Civic education THE RECYCLING OF ELECTRONIC TOOLS Why is WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) recycling important? If the recycling of electronic tools allows valuable materials to be recovered and pollution to be reduced, at the same time adopting more conscious consumption practices can extend the life cycle of devices and reduce the production of new waste. Let s consider why it is important to take a civic approach to recycling or recovering electronic devices. 13 Electronic devices contain materials such as gold, silver, copper, palladium, and rare earth elements such as neodymium, dysprosium, and lithium, which are essential for the functioning of electronic components such as motherboards, processors, batteries, and screens. These precious materials can be recovered and reused, reducing pressure on the extraction of raw materials, contributing to the conservation of limited resources, and requiring less energy than the production of new materials, thus helping to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Furthermore, their correct disposal prevents the dispersion of toxic substances into the soil and water. GROUP WORK Split up into groups and choose one of the following topics to brainstorm and talk about with the class. It is always better to repair a device than discard it. It is a good idea to buy refurbished devices. It is essential to support sustainable companies. We must be aware of companies that adopt planned obsolescence. Not sorting WEEE may be dangerous. 14 CLASS WORK Follow the instructions. Look for projects of WEEE sculptures around the world. Collect any WEEE you have at home and decide on a sculpture you could assemble together as a class. Give your sculpture a name. Use your sculpture as a project to make the students of your school aware of the problem of WEEE recycling by adding a few facts and figures about your sculpture, the WEEE you employed, how to recycle it, and why. 274 PEOPLE AND INSTRUMENTS