The module comprises of a course of lectures, seminars, workshops, site visits and a waste audit that provide a scientific understanding of sustainable resource management. A broad range of topics is covered, including:
- Introductory material, including: waste make up; introduction to waste classification systems; relevant legislation; definitions of waste; guidance for the disposal of different wastes; role of
WDAs and WCAs; local, regional and national variations and trends; performance indicators; possible future issues.
- Background to waste prevention, minimisation, re-use and recycling – driving forces, relevant legislation and national strategy.
- Environmental, occupational and public health.
- Technical, fiscal, social, cultural, demographic and political influences on waste collection, reuse, recycling, minimisation and prevention.
- A range of approaches to waste collection, reuse, recycling, minimisation and prevention adopted by various agencies, including waste collection authorities, industrial/commercial organisations and the social and community sectors.
- Systems and methods for waste collection, reuse, recycling, minimisation and prevention from municipal, industrial, commercial and other sources, and the barriers to their full exploitation and their limitations.
- Legislative drivers, policy background and regulatory requirements relevant to waste collection, reuse, recycling, minimisation and prevention.
- Practical and logistical problems and solutions to waste collection, reuse, recycling, minimisation and prevention for particular waste groups, including the development of markets and the use of tools, models, scenarios and smart systems/technologies.
- Materials and markets for recycling, focusing on particular waste groups e.g. aluminium, paper, construction and demolition waste, textiles, bulky goods, waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE), vehicles (End of Life Vehicles), plastics, food waste.
- The circular economy and approaches to so-called zero waste.
- Waste auditing.
Workshops and seminars will allow topics to be explored in depth via case studies as well as giving students practice at solving pollution calculations and problems. Two site visits and a waste audit are key parts of the syllabus.