OKFestival

While we owe much of the growth of “Open Knowledge” to physical networks, hardware and electronics, we often ignore its material aspects and the consequences. E-waste is the fastest growing waste stream in many countries. While export of e-waste is banned by international law, it occurs.

There is an increasing amount of data available about electronics purchasing, e-waste collection, export, but little interpretation, and few attempts to make this "real" for people.

We propose a session focused on collaboratively generating insight into local and global dynamics that starts with two explorations: one of our gadgets themselves - we will open, explore what's inside, and another of existing data on electronic waste.

The session will culminate in a mini data expedition with the goal of helping the average person gain an understanding of the dimension of e-waste produced and what happens to it.