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The world throws out millions of pounds of electronics every year, but not everything that ends up in the garbage is junk.
In Ghana, people sift through e-waste dumping sites to pick out resalable materials. The scavenging relies on crude methods of extraction that put both the rummagers and local environment at risk.
Harvard engineering grad Rachel Field witnessed the dangerous scavenging firsthand while visiting the west African nation, and was inspired to work on a solution. Field developed the Bicyclean, an affordable, environmentally friendly device that safely separates valuable bits of discarded electronics.
So how does Bicyclean work? Watch the video above for a breakdown of the innovative device.
Field’s invention has also been entered into the James Dyson Awards, which recognizes the work of innovative student designers. Finalists will be announced next month.