Your phone is destroying the planet | Sanika Bhave | TEDxUTAustin

Technology has become indispensable to our everyday lives and that's reflected in how much of it ends up in our waste. Electronic waste (e-waste) is the world's fastest growing waste stream, but the world lags behind in its ability to properly and safely dispose of these electronics which can quickly become toxic. Sanika, an environmentalist and senior at The University of Texas at Austin, walks through what e-waste is and how it's generated, how it has physical, environmental, psychological harms around the globe, and how we can do our part to lessen its impact. Your phone might be destroying the planet, but Sanika offers you an opportunity to repurpose your technology for the next generation. Sanika Bhave is an environmentalist and a senior at the University of Texas at Austin double majoring in Canfield Business Honors and Plan II Honors and pursuing minors in Management Information Systems and Art History. She’s a firm believer in people and has sought to realize the power that comes from community at the intersection of policy, technology, and business whether it be by working in impact investing, policy, or social entrepreneurship. Sanika co-founded Austin Venture Strategy, an undergraduate venture capital organization working to make the venture capital and startup ecosystem more accessible to all and co-founded the CBHP Impact Network, which is working towards creating a more impact-minded Business Honors community. In Spring 2021, Sanika was named a Bill Archer Fellow and spent the semester in D.C. doing policy work at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. Sanika’s Plan II Honors thesis is on fossil fuel divestment and what that could potentially look like for institutions, including the University of Texas. She celebrates people coming together to have important and impactful conversations, regardless of political, social, or geographic pressures, to create a better place for the next generation. As a child of immigrants, Sanika grew up with a desire to make the most out of the opportunities she's been given and a strong appreciation for what she's been lucky enough to call hers, including this planet. Sanika likes to spend her free moments wandering through the stacks of Austin Public Library and inviting her friends over for a cup of chai. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx