haven't heard of major recycling companies. Speaking to people that specialized in E-Waste and electronics was helpful when it came to gathering good quality information. Getting information from the source showed that E-Waste is managed well in the studied areas, and that people are aware of the importance of recycling. Although E-Waste is received on a very large scale, it is good that the facilities are ensuring it gets recycled. This is good, as it indicates that E-Waste facilities are being used and people are aware of the importance of recycling. 

It is also good that phone repair shops are still in business, as it means that more people are aware of the importance of repairing their devices. Going to a phone repair shop was important as phone technicians would have a good understanding as to why people treat their devices the way they do. 

From the research conducted, it is clear that people in Roseville and Thornleigh both know how to manage and reduce E-Waste. This project had techniques that were very useful for gathering information, however, if there was more time to do the project with respect to the pandemic, the task could be even more detailed.

Special thanks

Special thanks to:

• The technician at Chatswood who provided some very valuable information 
• The head of IT at school
• All the students who participated in my survey
• Thornleigh Community Recycling Centre

Bibliography/Appendix (Secondary Research)

1. https://searchdatacenter.techtarget.com/definition/e-waste
2. https://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Electronics/WhatIsEwaste/
3. https://www.sustainability.vic.gov.au/Campaigns/eWaste/What-is-ewaste
4. https://www.hornsby.nsw.gov.au/property/waste/recycling/community-recycling-centre
5. https://recyclingnearyou.com.au/facility/3044/HornsbyNSW
6. https://www.mobilemuster.com.au/recycling/
7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7zuMREQleI
8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_6
9. https://www.ifixit.com/Right-to-Repair/Recycling

Conclusion

From the research conducted, it appears that people do manage their E-Waste well, even if they haven't heard of any specific recycling companies. The people surveyed know that sending E-Waste to landfill is unacceptable, and typically choose to give away or recycle their old electronic devices. As for how the school manages E-Waste, the devices that still have value are sold, and the rest are recycled.

The recycling company said they received a large amount of material, which is good, as that means people are recycling their E-Waste, and said that this number would go down if people knew how to repair their products as well as take care of them. They also said that higher quality products will last longer.

The technician said that the main reason for phones breaking easily was because of the heavy use of glass to make phones more attractive, although this backfired due to glass being very fragile. Although phones can be repaired, he explained the main reason they get replaced was due to brainwashing on Apple's part. 

Planned obsolescence from the use of cheaper parts and fashionability of new devices is the main culprit for the E-Waste problem. However, this was not always the case. Take TVs for example. In the 50s and 60s, they were a serious investment and built to last. If they did break, you brought in a TV repair technician, not throw them away like we do now. Modern TVs are cheaply assembled, and are designed to break and be replaced by a better TV. Despite the fact that modern technology is designed to fail, recycling programs are much better now as they were back in the day. When your technological possessions finally did get damaged beyond repair, you would send them to a landfill, which is heavily frowned upon today.

In conclusion, the best way to reduce E-Waste will be to make devices from more durable materials, make repairability easier and increase the amount of recycling done.

Visiting a technician

The technician said that the best way to make electronics last longer was to avoid using glass. However, the main issue with this is people prefer to use glass backed phones for aesthetic reasons, despite them not being as functional unless wireless charging is used. Phones with a metal or plastic back would be more functional, but not as aesthetically pleasing. As for getting people to keep their devices for longer, he stated that not trusting what Apple says is important. Apple employees would just try to sell you new products, while small businesses would be more willing to help. Apple's ploys to encourage people to get new devices and to coax people out of getting them repaired is the leading reason people choose to buy new devices.