As a result of our research we realize that every day people create a lot of waste, including paper, glass, plastic and garden clippings. Electronic and computer technology makes our life easier and gives us more free time. Modern homes and businesses are full of this technology. Computers are getting faster and more powerful all the time. For example, people are replacing the old big monitors with the latest flat screen monitors because they take up less space on a desk.

 

As a result the fastest growing type of waste is electronic and computer waste. We thought that

 

WE MUST DO SOMETHING AND MAKE PEOPLE REALIZE THIS FACT.

So what did we do?

 

  1. We re-used old electronic and computer parts and produced new materials. In this way we caught the attention of everyone in our school and made them realize the problem.
  2. We displayed our projects in the school during activities like the science and technology fair,the new year party and by using the library.
  3. We have designed this web site to share what we have learned and done.
  4. We went to a real "electronic and computer recycling" factory and saw the recycling process step by step.

 

Please do the following for the future !!

  • Recycle at home. Find out if there is a recycling center in your community. If so, participate in the program by separating and putting out your recyclables for pickup or taking them to your local drop-off or buy-back center.
  • Shop smarter. Use products in containers that can be recycled and items that can be repaired or reused. Also, support recycling by buying and using products made from recycled materials.
We should never forget 3R's in our daily life
 
 
 

 

What can you do with your electrical equipment?

 

•  If your equipment stops working, before throwing it away, repair it if it's possible.

 

•  There are some projects that you give your old household furniture or electronic equipment (cookers, fridges) and it becomes again a furniture or equipment.

 

•  If your workplace has printer, cartridges, mobile phones which are not useful anymore, these can be donated.

 

Benefits of Recycling

  • Conserves resources for our children's future.
  • Prevents emissions of many greenhouse gases and water pollutants. Saves energy.
  • Supplies valuable raw materials to industry.
  • Creates jobs.
  • Stimulates the development of greener technologies.
  • Reduces the need for new landfills and incinerators.

 

Factory of the Future... Exitcom

 

In this part we would like to tell about our visit to a factory, Exitcom Doğa Electronic Recycling

 

To arrange this visit, our teacher, Mrs. Cambaz took the permission from the Tuzla Ministry of Education which our school is connected to. After getting the permission, we called the factory to get an appointment for our visit. On the day of trip we were really excited. However, when our teacher told us that Yoni was very ill and couldn't come with us, we were so sorry for him.

 

Exitcom is a factory in which electronic&computer wastes are collected. While some wastes are being fixed and reused, other parts are being divided into groups by workers according to their raw material. Then these piece goods are sent to the related factories for recycling. 		 
         

When we arrived at the factory, in the front hall we saw a fantastic car that was made by mother boards! After getting permission, we took a photo of it. Here it is...

 
 
   
             

Ms. İlgar who is a secretary of General Manager welcomes us in front of the building. She invited us to the meeting room upstairs. Then the general manager of Exitcom, Mr. Daşkaya came into the room. He and his secretary are so sincere and Mr. Daskaya answered every questions patiently. He explained what technologic waste is and how it began to destroy our planet, Earth. He also explained their plans for spreading out the factory to the Middle East for the future. We got happy to hear because we thought if the number of these factories will keep rising so the idea of recycling will develop too. It means more waste will be recycled on the Earth. Besides we showed them our web site and new materials we have done in our school. They liked it and asked questions too.

   
   
   
             
After meeting with general manager, we went downstairs and began to visit the other parts of the factory. First we saw the hand-made accessorizes made from technologic wastes. (Ex: rheostats, chips, cables, condensers, transistors etc.) There were fantastic materials like necklace, earring, and plate. We learned that financial manager of the factory likes to design these kinds of materials and most of them are her product. Our guide Ms.İlgar said there was so many accessorizes in the beginning but always visitors ask to get one and they couldn't say “no” to them. So we couldn't ask to take one either. :))  
 
   
 
 

 

This was the most exciting part of our trip. We were in the processing part of the factory. There were many machines and thousands of technologic wastes. (Ex: keyboards, cells, batteries, mousses, monitors, mother boards, chips etc.) In there we saw a man fixing a computer and we were informed that this part is called Reusing.

 

Then we saw the big containers in which all the waste is being kept together when they arrive to Exitcom.

 
 

 

Then we saw some workers were breaking the technologic materials' into pieces and putting them into separate boxes like cards, cables, keyboards, speakers.

 

We learned that the pieces are going to be separated again (ex: plastic, gold, metal, titanium, polonium etc.). There were special containers for keeping them together.

 

 

 
   

We saw some big machines there. However some of them are not being set up yet. Ms Duygu said because of the location problem, few of them can not run but mostly they solved the problem and they are going to be fixed as soon as possible.

We also saw another big machine which takes computer cases and breaks into small pieces.

We asked which one is the most effective way: using man-power or using machines. Our guide Ms Duygu told they prefer to use the man power because they get %100 profits from them. However when they use machines instead, the profit decreases to %85. Hearing that the man power is still more valuable than the machines, made us very happy. We thought that in the future this working area is a good chance for unemployed people.

At the end they gave us a small container to collect our waste in the school. Ms. Duygu also promised us to come to our school to give information and answer our questions. The factory is also going to sent us one big container to collect the technological waste of our school (both high school and elementary). It was a very good surprise for us.

 

 
This was a great visit we learned so many things about technology waste and how to recycle it!