Project WIN '05-Recycle and Reuse our E-Waste, Project WIN '05 SP2 - BridgingDivides

I am the leader of Project WIN '05 - Recycle and Reuse our E-Waste. I started this project in the fall of 2004 due to an article I read in the Wall Street Journal. My team and I have worked on several minor projects before, and decided to create a solution. This was the SEMS - the Sustainable E-Waste Management System. Electronic waste, or E-Waste, is basically discarded consumer electronics: cell phones, rechargeable batteries, computers, monitors, etc. All of these products contain heavy metals, hazardous materials that cause serious damage to human health when released into the environment. Mercury can cause chronic brain damage, and lead can cause permanent damage in children, as well as irreversible effects on human health. Already, several species of deep-sea fish contain levels of mercury three or four times their normal amount. This is why there is an advised limit to the amount of fish you can eat. When dumped into landfills, the heavy metals seep out into the environment, polluting waterways and the ground. When burned, these travel into the air. Unless properly recycled or reused, these chemicals can cause serious damage to our environment.In my town, my team and I have drafted and ratified an ordinance, refurbished over 250 unused computers to give to children who did not have computer access at home, sent 6 computers to Sri Lanka after the December 2004 tsunami, held a town recycling drive and set up a receptacle to collect e-waste. The last two combined have collected over 80,000 pounds of E-Waste for recycling. This is provided for free by local responsible recyclers. In addition, we edited and lobbied for an E-Waste bill at the state level and made several presentations to the Senate and House of Representatives. This bill was passed in July 2006 and will affect all Rhode Island residents by 2008. To keep our system sustainable, we sent out flyers to the residents and schoolchildren, as well as integrated computer refurbishing into one of our high school's classes. We made approximately 10 presentations to local schools to spread the message to the younger generation. Internationally, we have presented our project at numerous conferences and competitions. Now, we are continuing to work on this project by refurbishing computers, however, we are beginning a new project entitled: Project WIN '05 SP2 - BridgingDivides. We are collaborating with the United Nations Environment Programme to create a system to fight computer illiteracy in developing countries. We have already set up a computer center at a school in Mexico, Yaocalli, and started a branch of our team, the 'Mexican WIN Team' who will advocate our cause there. We are currently working to set up an Internet Cafe in Cameroon, as well as send more computer centers to schools for impaired children there.