One Stop Solution for Circular Electronics |

Name of the submitted project or idea (in English or both English and your language)

CirculaRElectronics by VERTMONDE
URL of a video introducing the work（under 5 minutes）
Detailed explanation of the submitted project or idea (in English or both English and your language)

110 yrs ago together with my mom and my sister we realized ewaste is a big environmental problem so we established the 1st and only ewaste recycling facility in Ecuador. But although recycling is very important, it is not enough. Producing new electronic equipment produce a huge amount of CO2 and requires tons of precious metals. We found a new problem to solve. How to enjoy all eh benefits of technology without the environmental impact. So we piloted a refubirsh lab to extend the life of IT equipment and put it back in the market. We are making repair great again, revamping the 2nd hand market powered by put efficient circular electronics logistics hub
How does your work address the 3 P’s (for Planet, for People, for Profit) for Sustainability?

Planet: extending the life span of equipment, and using it for longer save 80% of CO2 emissions, plus mining thousand tons of natural resources and precious metals are avoided.
People: Warranted refurbed technology, is not only good for the planet but also financially smart since it is more affordable than new technology, which provides easy access for a great part of Ecuadorian citizens
Profit: it is also financially smart because selling or renting refurbed IT equipment generates 8x more revenue than recycling those same articles
Where (country, region, etc.) have you primarily carried out your project?

Ecuador, South America
What is the timeline your project has taken place over?

E-waste recycling: 2011-2023, IT refurbishing: 2021 - 2023
Keywords

#circularelectronics #sustainableIT
If you have a website for your submitted project or idea, please provide the URL

www.vertmonde.com
If you have a social media account for your submitted project or idea, please provide the URL

https://www.instagram.com/vertmondeec/
Special Prize Question 1: Is there a mechanism in place to inherit culture and industry as assets for people living in that area 100 or even 1000 years from now?

NO
Special Prize Question 2: What is the positive impact on biodiversity? Is the project creating a cycle not just from a human-centered perspective but for the entire ecosystem?

Production of electronic equipment requires a lot of metals which are produced from mining activities, and plastic which are produced from oil extraction. Ecuador is a country that relies on mining and oil activities, which have caused countless irreparable damage to very fragile ecosystems like the Amazon jungle and Andes mountain range. This project brings 2 benefits in this regard due to the wholesomeness of our circular electronics hub. In one side, the e-waste recycling phase recovers and put back as secondary raw materials 95% of plastics and metals contained in electronic equipment, replacing the need to use virgin raw materials. Whereas the refurbish phase, extend the life of electronic equipment. Using IT equipment longer and as much cycles as possible, reduce the need for new IT equipment, which reduce the CO2 emission from the production process a well as the intensive use of metals and natural resources
Special Prize Question 3: Are you enabling new forms of collaboration with others? New forms of collaboration might include cross-industry cooperation, co-creation with consumers, or role transformations within the supply chain.

Our efficient circular electronics hub is possible due to the interdependence we have created with a big logistics company, which had their doors open because they wany to have a purposeful sustainable strategy. So we partnered in order to create the 1st and only sustainable IT reverse logistics hub. In order to bring our PREloved solutions to responsible consumers we have partnered with retailers and IT equipment importers that will be our distribution channels.