Business concept proposal

From problem to opportunity

Waste electrical is growing at three times the rate of any other waste stream

due to high consumer demand and shorter replacement cycles of the

electrical. Fewer than 1% of TVs and around 10% of PCs and laptops are

recycled Australia wild. (Golev et al., 2016)

E-waste accounts for 70% of hazardous substances like lead, cadmium, and

mercury found in landfills while recycling half of the televisions discarded

annually could save 23,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. (Clean Up, 2023)

Despite facilities established by the government and private sector, e-waste is

still not declining in Australia. A survey conducted among students revealed

that only 9.9% of interviewees were aware of the National Television and

Computer Recycling Scheme (NTCRS), 2011 (Islam et al., 2021). Awareness

about the disposal of e-waste is crucial even when collection provisions are in

place to maintain the supply chain. Storage and recycling are other aspects of

e-waste generation.

Australian e-waste market operates under the NTCRS, 2011 scheme

establishing a demand and supply chain. Dias et al., (2018) evaluated that the

Electric and Electronic equipment (EEE) are imported by the liable parties

(importers and distributors) who later sell them to consumers. Consumers turn

them into Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE). WEEE is then

collected at the government collection points as well as private enterprises. The collected material is sent to domestic and international recycling facilities after dismantling and sorting. The scheme establishes an effective management system including the private sector participating in reducing e-waste generation. Social enterprises are not profit-driven, but we must find suitable ways to cover the operational costs of running the business. We will design APPs and recycling stations (rubbish bins, etc.), and design reward mechanisms such as points for recycling, which can be used to exchange for daily necessities.

As we collect more electronic waste, we create new value for old electronic devices. For example, smartphones discarded by younger generations may still retain basic calling functionality, which could meet the sole need of older adults. We can sell these devices at a low price to cater to the needs of older individuals. Through our app, we can help consumers find products that meet their specific requirements.

Product or Service

The purpose of this proposal is to use Impact Gaps Canvas (Papi, n.d.) to reveal the problem of e-waste and the gaps in existing solutions. As mentioned earlier, e-waste accounts for 70% of toxic chemicals that affect public health. Households that hold e-waste and do not dump it are the most affected. The lifespan of a student owning a laptop is 4.31 years (Islam et al.,

2021). According to the Global E-Waste Monitor 2024 ( 2024 ), global e-waste recycling rates vary greatly, from 42.8 per cent in Europe to less than 1 per cent in Africa. Existing measures focus mainly on collection and recycling (Dias et al., 2018). Studies have shown that the general public is poorly aware of the toxic impacts of e-waste (Islam et al., 2021). For this reason, we plan to set up a social enterprise to raise public awareness through workshops, create community activities such as online and offline, and encourage the public to participate in recycling e-waste on their own initiative.

The business model

There will be a multi-faceted model for this social venture. There will be four resource generation streams:

1.Workshops and Community Events: A nominal participating fee will be charged directly from the community members. Engagements with educational institutions will help to organise these events.

2.Membership: A membership fee will be charged for those who want to engage with the idea and contribute to solving this problem.

3.Grants and donations: Government and the philanthropic organisations will be approached for donations. Online and offline fund-raising campaigns will be organised.

4.Sponsorships: Collaboration with local businesses, corporations, NGOs and Multinational companies.

The social enterprise would be a not-for-profit organisation that will invest all the net profit in expansion activities.

How generate

1.Collaborate with local companies and NGOs to develop an application(app) that focuses on e-waste recycling - "Gojira". The app is called "Gojira" for two reasons: it is a gimmick to attract the public to participate in the platform's activities, and it also serves as a warning to the public to protect the environment.

2. Cooperate with manufacturers to recycle and dispose of waste electronic products. Classify waste electronic products, liaise with the corresponding electronic component companies, and regularly send these products to factories for centralised treatment, and ask the manufacturers for a certain amount of money to maintain their operations.

3. Conduct regular online and offline activities with educational organisations to educate the public about the dangers of e-waste and how to dispose of it - recycling is the best way to do this.

How creates social impact

1. Raise awareness of recycling: Promote the app for e-waste recycling through cooperation with NGOs, and use the "reward mechanism" on the online platform to raise public awareness of e-waste reuse and its potential hazards, promote new public understanding of electronic products, and

establish a sustainable e-waste disposal system.

2. Reduce environmental risks, conserve resources and promote the development of a green economy through the rational classification and recycling of waste electronic products.

3.Community events with educational organisations allow me to take my environmental message down to the community members. This approach is more effective than the educational TV and online media, and allows people to come into direct contact with the concept of environmental protection.

Personal Reflection

Zuohan Liang

How to deal with e-waste is a matter of concern. According to the author's experience and knowledge, the treatment of e- waste cannot only rely on the efforts of the government and related organisations, but should also drive every citizen to participate in it spontaneously. This is where our business purpose lies - to raise and enhance people's awareness of e- waste and to establish a correct concept of e-waste disposal. My major is global media communication, as a media student, I can put my theoretical knowledge of media into practice and use video production software such as Adobe premiere to promote our business model and products globally.

Abhishek swami

There is a major gap between e-waste generation and its recycling because of low awareness levels among the community, mainly in the young generation. Educating them about this problem is a major task to which I can contribute by engaging with the community through webinars and conducting workshops. However, organizing these events will need money that can be generated by building strong relationships with businesses and philanthropic organizations. A pool of these organizations can be created on our mobile application that will give a platform to them to advertise and in return, they will invest in our environmental cause.

Yihan wang

For the e-waste recycling project, I will use my media skills to produce

promotional videos, posters and websites to raise awareness of the project

and encourage more people to participate. In addition, at the recycling stage, I

will use my knowledge of electronic products to promote their recycling and

dismantling, which will ultimately generate profits and help the project to

continue.

Feng Lin

The purpose of our enterprise is to recycle more electronic waste and create

new value from it. I believe that project management and financial planning

are crucial. Project management means we already determined which

projects can generate revenue and which projects focus more on public

welfare. In addition, with a solid investment plan, we can provide more

sustainable services for our enterprise. Networking is also crucial. No one can

solve environmental issues alone. I will observe existing social enterprises

focused on electronic waste recycling, analyze their successful experiences,

and identify areas for improvement. This will help expand our enterprise's

channels and discover more potential for success.

References

Dias, P., Bernardes, A. M., & Huda, N. (2018). Waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) management: An analysis on the australian e-waste recycling scheme. Journal of Cleaner Production, 197, 750–764.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.06.161

Global e-Waste Monitor 2024: Electronic Waste Rising Five Times Faster than Documented E-waste Recycling. (2024).

https://www.unitar.org/about/news-stories/press/global-e-waste-monitor-2024-electronic-waste-rising-five-times-faster-documented-e-waste-recycling

Islam, M. T., Dias, P., & Huda, N. (2021). Young consumers’ e-waste awareness, consumption, disposal, and recycling behavior: A case study of university students in Sydney, Australia. Journal of Cleaner Production, 282, 124490. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.124490

Papi, D. (n.d.). The Impact Gaps Canvas. Retrieved 30 April 2024, from https://tacklingheropreneurship.com/the-impact-gaps-canvas/

Appendix

BUSINESS MODEL CANVAS

Source: Ward-Christie 2020 adapted from Osterwalder & Pigneur 2010