DETROIT – EMEAC staff members held space with an environmental justice and electronic waste recycling station at the most recent Discovering Technology event of the Detroit Digital Justice Coalition held at the Museum of Contemporary Arts of Detroit in April. EMEAC Associate Director Ahmina Maxey, Communications Coordinator Patrick Geans-Ali and Greener Schools Senior Engagement Program Coordinator Priscilla Dziebek each contributed to the station which featured an interactive e-waste trivia challenge, a comprehensive map of recycling centers and live examples of reused computer hardware. 

“This station was especially relevant at the Discotech because the events are all about the use of technology, and it is important for us to think about the afterlife of many of our electronics after we throw them away,” Maxey said. “The EJ station educated participants about the magnitude and environmental impact of e-waste, and ways to reduce this impact through proper recycling – showing participants on a map where they can recycle their old electronics in Detroit.”

The EJ station was one of three EMEAC stations held at the event. The other two stations focused on social networking as EMEAC Associate Director Lottie Spady and Detroit Future Communications Coordinator Victoria Goff held down a station of how to use Twitter while EMEAC Stand Up Speak Out Youth Team Leader Siwatu-Salama Ra worked at the Facebook Station. In all, the Disco Tech featured approximately 15 stations focusing on a variety of ways community members can better use technology such as basic electronics skills, internet privacy, bicycle technology, internet as an educational tool, beat making, computer hardware and others. 

“Priscilla did a great job putting together the example of how to reuse old computer parts by making them into a desk,” Geans-Ali said. “It really went well with the e-waste trivia challenge because we could show people a concrete example of how old computer parts can be creatively recycled. 

“This was my second disco tech and it's a lot of fun to see people of all ages so engaged in learning. I think that's what the diso techs are all about. It's about de-mystifying technology so that community members feel empowered with the knowledge they either already have or that they can learn just like anybody else.”

The e-waste trivia challenge focused on educating community members on the environmentally harmful aspects of electronic waste while looking at environmentally responsible ways to recycle them.