San Benedittu ReBoot Project. Restarting Our Relationship with Technology.

Introduction

The San Benedittu ReBoot Project seeks to raise awareness and take practical action to address e-waste within the school community and the surrounding locations. By combining education, creativity and repair-based initiatives, students will “reboot” their understanding of technology, learning to use it more responsibly and sustainably.

E-waste contains valuable materials that can be recycled, but it also involves hazardous substances like mercury and lead, which pose serious environmental and health risks if disposed of improperly. As technology use increases in schools, so does the potential to generate this type of waste.

Overall aims of San Benedittu ReBoot.

To promote awareness, responsibility and hands-on engagement in reducing electronic waste through education, creative outreach and repair activities at San Benedittu Secondary School. More specifically this initiative is intended to:

1. Create awareness and engagement: To increase understanding of e-waste and promote responsible decisions through workshops, creative campaigns and a House Quiz competition.
2. Encourage knowledge creation: To produce a student-developed information booklet about e-waste management and share it not only within the school but also with the six local councils from which the students come, extending the project’s community impact.
3. Promote practical waste Reduction: To conduct a school audit of electronic equipment, repair usable items and donate proceeds from their resale to charity at our annual thrift shop.
4. Achieve long-term sustainability: To embed responsible technology use and waste management in the school’s culture and strengthen ties between the school and the local community.

Rationale

The San Benedittu ReBoot Project combines learning, creativity, and action to confront this issue directly. It promotes the values of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) especially:

SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
SDG 13: Climate Action
SDG 4: Quality Education
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

By encouraging repair, reuse and reflection, San Benedittu aims to become a model of how educational institutions can nurture both environmental literacy and active citizenship.

Project Structure

The project will be organised around three interconnected pillars:

1. Awareness and Dissemination
2. Knowledge Creation and Community Outreach
3. Immediate Action and Repair

Pillar 1: Awareness and Dissemination

Goal: To inspire and inform the school community about e-waste through creative communication, competition, and participation.

A. Educational workshops for 15 Ekoskola students at EkoHive Academy, Marsascala.

Interactive sessions will help students understand:

• What e-waste is and its environmental consequences.
• The circular economy and the concept of “Right to Repair.”
• How small behavioural changes, repairing, donating or recycling devices can make a difference.

Following this experience, we hope that our Ekoskola students will be our e-waste ambassadors as they sharing their experiences with their peers.

B. Poster and Video Campaign

Student teams will produce posters and a short video promoting responsible electronic. These will be displayed throughout the school and shared during a Digital Awareness Day, celebrating creativity and environmental responsibility.
C. The San Benedittu House Quiz: “Waste Wise Tech Minds”.

A flagship awareness activity will be the House Quiz Competition focused on responsible electronic waste decisions. Format:

• Each house will select a team of students.
• Questions will test knowledge of recycling symbols, e-waste facts, and real-life scenarios (e.g., “What should you do with a broken charger?”).
• The final round will take place during EWWR week.

The quiz will blend fun and learning, strengthening teamwork and motivating students to think critically about their environmental impact. The winner of the quiz will eventually win additional point for the respective house.

Expected Outcomes:

• Improved understanding of e-waste issues.
• Enhanced collaboration and creativity among students.
• Visible communication materials that inspire lasting change.

Indicators:
• Ekoskola students participate in the workshops.
• Poster and video are produced and shared on the school’s social media and around the school on the panels in our foyers.
• The House Quiz event is formulated and carried out with the school’s Houses representatives.

Pillar 2: Knowledge Creation and Community Outreach

Goal: To create an educational resource that strengthens environmental literacy in both the school and the wider community.

Creation of the “San Benedittu Guide to E-Waste”

Students will research, write, and design an information booklet on e-waste, including:

• What e-waste is and why proper disposal matters.
• The impacts of irresponsible disposal on people and the planet.
• How to safely recycle, repair, and reuse devices.
• The circular economy and local recycling initiatives.
• Tips for prolonging device lifespan and reducing tech-related waste.

The booklet will be published in print and digital format and shared not only within the school but also with the six local councils that represent the communities where students live.

By distributing the booklet to local councils, the project will help raise community-wide awareness and potentially inspire other schools and families to adopt better waste practices.

Expected Outcomes:
• A comprehensive, student-made educational resource on e-waste.
• Stronger links between the school and the six local councils.
• Institutionalisation of environmental learning.

Indicators:
• Number of booklets distributed to students and councils.

Pillar 3: Immediate Action and Repair

Goal: To achieve tangible waste reduction through auditing, repairing and reusing electronic devices.

A. E-Waste Audit

Students and teachers will conduct an inventory of all electronic equipment in the school, categorising items as:

1. Reparable
2. Reusable
3. Recyclable
4. For proper disposal

This will establish a baseline report for future tracking.

B. Repair and Reuse Workshops

Under supervision from teachers and parents.

• Students will learn to repair small electronic items.
• Workshops will teach the basics of maintenance and safe handling.
• The focus will be on extending product lifespans and reducing unnecessary replacements.

C. Thrift Shop and Charity Sale

Functional repaired items will be sold during the school’s thrift shop.
Proceeds will be donated to a local charity, linking environmental and social sustainability.
Unrepairable devices will be disposed in the WEEE trolley located at our school.

D. Documentation and Reporting

Students will collect data on:
• Number of devices repaired, reused or recycled.
• Estimated kilograms of e-waste diverted.
• Funds raised for charity.

Results will be published in a final “San Benedittu ReBoot Report”, shared with the school community and local councils.

Expected Outcomes:

• Measurable reduction in school e-waste.
• Improved student repair and problem-solving skills.
• Positive community and charitable impact.

Indicators:
• Number of items audited, repaired and recycled.
• Funds raised and donated.
• Volume of waste diverted from landfill.

Conclusion

The San Benedittu ReBoot Project embodies the goals of the European Week for Waste Reduction by turning awareness into meaningful action.
By integrating education, creativity and repair, students will develop not only environmental knowledge but also practical skills and civic responsibility. The creation and sharing of the San Benedittu Guide to E-Waste with the six local councils will extend the project’s influence beyond school walls, making it a true community initiative.

Through the ReBoot Project, San Benedittu students will learn that technology, when used and managed responsibly, can be part of the solution, helping build a cleaner, fairer and more sustainable future.