Circular Design Solutions: Addressing the Electronic Waste Crisis

These resources are part of the Geographies of Interconnections: Understanding E-Waste suite of resources, created in collaboration with Comsol.

This Design & Technologies unit for Years 9 & 10, Circular Design Solutions: Addressing the Electronic Waste Crisis, is designed to

• support educators to teach students about the impacts of the fastest growing waste stream globally—electronic waste—on society and the environment
• encourage students to think critically about technologies and society and how innovation, sustainability and circular economy strategies can be used to create designed solutions through the lens of electronic waste
• explore the Rs of sustainability and recognise how these are used and can be applied to product and service design 
• teach about the impacts of e-waste by exploring linear and circular economy models
• build on knowledge to explore high-value materials and the importance of product stewardship and designed value
• develop an understanding of the complex connections between the environmental and societal implications of the electronic product lifecycle
• investigate practical strategies for sustainable design and consumption
• inspire and equip students to become informed advocates for sustainable practices
• support educators with a library of factsheets on topics like the e-waste crisis, the Rs of Sustainability and tools and techniques for iterative learning and  designing for the future
• enhance teaching and learning with 40 bespoke video interviews created for these in collaboration with Comsol specifically for this unit. Each unit features global businesses and experts providing real-world insights into the consequences of current consumption patterns and showcasing sustainable initiatives and innovations.

Interviews with experts are woven into lessons and we recommend that this unit are delivered as a whole package in sequence. However, all interviews and video content created for this unit can be accessed through Vimeo. To make the videos easier to find and use, download our guide to the main topics and areas, organisations and links to the Rs of sustainability. Find it here.