A multinational team of students from UCT and the Indian Institute of Technology, Team eWastex, has won the gold medal and US$3 000 (about R21 000) in prize money as runner-up in the re-use category of the Second International eWaste Design Competition, hosted by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the US.

The team's concept is to use discarded hard drives in a micro-energy generator, which, in turn, functions as a technology platform for multiple applications, including harnessing wind energy and powering small electronics such as cell phone chargers and desk lamps.

The UCT contingent in Team eWastex - Justin Alvey, Jono Lewis and Matt Walsh, (in picture, right) - had won the Business Masters International Business Case Competition 2011 earlier this year.