Course description
Waste materials are an often unavoidable by-product of most human activity. Rapid economic growth, urbanization, and increasing population have resulted in an increase in resource consumption, and consequent generation of large amounts of waste. This course provides an overview of current waste and resource management practices and reevaluates the need for better waste management practices in society. Waste management scenarios and technologies are explored for both developed and developing countries, and concepts such as circular economy, cradle-to-cradle, urban mining, and upcycling are discussed as part of an integrated waste management approach. Methods for assessing waste management scenarios for sustainability are discussed.
