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E-waste found in a dumpster
Introduction
Electronic waste is a growing issue across the world, heightened by the societal encouragement to throw away and buy again, rather than experiment and reuse. This can cause a buildup of waste that not only pollutes, but poisons the environment with toxic chemicals (Parvez et al. 2021). To bring attention to this often overlooked danger, a series of musical instrument and analog effect circuits out of reclaimed materials and e-waste exhibits how such trash can be repurposed into something new through a blend of art and technology.
Literature Review
When gaining initial inspiration for this work, it seems the most common location to find examples of boundary-challenging experimentation was through personal blogs like youtube.com, where any and everyone is granted freedom to share whatever ideas they please. One such source was the channel “Burls Art,” in which Burls creates various electric guitars out of seemingly random materials. One video in particular that was especially inspiring artistically was “I Built a Guitar out of Ocean Plastic,” within which it demonstrated how a handmade guitar made of ocean trash can effectively make beautiful music (Burls, 14:07). A second article from The Lancet catalogued the harmful effects that the toxins within electronic waste can have on the human body, namely lead, cadmium, mercury, and nickel, and the effects they have on the cardiovascular, nervous, and respiratory systems (Parvez et al. 2). The morbid statistics within this article encouraged further research into small potential solutions that any and everyone can do to make an impact as a greater collective.
Methods
In order to bring this artistic vision to life, initial research was conducted to determine exactly what was required of the mechanics of an operational guitar. Additionally, information on how pre-existing modulation circuits have been designed was necessary so that these quality schematics could be applied to gathered trash, with all of said circuits found on tagboardeffcts.com. From this research, it became apparent that for similar subjects that are both artistic and technical in nature, the best source of information and technique is from personal blogs, online forums, or face to face conversations with other experimenters. As for the actual skills needed to take on this project, it was needed to both hone soldering skills, but also learn woodworking from the ground up, for which the resource of the artist’s grandfather served to deliver help on technical advice and recommendations for what tools would fit each job.
Sketch of guitar body stencil on MDF board (top)
Guitar body assembly before stringing (bottom)
Audience & Impact
This project will give University of Maryland students and community members of all ages information on local e-waste recycling options. Given the setting of a university campus, many of these people possess a creative spirit and an appreciation or passion for experimentation and learning. That said, this project will also inspire others to take up similar actions, to encourage more sustainable habits surrounding e-waste, through either a creative outlet or information on more sustainable disposal methods.
References
Burls. “I Built a Guitar Out of Ocean Plastic.” Youtube.com, Burls Art, Jan 13, 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wKUrjssfiHw.
Parvez, Sarker M et al. “Health consequences of exposure to e-waste: an updated systematic review.” The Lancet. Planetary health vol.
5,12 (2021): e905-e920. doi:10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00263-1
Acknowledgements
I would like to offer thanks to my faculty advisor Harold Burgess for his role in helping me develop the logistics of my project and how I can effectively and feasibly share my work with the community. His advice has pushed me to pursue new ideas I would not have considered otherwise and helped shape this project to be what it is today.
I would also like to thank my roommate Carlos Acosta and girlfriend Erika Mosley for helping me narrow down my project from the very beginning, by listening and responding to my surely irritating constant spitball of ideas. Without their patience, I would never have made it out of the planning phase.
Next I would like to thank my peers and professor Heather Bremenstuhl who offered continuous feedback on shaping my project to convey the exact message I had in my mind. Without your input the meaning of my project would surely have been lost in execution.
Finally I would like to thank James O’Connell for some professional advice in the world of audio engineering and the art of sound mixing. His input helped to inspire new combinations between the artistic and technical side, and his suggestions helped me to solve some mechanical problems I was experiencing.
About Me
About Me
https://sites.google.com/umd.edu/noah-milholland/home
Biography & Personal Statement
Noah is a Sophomore from Columbia, MD studying Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maryland. His interests include building and designing instruments and analog modulation circuits, playing guitar, painting, and 3D modeling. Noah plans on pursuing a career in research and engineering design, as well as potentially declaring a minor in robotics in the coming semester. After graduating in the spring of 2027, Noah hopes to utilize his passion for the arts in conjunction with his engineering studies to work as an engineer to help find solutions to problems that can hopefully better the lives of others all over the world.
As a College Park Arts Scholar, Noah will expand his knowledge in his preferred forms of media to learn skills like woodworking and aesthetic sculpting through 3D modeling to help him excel as an engineer. He hopes to find other like minded scholars to collaborate with on such projects. Noah plans on using his capstone project to explore the connection between engineering, music, and environmentalism by constructing a series of instruments from household objects. In his time at the university, Noah hopes to get involved in a variety of student organizations. He hopes to get to know the greater community outside of campus and help his new community thrive.
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