The E-Waste Bins: a Quick Guide

Collecting E-waste is important for the well-being of the environment and of ourselves. E-waste is not biodegradable, can be toxic and will accumulate in the environment if not properly taken care of. The University of Twente wants to recycle as much waste as possible, and the waste that is not able to be recycled to be disposed properly. This is the reason that the so-called e-waste bins have been placed around the campus.

The best-known e-waste bin is at the side entrance of Carré. There was another one, located on the third floor of Horst. It has sadly been removed/relocated and can be found next to the servicebalie in Hal B. The Horst e-waste bin used to consist mainly out of old computers, screens, mouses and keyboards. The Carré e-waste bin is more diverse, most likely due to the high amount of labs in the proximity. In this bin the real gems can be found.

The Gems of the E-Waste Bins

If you frequently visit the e-waste bin, beautiful things can be found. Most of the time you find things you did not know you needed but are nice additions you your personal (hobby) projects. As previously mentioned, loads of labs are located in Carré so it is not rare to find high-end electrical components, which creates great opportunities for personal projects. Aside from having great finds, going to e-waste is a fun small break to do during labs, project or regular study!

For example, during the project week of module 2, a low Ohmic inductor and a specific capacitor was needed for a boost converter. Due to severe weather conditions, many orders that were placed were delayed by several days and would not arrive in time for the deadline. During one of the previously mentioned breaks some kind of power converter was found. In the power converter an inductor and capacitor with ballpark the right values were found! Because the components were made for PCB, wires had to be soldered to fit into the breadboard and the values were off by a bit, but we worked around all of that and managed to build a somewhat working boost converter.

Scrapheap Challenge

Another example of using e-waste for projects is the scrapheap challenge, which is organized annually by the scrapheap committee. During this event teams will be provided with a challenge and electronic waste, which can be used as parts to build something to participate in the challenge. Last year’s challenge, for example, was to build a sumo wrestling robot. The electronics used as scrap are sourced from companies who would otherwise throw them away and the e-waste storage like the bins in Carré. So if you are interested and want to participate, make sure to sign up when the official time of the event is announced!

The Sad Truth of the E-Waste Bins

Most things that are thrown into the e-waste bin, will not be used in a personal project. When the bin is full, it will be collected, and an empty bin will be placed. The sad truth is that most of the e-waste will be incinerated and not properly recycled, as can be read on the university website.

In conclusion, many great things can be found in the e-waste bins, but you have to be an early bird. There is also word about a yet unfound e-wase bin in Spiegel…