August – Recycling of electronics
Today, we all use electronics to a greater or lesser extent, but how many remember to recycle the materials afterwards? In August, we have chosen to focus on the recycling of electronic equipment, as this is an area where we can all make a difference.
In this country, European Recycling Platform Denmark (ERP) takes the lead with their initiatives and straightforward solutions for recycling electronic products (EEE) and batteries.
ERP's mission is to ensure cost effective implementation of innovative waste management strategies and to encourage national uptake of a set of key principles that are fundamental to the protection of consumers and businesses, as well as the environment.
One of ERP's most recent initiatives was to increase the volume of batteries that are recycled.
In Denmark, only about half of all used batteries are collected and recycled. ERP therefore, in the spring, decided to raise awareness about the growing problem, and they teamed up with the popular YouTubers, Mika and Tobias, as well teachers and school students from Denmark. As part of the “Become Recycling Friends with Mika and Tobias” project, students from 124 schools from all across the country took part in the competition to collect the most used batteries. The three schools that collected the most used batteries would win a concert with the YouTubers Mika and Tobias.
Watch the song ”GENANVENNER” composed by the YouTubers here. The music video now has more than 227,000 views on YouTube and the support of the two YouTube stars has proved very effective.
“We knew we had to do something special to get the country's school pupils interested in recycling batteries,” says Torben Frahm, general manager of ERP Denmark. “That's why we chose to make recycling a party for the students by giving them the opportunity to win a concert with Mika and Tobias, who are very popular with this age group.”
Despite the closure of schools in the middle of the campaign – due to Covid-19 – the results are impressive.
“We were delighted that so many schools chose to support the project, but it has been even better to see how much effort the students and teachers put into collecting batteries. The feedback is students have really learned something and this has helped teachers educate them about recycling and sustainability. It makes us proud – this is what our entire company is about.”
The result of the collection was substantial, as 47 tonnes of used batteries were collected by the students. ERP had expected to collect around 5 - 6 tonnes, so they were pleasantly surprised.
But as ERP points out, the big winner is the environment. Furthermore, there is hope for a whole generation of "Recycling Friends", who will contribute to a greener future.
Find more information aboutEuropean Recycling Platform Denmark (ERP) here.
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