'E-Waste Race' School Competition

Starting on February 6, students at 10 schools in the Wesel district will spend four weeks collecting e-waste in their neighborhoods and actively engaging with recycling and the circular economy. The most diligent collector will win a school trip.

The kick-off of the campaign was on 29 January at the Niederberg comprehensive school in Neukirchen-Vluyn.

District Administrator Ingo Brohl, who is the patron of the project, officially launched the competition by stating: "The E-Waste Race is a win-win project: the pupils learn about the value of raw materials and recycling. At the same time, they help citizens to dispose of their small appliances correctly teaching everyone involved the value of recycling. In this way, they make an active contribution to the sustainable use of resources. I hope that many young people will take part in the project again this year.”

In Germany alone, 1.7 million tons of electronic waste are generated annually, but less than half of it is disposed of properly even though it contains valuable raw materials.

The non-profit initiative Das macht Schule has brought the successful project from the Netherlands to Germany.

The project is being implemented by the disposal partner Kreis Weseler Abfallgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG in cooperation with the town of Dinslaken for municipal services and the companies Drekopf GmbH & Co. KG and Schönmackers Umweltdienste GmbH & Co. KG.

The Heinz Trox Foundation is providing financial support. According to our chairman, Paul Schwarz, sustainability is a central part of the foundation's philosophy. From a global perspective, sustainability is the most important issue of our time. However, it also requires a strong local commitment. By supporting the E-Waste Race, we want to contribute to this.

In total, 10 schools are taking part in the project.