What is the aim of The E-Waste Column?

 

The E-Waste Column and The E-Waste Newsletter educate the public about e-waste, transition minerals, and critical raw materials. It is a core aim of our resources to educate the general public on the just transition, the "social license to operate" (SLO), as well as legal and policy developments in this space.

Does The E-Waste Column have a social mission?

 

The E-Waste Column and The E-Waste Newsletter both aim to create more space for the voices of historically underrecognized groups in the corporate sustainability, energy, and mining sectors.

​​

Both our publications emphasize educating readers on matters related to a just transition, social impact, and social justice. We cover social, labor, gender, Indigenous Peoples’ rights, and other human rights issues in the context of the energy transition, which many other educational resources and news outlets still largely overlook.

Does The E-Waste Column have an environmental mission?

 

By educating the public on critical raw materials and the just transition, we aim to help improve the general understanding and acceptance towards the energy transition. We believe that people make better decisions when they are well-informed, feel engaged, and are included in decision-making processes. In line with this, our aim is to empower our users and build a more sustainable and inclusive future through our education.

How does The E-Waste Column share a high level of expertise with the general public and laypeople?

 

Our founder, Christine Nikander, has a knack for explaining topics related to critical raw materials and the just transition in plain and simple language. She wants everyone to be able to understand what is going on in this space and what it means for them personally.

 

Christine is an environmental lawyer, who is specialized in waste and circularity laws. She began doing research into e-waste, conflict minerals, and circularity in the summer of 2015. Christine draws upon this expertise to write about recent developments in law, policy, and business in our column and newsletter.

Why are the writers at The E-Waste Column mostly women?

 

We ask talented writers and skilled sustainability professionals to write for us. Many of our writers are highly educated women or come from other underrepresented groups.

What topics has The E-Waste Column covered so far?

 

​Our column and newsletter touch upon a range of topics. These include ESG, sustainable development, circular economy, EU law and policymaking, corporate social responsibility, the transition to renewable energy, the EU Green Deal, supply chain due diligence and auditing, human environmental rights, business and human rights, climate law, and corporate sustainability.

 

You can explore all the past topics covered by The E-Waste Column in The E-Waste Database.

Has The E-Waste Column won any awards?

 

In December 2024, The E-Waste Column was featured in The Bloom’s "30 Under 30 Social Impact".

What is the reach of the column and the newsletter?

​

Our column has over 1900 subscribers on LinkedIn and via our website. Our founder, Christine Nikander, also has over 19 000 followers on LinkedIn, where she posts our weekly columns.

 

Our newsletter has over 2300 subscribers on LinkedIn (here and here), Substack, and our blog.

How is The E-Waste Column user-centered?​

 

Both our column and newsletter actively accept topic wishes and suggestions from our readers and the general public.

 

You are most welcome to drop us a line with suggestions for topics that you would like to see us cover in future columns or newsletters via our contact form or by e-mail.

What spillover effect does The E-Waste Column have?

​

Our column and our newsletter have inspired further research by Bachelor and Master students, from different disciplines, into e-waste and critical raw materials. You can find an example of this here.

How can you support The E-Waste Column?

​

If you enjoy the column and newsletter, you can support us by telling a friend or colleague about our work or by donating a cup of tea.