A group a mechanical engineer students from Stanford University and Finland’s Aalto University have designed the Bloom Laptop, a fully recyclable laptop prototype. The laptop can be taken apart in 10 easy steps, in under 10 minutes, with no screwdriver required.
The nine-month-long project was for a class assignment in design methodology. Sponsored by design software company Autodesk, students were asked to design a recyclable consumer electronics product that was engaging and simple for consumers in an effort to reduce electronic waste.
Of the 2 million tons of ewaste disposed of in 2005, less than 20 percent was recycled, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
The Bloom Laptop is held together with latches instead of screws and all internal components can be taken apart and mailed to a local recycling center with a pre-paid and addressed envelope attached to the back of the monitor.
The case is made of aluminum, which can be recycled in most cities’ home-pickup recycling programs.