"Every day, 142,000 computers are thrown away in the US. Why?" That was the question posed by one of The Most captivating photographers of Our Generation, Von Wong. Just in case you haven't heard of this artist before, Benjamin Von Wong is a conceptual photographer known for his surreal photography and amazing videography experiences. From politics to social media, his works center on a wide range of relevant topics. Chances are, if you saw some of his work, it would totally shock you. Wong specializes in concepts that make you think hard about the world we live in.

This time he's tackling E-Waste.

What is E-Waste?

Electronic waste or e-waste is one of the most rapidly growing problems in the world. Due to ongoing technological advancement, many of electronic products become obsolete within a very short period of time. These obsolete products eventually end up as waste. Unfortunately, this waste can be very hazardous to humans. For example, many of these components encased in a cell phone can contain toxic heavy metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium etc, as well as hazardous chemicals, such as brominated flame retardants.

The problem is so widespread that according to recent case studies done in 2010, over 142,000 are thrown away each day and that number is expected to have risen significantly since that time.

This is a very serious problem and many organizations across the world are trying to tackle this very issue. This where the amazingly creative mind of Von Wong comes in.

Dell dumps 41,000 pounds of trash on Von Wong

The idea hit Wong back in 2017 after he attended the SXSW conference and learned that Dell, the world's biggest global E-Waste recycler, was offering free recycling in 80 countries.

This was great news for Wong who at that time was looking for concepts. This seemed like destiny. Fast forward a few months, Wong received 41,000 pounds of e-waste from Dell. After, he went looking for volunteers on social media to help make his dream a reality. Next, he secured an empty room and the project was on its way.

In an interview with resourcemagonline.com, the 31-year-old photographer said, he went with a Sci-Fi theme because he wanted to put over the notion that damage electronics can be used to "power the future." Simply put, he wants society to acknowledge that our E-Waste can be reused or enhanced.

Wong transformed a lifetime of electronic waste into art

So just where did Wong get the crazy idea of reusing old electronics? He opened up and said that he got the idea from a program that Dell corporations run called "Closed Loop Recycling Process." The project is about salvaging old computer components for reuse. Wong wanted to promote this message in his art. Wong hopes that his art would have a positive impact on his audience and would affect meaningful change.

As for the inspiration of his design, he credits films like Blade Runner 2049 and Stargate. If you're interested in finding out more about this captivating artist and the E-Waste art visit the project's social media tag #RethinkRecycleRevive.

Do you want to see Von Wong in action? Watch the amazing video below:
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