Economia Circular e Recuperação Sustentável de Recursos
The curricular unit addresses the principles of circular economy and sustainable resource recovery, with a focus on urban waste management. It explores the production, recovery and transformation of waste, as well as environmental citizenship in waste management and the development of more sustainable solutions. The curricular unit thus combines technological innovation with sustainable practices aimed at society.
Circular economy, waste, strategies, public policy
It is expected that, upon completing this course unit, the student will be able to:
1. Apply the principles of the circular economy to urban waste
2. Identify technologies and strategies associated with waste management
3. Analyze urban waste management systems
4. Explore public policies and regulations related to sustainable waste management
1. Introduction to the circular economy and resource recovery
• basic concepts
• Basic concepts
• Differences between linear and circular systems
• The role of cities in resource consumption and waste production
• Production patterns
• Waste classification
• Waste audit
2. Waste Collection and Treatment Systems
• Collection models
• The importance of source separation
• The role of citizens in proper waste separation
• Challenges in implementing effective collection systems
3. Waste Treatment, Recovery, and Disposal Options
• Composting
• Anaerobic digestion
• Mechanical-biological treatment (MBT)
• Incineration
• Sanitary landfills
4. Technological and Social Innovation in Waste Management
• Smart waste management systems
• Integration of emerging technologies with community recycling practices
• PAYT (Pay-As-You-Throw) systems and similar models
• Business models and solutions for sustainable resource recovery – circular business models
5. Policies and Regulation in Urban Waste Management
• National and European waste management policies
• Stakeholders and organization of the waste sector
• Extended producer responsibility
• Green public procurement
• Incentives and penalties to promote circular practices
• Business models and solutions for sustainable resource recovery
• Public-private partnerships (PPP) in urban waste services
APA (2019). Estudo Prévio Sobre a Implementação da Recolha Seletiva em Portugal Continental Incidindo em Especial sobre o Fluxo dos Biorresíduos. Relatório Final, Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente, disponível em https://apambiente.pt/sites/default/files/2023-09/Estudo%20Prévio%20Biorresiduos%202019.pdf.
Caldeira C, De Laurentiis V, Sala S (2019). Assessment of food waste prevention actions: development of an evaluation framework to assess the performance of food waste prevention actions, EUR 29901 EN; (Luxemburgo): Publications Office of the European Union (ISBN 978-92-76-12388-0), JRC118276.
G. Martinho, D. Magalhães, A. Pires (2017). Consumer behavior with respect to the consumption and recycling of smartphones and tablets: An exploratory study in Portugal. Journal of Cleaner Production 156, 147-158.
P. Ghisellini, C. Cialani, S. Ulgiati (2016). A review on circular economy: The expected transition to a balanced interplay of environmental and economic systems. Journal of Cleaner Production 114(7):11-32. 10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.09.007.
Ellen MacArthur Foundation (2015). Towards a circular economy: Business rationale for an accelerated transition.
E. Worrell, M. Reuter (2014), Handbook of Recycling: State-of-the-art for Practitioners, Analysts, and Scientists. ISBN: 978-0-12-396459-5.
E-learning (fully online).
Evaluation is made on individual basis, and it involves the coexistence of two modes: continuous assessment (60%) and final evaluation (40%). Further information is detailed in the Learning Agreement of the course unit.
Some readings may be in English.