Accelerating Electronics Sustainability

Ewaste Watch is a not-for-profit, research-driven organisation based in Australia with a focus on accelerating electronics sustainability, proactive stewardship and robust circular solutions across the product life-cycle.

We will seek to drive enhanced social and consumer awareness, better product design, cleaner production, smarter logistics, increased reuse and repair, materials recycling, and innovative consumption models eg. the sharing economy and collaborative consumption.

This will be achieved through knowledge sharing, policy review, regulatory analysis, consumer education, targeted advocacy, constructive debate, exhibitions and public activations.

Business as usual electronics recycling is having a limited impact on ewaste generation. We need to reach back up the supply chain and embrace circular design and new business models that enable dematerialisation, collaborative consumption and consumer-friendly reuse and repair. Step-change improvements are now essential if we are to stem the tide of ewaste.

John Gertsakis, Ewaste Watch
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Our vision and mission

Our mission is to inform, educate, engage and activate industry, governments and the public on better product / service design, cleaner production, smarter logistics, socially desirable consumption models such as the sharing economy, reuse, repair and materials recycling.

Our vision is a circular electronics industry that is restorative and regenerative, and acts in the public interest to protect human health and the environment. An industry that works to create a world where ewaste does not exist.

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Our strategies

To successfully accelerate electronics sustainability and circular solutions we will be:

• Informing and promoting effective standards, policy reform, programs and regulatory interventions.
• Educating businesses, local government and the community about electronics product stewardship.
• Encouraging local government, NGOs, social enterprises and other relevant stakeholders to engage in electronics sustainability,
• Promoting innovations in product stewardship for electronics.
• Collaborating with research organisations (eg. Institute for Sustainable Futures UTS) to develop, conduct and promote social and environmental research.
• Collaborating with cultural institutions (eg. National Gallery of Victoria, Te Papa) to develop public programs, lectures and exhibitions.

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The audience

Ewaste Watch will engage with

• Product designers, engineers and technologists
• Brands and original equipment manufacturers, including component suppliers
• Marketing and other key decisions makers in electronics industry
• Retailers of electronic goods, including online stores and distributors
• Government decision-makers related to policy, regulation, innovation, procurement and community education.
• Not-for-profits, non-government organisations, advocacy groups, social enterprises/businesses
• Services providers for logistics, transport, resource recovery, repair and refurbishment
• Research organisations and universities
• Industry, sectoral and professional associations with an interest in electronic goods and digital technologies.
• The public through social media campaigns, exhibitions, public lectures and (eco) product purchasing information.

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Advisory group

The advisory group is chaired by Damien Giurco, Professor of Resource Futures, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney. It includes people from across the supply chain and have relevant experience and knowledge in electronics, sustainability, communications and technology. Members include Louis Ingram, Temple Search; • Mark Armstrong, Blue Sky Design & Professor of Design at Monash University; Michael Chanell, IBM; Ian McAlister, Consumer Electronics Suppliers Association; Prof Conny Bakker, Professor of Circular Product Design, TU DELFT NL; and Marty Hoffart, Zero Waste Network NZ.

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Ewaste Watch team

Ewaste Watch has been created by two people with considerable experience in all aspects of Product Stewardship policy and implementation, including community education, standards development, government advocacy and commercial operation.

• John Gertsakis – Director and Co-founder
• Rose Read – Director and Co-founder

Both John and Rose are experienced and committed professionals who have successfully worked across sectors, industries and communities in relation to environmental programs and Product Stewardship schemes.

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Media resources

Go to our Media Resources Page