Donating Your E-waste

18 MAR - 20 MAY 2023
S1 Artspace, Sheffield

Have you ever wondered what happens to your old electronic items after you discard them? Or more so, do you know where to discard them?

With the introduction of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) regulations, waste disposal companies are encouraged to recycle as much electronic waste as possible, instead of adding to a landfill site.

Ensuring we recycle our electronic goods is becoming increasingly important. In our fast moving technology-driven society we can cause a large amount of e-waste.

If e-waste recycling develops into landfill, hazardous and toxic substances can leak out, causing water and soil contamination and such can be harmful to the environment. In addition to this, there is also an increasing concern with irresponsible waste disposal companies distributing e-waste overseas. Not to mention the loss of valuable materials that could be re-inserted into the circular economy.

As part of the group exhibition Traces of a Cathode, S1 Artspace has teamed up with Aspire Sheffield (a Social Enterprise that specialises in computer recycling) to become a carrier for collected electronic waste (e-waste). S1 Artspace welcomes you to deposit your redundant electronic items at our drop off point within the gallery space, forming the backdrop to the exhibition over the two months.

WHAT DO WE ACCEPT?
S1 Artspace can accept the following electronic items:
– Computer Cables (e.g. VGA, DVI, HDMI power cables)
– External Hardrives
– Scanners (up to 2 units)
– Flat screen (TFT) monitor(s)
– Tablets (up to 3 units)
– Mobile phones (up to 5 units)
– Virtual Reality headsets (up to 2 units)

Please note that S1 Artspace cannot accept any electronic goods unless your data has been removed prior to drop off.

WHEN CAN WE ACCEPT YOUR E-WASTE?
11:00-17:00 | Wed-Sat | 18 Mar-20 May, 2023

S1 ARTSPACE’S ROLE
S1 Artspace will only act as a temporary holder of your redundant or obsolete electronic goods for the duration of our public exhibition Traces of a Cathode. Following the exhibition, we will:
– publish the number of each item received via our website and on our social media platforms
– deliver your electronic goods to Aspire Sheffield for the next phase of the recycling or refurbishment process

ASPIRE ENTERPRISES ROLE
Once Aspire receive the obsolete electronic goods from us, they will try and refurbish as much of the equipment donated as possible for re-use.

The reasons being:
– they can offer low cost computer equipment to schools, low income families, charities and start up companies
– re-using surplus equipment is environmentally friendly
– volunteers and placements gain valuable work experience and qualifications.

The constituent parts of the donated/discarded electronic equipment that can’t be refurbished, economically repaired, or repurposed are segregated, graded, and then shipped to various refiners. This raw material is then processed by various mechanical and chemical processes to recover precious metals or transform the material into other by-products which can be reused. Material that absolutely can’t be recycled in this way is normally burnt to generate heat and power.

Complete Programme Listing here