Solid Wastes to Sustainable Resources

In this subject students will learn about the fundamentals of the solid waste stream in modern society. Emphasis will be placed on the life cycle aspects of waste and the prospect of minimizing waste and maximizing the economic value of waste streams. Interaction between solid wastes and liquid and gaseous waste streams will also be considered. The subject builds on knowledge from subjects such as CVEN90043 Sustainable Infrastructure Engineering where general principles of sustainability are discussed. Student knowledge of systems and material cycles, learnt in subjects such as ENEN90031 Quantitative Environmental Modelling and CVEN30010 Systems Modelling and Design or their equivalent in other subjects forms the basic grounding for the subject. The subject is of particular relevance to students wishing to establish a career in waste management, but is also relevant to a range of engineering design disciplines where design for the total life cycle of the product or infrastructure should be considered.

• 1Describe the major environmental problems caused by inappropriate production and disposal of solid by-products manufacturing and consumption
• 2Identify and describe the role of various systems of treatment of hazardous wastes
• 3Classify and model sources of solid wastes
• 4Conduct life cycle analysis and cleaner production assessments
• 5Apply principles of sustainable development to the management of solid by-products
• 6Identity design inputs to enable the avoidance, minimization, recycling, re-use and treatment of solid by-products
• 7Analyse the role of regulatory systems in solid wastes management.