Ever wondered what’s inside your smartphone? Well that’s what we had a look at as part of our NI Science Festival event on Friday 13th February 2026, delivered by iRECYCLE-Malaysia researchers, in partnership with the RiSC+ Network at Queen’s University Belfast.
An interactive video introduced participants to the global challenges associated with critical‑mineral extraction, including environmental impacts, supply‑chain vulnerabilities, and the growing urgency of improving recycling practices. This was followed by a hands‑on activity in which attendees extracted and collected iron and copper from discarded circuit boards, providing a practical demonstration of the principles and importance of mineral recovery.
It was great to see so many people, of all ages, take part in our hands on copper recovery experiments and interactive supply chain quizzes.
If you’d like to find out more, or perhaps you’re an educator and would like to work in partnership with us to deliver something similar to your students, please do not hesitate to reach out to
rachael.thomas@qub.ac.uk.
