Sustainable Management of Waste

Dr Edwin Leung Module Leader

Option - Year 2 Only

Term 1

15 CATS

9 x 2 hour seminars

Available to students from outside the School for Cross-faculty by application

This practical, interdisciplinary module is designed to provide a bridge between the theoretical knowledge of sustainable development principles and techniques, and the application of this knowledge to ‘real world’ situations and applications. This is accomplished by engaging students in examining different types of the “waste” problems nowadays, followed by exploration of various interventions though effective management to attain sustainable development, including consideration in consumerism and societal behaviours etc, alongside with some signature technological fixtures.

Principal Aims

Using students’ enthusiasm for enacting real change, the module focusses upon a series of resources ("waste" is considered a form of resource in this module) utilization issues, including plastics, chemicals, organics, nuclear, etc, where they will work collectively to diagnose problems by analysing their lifecycles and generate ideas for more sustainable approaches. This practical focus allows the students to form an appreciation of the complexities inherent in implementation, including the diversity of perspectives on key issues and thus potential trade-offs necessary. The module will stimulate students’ creativity, vision and reflexivity.

Syllabus

The module begins with an overview of resources and waste, including tools like circular economy and life-cycle analysis. Students will critically investigate one type of "resource" each week and understand how those "resources" are often degraded into waste through unsustainable managements. Using specific case analysis as examples, the module further explores in-depth both current and emerging strategies to enhance sustainability, through multiple sustainability lenses, with a focus on their applications both locally and globally.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

Evaluate the different local and national policies relating to sustainable development practice regarding use and disposal of resources;

Articulate the complexities and trade-offs necessary for sustainable development implementation.;

Demonstrate practical knowledge, skills and a nuanced appreciation of local/ international sustainability challenges in waste management;

Examine the lifecycle of various resources and explore the contemporary solutions to minimize their degradation to “waste”, so as to articulate different perspectives for realising sustainable use of resources, and in doing so identify potential co-benefits and collaborative solutions to existing problems, both locally and internationally;

Reflect critically and mediate the interests of different professions, interests and real-world stakeholders;

Design, justify and promote transformative interventions into local and international environmental systems that enhance sustainability.

Assessment

Forum discussion	2 rounds of short forum post discussion (maximum 500 words) 20%
In-person Group Presentation	15 minutes 30%
Critical Review of a Resource Management Strategy	50%

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  Please note: Module availability and staffing may change year on year depending on availability and other operational factors. The School for Cross-faculty Studies makes no guarantee that any modules will be offered in a particular year, or that they will necessarily be taught by the staff listed on this page.