The workshop is highly interactive and encourages participants to learn by doing. Working with real devices makes the environmental impact of electronics more concrete and helps develop a more responsible attitude toward technology use.
Due to the practical nature of the activity and the possible risks involved in dismantling electronic equipment, it is recommended that the workshop takes place outside the regular school or youth centre environment, ideally in a suitable workshop setting. Cooperation with local initiatives such as a Repair Café, maker space, or technical training centre is strongly encouraged. These partnerships provide appropriate tools, expertise, and a safe working environment, while also connecting young people with community resources.
Contents
Goals
- Foster practical understanding of how digital devices are built
- Strengthen confidence and problem-solving skills through hands-on repair
- Encourage awareness of sustainability and the value of extending product lifespans
- Promote critical thinking about design, consumer rights, and planned obsolescence
- Connect young people with local networks (repair cafés, FabLabs, DIY initiative)
Steps
Materials
- Old/broken devices (mobile phones, headphones, laptops, chargers)
- Simple tool kit (screwdrivers, pliers, tweezers, magnifying glass)
- Spare parts (if available, e.g. cables, batteries)
- Safety equipment: gloves, safety goggles if necessary
- Flipchart/poster for documenting repair attempts
1. Introduction (10 minutes)
- Short discussion: ‘What do you usually do with broken devices?’
- Expectation survey: Repair? Throw away? Resell?
2. Exploration (15 minutes)
- Each group selects a device.
- First task: carefully open it and examine the components.
- Moderator explains differences: easily replaceable parts (e.g. battery, cables) vs. difficult-to-repair parts (glued batteries, soldered chips).
3. Repair attempt (40 minutes)
- Step-by-step instructions from mentors or experienced hobbyists.
- The goal is not to ‘fix everything,’ but to learn by trying.
- Each team records: What did we accomplish? What was difficult?
Reflection
Presentation (15 minutes)
- Groups report: Which devices could be repaired, which could not – and why?
- Discussion: ‘What does this mean for our use? What would need to change to make repairs easier?’
Conclusion (10 minutes)
- Joint collection of ‘repair tips for everyday life’ (e.g. mobile phone cases extend service life, pay attention to charging cycles).
- Reference to local repair cafés or online instructions.
Reflection questions
- What did you learn while repairing – about devices, about patience, about teamwork?
- Why are many devices designed to be so difficult to repair?
- What rights should we have as consumers to make repairs easier?
Facts about the material aspects of digitalisation
The aim of the reflection is to also provide information about the social relevance of resource awareness. Data and research can be used for illustration purposes. For example:
European Right to Repair
It proposes also “to work toward establishing a new ‘right to repair’” and a Circular Electronics Initiative (EUC COM(2020) 98 final). The directive introduced in 2024 (EU Directive 2024/1799) foresees:
- A standardised European Repair Information Form
- Obligation to repair
- Establishment of a European online platform for repair.
Sustainable Hardware
Source: Pohl et al. 2021, p. 22
E-Waste Hierarchy
Source: Balde et al. 2024, p. 42
E-Waste Facts
- E-waste is the fastest-growing waste stream in the world; between 50 and 60 million tons are produced every year. The e-waste discarded in 2021 alone weighs more than the Great Wall of China: the heaviest man-made structure in the world.
- 75-80% of e-waste is shipped to countries in Africa and Asia, where poor and marginalized communities suffer health and environmental consequences. Electronics contain hazardous materials like lead, mercury, and cadmium, which leach into the surrounding environment when placed in landfills, or when the products are burned by “backyard recyclers” in Global South trying to extract valuable materials like gold and copper
- Less than 20% of e-waste generated each year is properly recycled.
- E-waste contains valuable materials that can be extracted through proper recycling. It’s estimated that unrecycled e-waste contains $57 billion worth of recoverable precious metals.
Source: EcoWatch: E-Waste 101: Everything You Need to Know
More background
Further information and sources about ewaste can be found on our page:
Variations
- Cooperation with experts: Invite local repair cafés, FabLabs or tech-savvy people to act as mentors.
- Mini version: Only cables & chargers – quicker sense of achievement.
- Long version: Create a ‘repair tutorial’ (video or poster) that other young people can use.
References
Baldé, C. P.; Kuehr, R; Yamamoto, T.; McDonald, R.; D’Angelo, E.; Althaf, S. Bel, G.; Deubzer, O; Fernandez-Cubillo, E.; Forti, V.; Gray, V.; Herat, S.; Honda, S.; Iattoni, G.; Khetriwal, D. S.; Luda di Cortemiglia, V.; Lobuntsova, Y.; Nnorom, I.; Pralat, N.; Wagner, M. (2024). International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). 2024. Global E-waste Monitor 2024. Geneva/Bonn, https://ewastemonitor.info/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/GEM_2024_18-03_web_page_per_page_web.pdf, accessed 05/05/2025
EcoWatch: E-Waste 101: Everything You Need to Know
Pohl, J. ., Höfner, A. ., Albers, E. ., & Rohde, F. (2021). Design Options for Long-lasting, Efficient and Open Hardware and Software. Ökologisches Wirtschaften - Fachzeitschrift, 36(O1), 20–24. https://doi.org/10.14512/OEWO360120
Handbook: More than Go with the Flow
- A handbook on Digital Citizenship Education, created in the frame of the project DIYW-ROAD/Competendo. Digital Youth Work - rights-sensitive, open, accessible, democratic.
- Unless otherwise stated, authors and editors of the methods published in the project are Elisa Rapetti, Markus José Plasencia Kanzler, and Nils-Eyk Zimmermann
