CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – What is the life cycle of your new laptop computer and what’s being done to make the flat-panel televisions that are flying off store shelves
eco-friendly? Leaders in electronics manufacturing, retailing and recycling will explore those questions and the environmental impact of electronic waste during a symposium at the University of Illinois.
The Electronics and Sustainability: Design for Energy and the Environment Symposium, to be held Tuesday and Wednesday (Feb. 23-24) at the I Hotel and Conference Center, will explore topics such as environmental toxicology, product design and existing and proposed public policy related to the growing problem of e-waste.
Keynote speakers at the symposium will be Rajib Adhikary, a design strategist for the Dell Experience Design Group, and Mike Tibbs, senior director for ISD compliance and field teams, for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. Also speaking at the symposium will be representatives from the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency, Microsoft and Motorola.
“We have brought together a unique group of experts from industry, academia and government to begin a dialogue on how we can create a more sustainable electronics sector by developing products, processes and systems that are less wasteful with materials, energy, community and natural resources,” said Tim Lindsey, associate director for technical assistance at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center.
Dell Computer and Wal-Mart are co-sponsors of the International E-Waste Design Competition at the U. of I., an event that challenges students and recent graduates to develop innovative product designs and functional products created from waste electronic components.
Participants in the 2010 competition are vying for $20,000 in scholarships provided by Dell and Wal-Mart. The competition is hosted by the School of Art and Design and the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center. Winners will be announced April 20 as part of the International E-Waste Video Festival.
