E-Waste Tsunami
We live in a world where our ecosystems of production and consumption are extremely evolved. However, there is a third ecosystem we call the ‘receiver’ that is largely unknown and un-evolved where products end up after they have served their intended purpose and are disposed of.
This documentary reveals the world of the receiver and the impact of electronic waste on the environment and informal labour sector. Focusing on Delhi, we worked with a local NGO, Chintan Environmental Action Group to understand and document what happens to electronic waste as it enters the waste stream.
The resulting documentary and communications are intended as a first step to raise awareness and create a platform for strategic responses from a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including designers, governments, and legislators. The project was exhibited at the Shiela C. Johnson Design Center at Parsons in NYC in 2016.
The exhibition at the Sheila C Johnson Design Center at Parsons NYC
The exhibition at the Sheila C Johnson Design Center at Parsons NYC
The exhibition at the Sheila C Johnson Design Center at Parsons NYC. Exploded view Furby by Parsons MFA ID students to demonstrate the complex nature of everyday objects.
The exhibition at the Sheila C Johnson Design Center at Parsons NYC
Waste Picker community as Bhalswa Landfill site , Delhi
Underground E-Waste workers, Mustafabad, Delhi
Underground E-Waste workers, Mustafabad, Delhi
First school for waste pickers children at Bhalswa, Delhi, established by Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group
E-Waste workers, Mustafabad, Delhi
At the top of Bhalswa Landfill site, Delhi
E-Waste reprocessing centre set up by Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group, Delhi
E-Waste reprocessing centre set up by Chintan Environmental Research and Action Group, Delhi
Consumer products awaiting disassembly, Mustafabad, Delhi
Delhi Journey Short Film
Delhi Journey is a short film to accompany StudioFYNN’s E- Waste Tsunami Project. Intended as a counterbalance to the data visualizations of the documentary, the visual narrative employs the art film genre to communicate the lives and environments of informal labourers in the waste picker community.
The film explores the industrialized landscape of the urban poor in a developing metropolis. The Urban poor are the community and sector of society to which the waste-picker community belong. The journey begins at Bhalswa Landfill and associated communities in northwestern Delhi and then moves through the rapidly expanding infrastructure of the city. It concludes with a passage through unregulated housing developments that form a large part of this 21st century metropolis.
The film is a haunting reminder of the environmental and social pressures faced by many 21st century global south cities and the informal labour sector.