As part of Formula E‘s mission to leave a sustainable legacy on a global scale, one of its teams, Envision Racing, launched a competition to help educate and inspire the next generation about e-waste.
This is the “Waste to Race” which is run through an active school participation program. The campaign takes place in schools across the UK and will allow people aged 9 to 21 to compete to win a range of special prizes.
Read also:New Talents in Berlin to Prove Formula E’s Virtues
Reversing the Damage
With annual e-waste production on track to reach a frightening 75 million tons by 2030, the UK is one of the worst offenders. The country, home to the Envision team, generated the second highest amount of e-waste in 2022, and items such as cell phones, laptops and batteries are part of the problem.
The team is no stranger to using its platform for good, running the Race Against Climate Change initiative to help reduce carbon emissions alongside its ABB FIA Formula E Championship campaign.
In this new project, the team will collaborate with British Artist and Designer Liam Hopkins to explain why we need to reuse and recycle electrical waste and how children and young people can get involved.
Hopkins will use his talents to build a full-size Formula E car from e-waste, which will be available to view on BBC’s Blue Peter program in mid-July and will appear at the London E-Prix.
Incentives
Three categories will be available in the program for children aged 9 to 21, encouraging them to build their own replica of a miniature racing car, which is made entirely from e-waste.
“Electric mobility is a key part of reducing global carbon emissions, and the technology is advancing rapidly,” said Envision driver and Formula E Season 2 Champion Sebastien Buemi.
“We can now run at speeds of 320 km/h, up from 225 km/h in Formula E’s first year in 2014/15, and the batteries are more than proving their potential,” he noted.
For his part, Hopkins pointed out that electrical products are often used without thought and replaced rather than repaired or reused. “Worst of all, they end up as waste. We want everyone to be aware of the link between e-waste and our renewable future, and what better way than to show it through creativity and design.”
The designer is working on a replica of a full-size, drivable Formula E Gen3 car with innovative ideas to win the battle against e-waste.
