Imagine a world where we care for tech better, keeping it in use longer  

We’ve created #TimeAfterTime to engage young people on e-waste by showing them how their actions can benefit people, planet and pocket. But we can’t do it alone.

We need your help to inspire 18-25 year olds to engage with the issue of e-waste. We want to help share how to better care for electronics, extending the lifespan of devices and moving away from the pressure to upgrade new tech.

Considerations 

This should be an insight-led project. Have a think about the target audience and how your idea can break down the barriers to engaging with the issue of e-waste they may face. Consider how your idea connects young people to the technology they use daily. We would love to hear your research, thought process about this and how you arrived at your idea. 

Sometimes trends in one area may influence another. For example, there is a strong link between what’s happened in the food industry and what is now happening in the fashion industry.  

Key Facts 

Have a look through the stats below on e-waste that you can use to anchor or inspire your game. Feel free to keep digging on your own and ask friends, classmates and relatives for their views and behaviours so that your game can be insight-led.   

  • 27% of young people didn’t know you could recycle old smartphones. (Hubbub polling, 2022) 

  • More than 1 in 4 young people (28%) don’t know you can recycle your old smartphone at designated e-waste recycling points. (Hubbub polling, 2022) 

  • More than 1 in 3 young people (36%) have unused phones sitting in drawers at home – all losing value and could be recycled or used. (Hubbub polling, 2022) 

  • Less than half (47%) of young people realise that phones thrown in the general bin will end up in landfill or incinerated. (Hubbub polling, 2022) 

  • 40% of 18-24 year olds replace their smartphone within two years. (YouGov, 2020)  

  • By 2040, carbon emissions from the production and use of electronics, will reach 14% of total emissions. (World Economic Forum, 2019) 

  • There is 100 times more gold in a tonne of smartphones than in a tonne of gold ore. Up to 7% of the world’s gold may currently be contained in e-waste. (World Economic Forum, 2019) 

  • The earth’s richest deposits of valuable materials are sitting in landfill sites or people’s homes. (World Economic Forum, 2019) 

  • YouGov polling suggests that 45% would rather upgrade their phone than repair it. The same is true for 48% of tablet owners and 31% laptop owners. (YouGov, 2020) 

Production and use of electronics will reach 14% of total global emissions in 2040 but many of earth’s minerals aren’t in the ground; they’re sitting in homes or landfill because we’re not sure what to do with old tech. 

Your idea should appeal to 18-25 year olds to change their behaviour and engage with e-waste. If it’s helpful you can focus the target audience further by area, age or interests.

A game concept: an original game idea created by you or with a team of up to three other people.  

This can cover world or character design, or a description of the story, how the game play works or the points scoring system. A demo of the game in action is great but not required. We’d like to see anything that brings your concept to life – we love surprises!  

We’d also like basic information of the game, such as name and short elevator pitch describing the game. 

This concept can be something new you’ve made for the challenge, or something you’ve been working on that fits the brief and is an original idea and not licensed to anyone else, or be in the public domain. It can be for any format: PC, console or mobile.  

Submit your proposal by 23:59 on April 7th.

Submissions may be submitted by individuals or groups of up to three.

Your idea will be judged by a panel of behaviour change specialist at Hubbub, e-waste experts and esports professionals. Your concept will be judged on multiple dimensions including its creativity, its relevance to your stated target audience, and ability to inform and change behaviour around e-waste.  

We’ll reach out to successful entries by May 1st. There is a cash prize of £350 for the winner and £150 for the runner up.  

Apply by the 7th of April

Time After Time is a campaign created by environmental charity Hubbub with Virgin Media O2.

#TimeAfterTime

If you have any questions about the campaign or the hackathon, get in touch with us on: 

Email: hello@hubbub.org.uk 

TikTok: @hubbubuk 

Insta: @hellohubbub