Putting electronic waste to good use

A pilot micro-factory has found a way to extract valuable metals from mobile phone devices. Developed by Professor Veena Sahajwalla at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Australia, this project aims to create a mobile and small-scale e-waste recycling solution to be deployed within poor urban communities.

6,000 mobile phones contain at least 140 grams of palladium, 340 grams of gold, 3.5 kg of silver and 130 kg of copper.

Micro-factories can be set up in containers in urban areas and waste can easily be transported to waste sites, eliminating expenditure on shipping or trucking e-waste for long distances. This creates sustainable employment in poor communities.

Will e-waste disposal turn into a profitable business for poor communities?

https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/putting-electronic-waste-to-good-use/

Comments

Blockchain technology is set to hit retail sector

Blockchain is set to go beyond financial services and affect all sectors, especially retail. Blockchain enables a decentralized digital ledger to record information and transactions on a shared online network. In Australia, this technology will soon enable consumers to scan a product and check the actual journey from farm to store shelf, alongside product quality. Can the internet of things plus Blockchain revolutionize retail supply chains? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/blockchain-technology-is-set-to-hit-retail-sector/

Only 55% of students actively engaged in learning, say Indian teachers

Official Coverage on The Times of India website Business World (2 September 2016 The Hindu, Business Line (2 September 2016) Business Standard (3 September 2016) The Times of India (4 September 2016) Business Wire India (7 September 2016) Student engagement only 55% in active learning, say Indian teachers In mid-2016, Spire Research and Consulting collaborated with global education service provider Pearson for the fourth consecutive time, to conduct a survey of 6,494 teachers from higher education institutes and schools across 546 cities and towns in India (serving around 18.9 lakh students). The survey revealed the opinions of teachers on Indian students’ level of engagement in active learning and gave recommendations on improvements. The Pearson-Spire survey revealed that, in the view of teachers, close to 55% of students are involved in active learning. These (percentage of) students are found to be the highest in Telangana at 63% and t...

Skin pigments to strengthen sofas

Chinese researchers from Jiangnan University (in November 2016) made a recent break through by adding melanin in small quantities to polyurethane (a polymer), making the material sturdier. Melanin is the natural protein found in the skin, hair and the iris of animals that gives color as well as protects them from ultraviolet rays. On the other hand, Polyurethane is a polymer used in materials to manufacture products such as tires, wheels and foam seating to name a few. Will skin pigments in polyurethane revolutionize materials used in manufacturing? https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/spirethoughts/skin-pigments-to-strengthen-sofas/

Nursing homes for the elderly in Korea

As an elderly person, living alone in Korea is difficult. What options do senior citizens have for nursing home facilities? Dr. Justin Lee, Managing Director of Spire Research and Consulting, South Korea shared his thoughts on Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo news portal. Korea now has 3,316 nursing homes and 1,500 specialized elderly hospitals nation-wide. The need for specialised elderly care in Korea is on a gradual rise, as those with health complications cannot live independently. At present, senior citizens with grade ratings of 1 or 2 for long term care under the Long-Term Care Insurance scheme are entitled to use these public nursing home facilities. Dr. Lee opined that paying more does not necessarily mean a better nursing home. Costs in public nursing homes are not consistently higher than those in private ones. Within the public nursing homes, the cost variation is minimal regardless of their management quality as public nursing homes need to abide by set government gui...

Spire talks about ICT strategies at ICT market Movement 2019 in Yogyakarta

On 20th January, Spire was honored to participate in the ICT Market Movement 2019, Strategic Plan 2020 in Yogyakarta. Jeffrey Bahar, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Spire Research and Consulting Group shared his insights on the outlook for the Indonesian ICT sector and the strategies needed to win. Jeffrey discussed strategies for digital transformation, which is a watch-word among most corporates in Indonesia today. Going forward, key areas for ICT players to look at include Big Data, the Internet of Things and smart payment solutions. While cyber security remains a concern, technological advancements are improving the security options and tool-kit available to companies. Read more: https://www.spireresearch.com/newsroom/events/spire-talks-about-ict-strategies-at-ict-market-movement-2019-in-yogyakarta/

The Knowledge to Decide

Search This Blog