Computational Tools to Support the Repair, Reuse, and Recycling of Devices

With the advancement of computing technologies, computational devices have become increasingly ubiquitous. However, this rapid growth in number of computing devices has also generated significant hidden costs, namely for our environment. Electronic waste or e-waste is the fastest growing consumer waste stream in the world. Unfortunately, strategies for remediating this waste stream (through actions like repair, reuse, and recycling) are limited. This project aims to expand methods to repair, reuse, and recycle common e-waste by developing computational tools for such processes. Compared to existing strategies, the researchers develop their tools by taking a layered approach to the e-waste problem, considering e-waste devices not as a homogenous mass but as made up of a stack of modules, components, and substrates (which can each be repurposed through different methods). The project also aims to empower end-users to engage with repairing, reusing, and recycling their e-waste, allowing for broader participation in sustainable computing.

“Electronic waste or e-waste is the fastest growing consumer waste stream in the world. Unfortunately, strategies for remediating this waste stream–through actions like repair, reuse, and recycling–are limited. Our project aims to expand methods to repair, reuse, and recycle common e-waste by developing computational tools to support such processes.”

Jasmine Lu, Computer Science Department