Since 2019, the FRQ have been providing financial support for UNESCO Chairs under a joint Declaration of Intent signed with the Canadian Commission for UNESCO (CCUNESCO). Here is a portrait of one of these Chairs, whose work is generating positive impacts for society.
UNESCO Chair in Green and Sustainable Electronics
Chairholder: Clara Santato, Polytechnique Montréal
According to the United Nations, the world generates more than 60 million tonnes of electronic waste every year. Much of this waste is found in African countries, and barely 18% is properly processed or recycled.
The UNESCO Chair in Green and Sustainable Electronics (ÉleVéS) is seeking pragmatic solutions to address the problem of e-waste. It focuses on the full lifecycle of electronic devices, from the extraction of raw materials, through production and use, to end-of-life management. The Chair has forged partnerships on three continents, with Canadian, African and European universities pooling their expertise. Its approach involves awareness-raising, education, technical solutions and social innovations.
A collaboration with an organization in Ghana, for example, is working to shift the organization’s business model from the collection of electronic waste to the recovery and recycling of precious metals, using safe and sustainable techniques.
Another of the Chair’s projects aims to develop methods for recovering precious metals with the help of hydrometallurgy. These techniques involve dissolving materials to separate them, then recovering the desired metal. Innovative and more sustainable approaches involve the use of mild oxidants, such as hydrogen peroxide, and lactic acid, which is a waste product of the food industry. All these new strategies could improve conditions for informal e-waste recycling, where practices are hazardous for workers.
The Chair is also looking at local practices. For example, it aims to analyze the quantity of electronic products entering Polytechnique Montréal each year, their use, and their end-of-life. After all, good recycling begins at home!