Sculpture at electronica will highlight problem of e-waste

Attendees to electronica are encouraged to donate an old electronic device, component or small piece of electronics hardware to aid in the building of the sculpture. The sculpture will be built by artist Birgit Werres. Harriet Green, ceo of Premier Farnell, said: "As an industry, we have a responsibility to do something to address the problems associated with unregulated recycling of waste, especially in developing countries. As an industry leader in electronics legislation and through the introduction of a state of the art legislation portal on element14, and our award winning bio-packaging we have demonstrated our commitment to supporting design engineers the world over. We hope that the sculpture we are going to build at electronica will act as a reminder to all who are involved in the electronics industry, of the need to regulate the recycling of electronic waste and make it a global priority." "It is estimated that up to 50million tonnes of e-waste is discarded every year, with around 70% reaching Africa, China and India," added Gary Nevison, Premier Farnell's head of legislation. "Of this, as much as 90% ends up with recyclers that observe no environmental or health standards. In India alone, we believe that up to 5million people – many of them children and the majority with little or no protection - are involved in this harmful trade. Millions more are affected in Africa and China." element14 is offering the first 100 visitors who bring their waste product to its stand in Hall A5, stand 558, a chance to win a TI Beagleboard.