Praxiserfahrung beim Schülercamp am TUMCS (Bild: Heinrich / TUMCS)
As part of the school camp “Technology meets Environment” organized by the Bildungswerk der Bayerischen Wirtschaft, a group of 14 pupils arrived at the TUM Campus Straubing on 28th October 2019. They came from all over Bavaria to learn more about sustainability in the field of technology and possible study options here in Straubing. After a guided tour of the campus, which revealed many interesting facts about the development of the location, the study coordinator Dr. Höldrich presented the various study courses in Straubing. This part of the visit was rounded off by a Q&A session with representatives of the student council on topics related to student life in Straubing.
This was followed by an interactive workshop organised by the professorship for Circular Economy. Under the direction of Vanessa Heinrich, PhD student and research associate at the professorship, the workshop was intended to sensitize the participants to the problematic conditions in the mining of raw materials needed for the production of smartphones. In groups, the participants independently researched the supply chain of a smartphone as well as the consequences of the extraction of raw materials. The results were summarized in creative posters.
The highlight of the workshop was the disassembling of a smartphone. Here the pupils were able to apply their previously acquired knowledge. Although the devices, of which some were heavily bonded, posed a challenge, they impressively demonstrated the difficulties associated with such a construction method. The inner workings of the smartphones were then analysed and linked to the raw materials required. The workshop was rounded off with a collection of ideas on how to increase the repairability of smartphones. The participants therefore agreed that less industrial glue and more knowledge about a device that plays a central role in our everyday lives could make an important contribution.
