CIRCULAR ECONOMY AND APPROPRIATE TECHNOLOGY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
- Overview
- Assessment methods
- Learning objectives
- Contents
- Delivery method
- Teaching methods
- Contacts/Info
No prerequisites are required.
The exam will consist of an oral test to be carried out in an adequate interval of time, in which the student is asked to give answers to questions on the principles underlying the circular economy, on technologies available to promote the recovery and recycling of resources, and to methodologies to support decision-making for sustainable development.
The sufficiency is equal to 18 points (18 / thirtieths). All topics covered during the course, uploaded to the E-learning platform, will be examined. Only students who are regularly registered online for the exam will be admitted: they must present themselves with a university card. In case of refusal of the final grade, the student must communicate it within 5 days before the publication of the result on the ESSE3 platform.
The course aims to provide basic knowledge related to methods and technologies to promote the circular economy at a global level. Based on the “Sustainable development goals”, the targets and indicators are described in order to promote actions towards an environmental, social, and economic sustainability, with particular attention to developing areas. In addition, the course aims to describe the "life cycle thinking" approach, through the analysis of the environmental, social, and cost life cycle assessment, to encourage the sustainable use of resources. The principles of "zero waste", and "green economy" will be defined, highlighting the regulatory developments defined by the "circular economy" package issued by the European Commission. Finally, the course aims to describe the main technologies to foster materials recovery and recycling, integrating the description of low-tech solutions appropriate for developing contexts. The technologies here described are part of both industry and resource management in low-income countries, through the "eco-design" and development cooperation.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the course, the student will be able to:
1. address in an integrated way the global issues related to the reduction of virgin materials and the resource scarcity
2. know the regulatory principles at European level to promote the circular economy and sustainable development
3. understand the methodologies for quantifying the environmental, social, and economic benefits related to a circular economy
4. discriminate the technological alternatives to promote the recycling and recovery of waste
5. identify the strengths and difficulties to promote the sustainable use of resources in developing contexts
6. manage projects related to eco-design, industrial symbiosis and development cooperation aimed at reducing environmental contamination.
The course contents are listed below. The topics are:
• Definition of the ecological footprint and circular economy
• Analysis of the SDGs and strategy planning for sustainable development
• Study of the “circular economy” package of the European Commission
• Definition of "eco-design", "green economy", and "end of waste" principles
• Definition of Life cycle thinking
• Study of the LCA approach
• Description of the social-LCA and the LCC
• Case studies and application of LCT in "green" projects
• Examples of industrial symbiosis and "eco-design"
• Definition of the 9Rs
• Study of technologies for the treatment, recycling, and recovery of discarded resources
• Description of the main technological solutions for promoting the circular economy in low-income areas
• Definition of indicators for the study of waste management systems in low-income contexts
• Study of the management of development cooperation projects for the promotion of the circular economy
• Definition of decision support methods for the evaluation of appropriate resource management scenarios (MFA, MCDA)
All the topics listed above have the same weight and, consequently, will have a comparable duration in terms of lesson hours, with the exception of the description of the technologies for the treatment, recovery, and recycling of resources, to which more space is dedicated, roughly double compared to the other themes. The theoretical part of the lessons will last 48 hours.
The course is based on frontal theoretical lessons.
Students can meet with the professor in his office by previous phone or email appointment (e-mail: navarro.ferronato@uninsubria.it).