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Unmaking electronic waste

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Pedro LopesAuthors Info & Claims

ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction

Accepted on 01 May 2024

https://doi.org/10.1145/3674505

Online AM: 20 June 2024 Publication History

Abstract

The proliferation of new technologies has led to a proliferation of unwanted electronic devices. E-waste is the largest-growing consumer waste-stream worldwide, but also an issue often ignored. In fact, HCI primarily focuses on designing and understanding device interactions during one segment of their lifecycles—while users use them. Researchers overlook a significant space—when devices are no longer “useful” to the user such as after breakdown or obsolescence. We argue that HCI can learn from experts who upcycle e-waste and give it second lives in electronics projects, art projects, educational workshops, and more. To acquire and translate this knowledge to HCI, we interviewed experts who unmake e-waste. We explore their practices through the lens of unmaking both when devices are physically unmade and when the perception of e-waste is unmade once waste becomes, once again, useful. Last, we synthesize findings into takeaways for how HCI can engage with the issue of e-waste.

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Cited By

Liu JLin C(2024)What Worlds are We Designing For?Proceedings of the Halfway to the Future Symposium10.1145/3686169.3686203(1-5)Online publication date: 21-Oct-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3686169.3686203
Li J(2024)Toward Appropriating Tools for Queer UseProceedings of the Halfway to the Future Symposium10.1145/3686169.3686186(1-4)Online publication date: 21-Oct-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3686169.3686186

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cover image ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction

ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction Just Accepted

EISSN:1557-7325

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Publication History

Online AM: 20 June 2024

Accepted: 01 May 2024

Revised: 15 January 2024

Received: 01 July 2023

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Cited By

Liu JLin C(2024)What Worlds are We Designing For?Proceedings of the Halfway to the Future Symposium10.1145/3686169.3686203(1-5)Online publication date: 21-Oct-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3686169.3686203
Li J(2024)Toward Appropriating Tools for Queer UseProceedings of the Halfway to the Future Symposium10.1145/3686169.3686186(1-4)Online publication date: 21-Oct-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3686169.3686186

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