Re-wired

Abstract

This report presents RE-WIRED, a Wee Kim Wee School of Communication and Information (WKWSCI) undergraduate Final Year Project campaign to encourage Singaporean youth aged 18 to 25 to reduce their electrical and electronic waste (e-waste). Organised by four final year students from WKWSCI, Nanyang Technological University, the campaign spreads awareness about five e-waste reducing behaviours: donating, recycling, repairing, reselling and trading in.

This paper first summarises the primary and secondary research. In addition to studying existing literature and conducting a situational analysis, we interviewed experts and conducted a survey to gain insights into the e-waste related perceptions, attitudes and behaviours of Singaporean youth.

Our formative research guided the campaign strategy on effecting informational, attitudinal and behavioural changes. The big idea was to personify everyday electronics to encourage Singaporean youth to give their electronics a second life. We achieved this through three phases: educate, engage and commit. The campaign utilised both offline outreach and online media to convey our key messages, such as university roadshows, Instagram contests, a personification video and a large exhibition in Westgate.

We then evaluated the campaign’s initial objectives objectives. The campaign cost $10,532.87, but received $11,800 in grants and $12,891 in sponsorships-in-kind. Of note, the campaign achieved close to 400 kg of e-waste for recycling, donation and repair, reached out to over 6,000 people and managed to fulfill almost all objectives. The campaign also achieved 7 media mentions and 7,296,000 media impressions.

This paper concludes with an assessment of the campaign’s strengths, limitations and sustainability.