Amity Global School Noida (AGSN) has introduced an important student initiative on E-Waste Management and Recycling, conceptualized by student Nandini Ray of Grade 6. The campaign is to raise awareness about responsible e-waste management and promote sustainable practices among students and parents, and prevent India’s increasing generation of e-waste.
Nandini’s passion sparked while researching for a school project around sustainability. The alarming reports on e-waste hazards inspired her to take action under the guidance of the principles of environmental management taught at Amity Global School, Noida. This project also introduces an AI-enabled tracking system that helps the school’s e-waste drive function more efficiently.
The project will also use predictive analytics to estimate future e-waste generation at the school, helping to improve planning for collection and recycling. AI-mapping logistics systems will help further determine the best routes to transport e-waste to licensed and authorized places and drop-off bins to help minimize travel, time, and carbon footprint. Moreover, there are educational engagement tools like demo apps and quizzes to engage students and parents on what can and cannot be recycled, while also explaining the steps to recycle properly and where bins are located.
This e-waste drive encourages parents, staff, and students to bring in outdated phones, chargers, cables, and small electronics to the reception area on campus. After collection, materials are shipped to certified recycling businesses that break down e-waste and recycle the pieces properly, with recovery of precious metals and prevention of toxic materials polluting the environment.
Nandini Ray Student in Grade 6 at Amity Global School Noida, said, “While researching for my school project, I learned that India is the 3rd largest e-waste producer in the world after China and the US. This realization made me understand that even in our classrooms and homes, we accumulate outdated devices or dispose of them in landfills, where they pollute the soil and water. I wanted to create a simple system at our school where everyone could bring their unused electronics and know which would be handled responsibly. My goal is to show that even students can lead change if we start small and stay committed.”
On the launch day of the initiative, Dr. (Mrs.) Amita Chauhan, Chairperson, Amity Global School Noida, stated, “When the world has already reached a total of 347 million tonnes of unprocessed e-waste, and India itself produced 1,751 kilotonnes last year, out of which 57% remained unprocessed. We need to educate young minds on sustainable waste management. Nandini’s initiative reinforces the vision of Amity Global School to empower the students to be contributing global citizens. We are proud of her initiative in working towards this cause, which needs serious attention in India as well as globally. This campaign encourages how education and civic consciousness will join forces to make a difference.”
Now, the school plans to organize workshops and awareness campaigns to extend the program’s impact beyond the campus to encourage the community to handle e-waste with a sense of responsibility.
