Semester & Location:	Fall 2024 - DIS Copenhagen
Type & Credits:	Elective Course - 3 credits
Major Disciplines:	Environmental Studies, Public Policy, Sustainability
Prerequisite(s):	None
Faculty Member:	Emmanuel Gentil use canvas inbox for contact
Time & Place:	Mondays and Thursdays, 11:40-13:00, Room N7-B21

 Description of course

This course looks at current policies and practices regarding waste and resource management and re-evaluates the need for creating better waste management systems in society. Increasing resource scarcity and environmental pressures are the key drivers for moving towards better waste management systems and technologies that will help society limit its impacts on Earth. This class will provide an overview of the current and emerging EU and Danish policy agendas and waste technologies. Concepts such as waste prevention, circular economy, urban mining, up-cycling and crate2cradle will also be discussed in the course.
The EU is taking an active role in securing resources through the “green growth” strategy, which focuses on the decoupling of material use from environmental impacts. The EU is also ensuring that the environmental and human health impacts of waste are minimized, and that resources are recovered through the Waste Framework Directive 2008. The waste hierarchy is central to this Directive, where waste prevention and recycling rank the highest.
The course will both start and end with an examination of the current Danish debate about waste, energy from incineration, and resource use, thus providing a social science background for the science-based portion of the course, which will concentrate on:

1) Comparing different waste management systems and technologies through life-cycle assessment and cost-benefit analysis methods.

2) Exploring emerging waste management technologies currently being tested in Denmark, while continuously reflecting on the ethical and political aspects of the different approaches – local versus centralized waste management systems.

3) Understanding the potential opportunities to reduce waste leakage through the concept of the circular economy.

Learning objectives of the course

The course gives a broad overview of resource use and minimization, as well as the management, treatment, technologies, and prevention methods related to solid waste in Denmark and the EU, with a particular emphasis on emerging technologies and management systems in a European waste policy context.

A student who works actively with the material throughout the course will be able to:

• Understand the importance of resource use minimization and waste minimization;
• Explain and apply major concepts in relation to waste generation, waste sources, waste composition, and source separation;
• Explain different modern waste management systems;
• Explain different waste treatment technologies including recycling technologies;
• Describe amounts and composition of waste in Denmark, and identify the relationship between this waste profile and the current Danish waste strategy;
• Explain the wider policy context of waste legislation, waste prevention, and waste policy development; and
• Evaluate the environmental performance of waste strategies for Denmark and Europe with the use of life-cycle assessment.

Instructor: Emmanuel Gentil

Ph.D. in environmental engineering, DTU, 2011. Thesis: Life-cycle modelling of waste management in Europe: tools, climate change and waste prevention. Independent environmental consultant. Senior Consultant at Copenhagen Resource Institute and for the European Environment Agency on waste management policy in EU. Ph.D. School Manager and Ph.D. researcher at DTU, Denmark 2006-2011. Master of business strategy and environmental management, Bradford. With DIS since 2013.

Reading List (Available on Canvas)

There is no textbook for this course and most readings are found exclusively on Canvas

Christensen, T.H. (ed.) (2011) Solid Waste Technology and Management. Wiley, Chichester, West Sussex, UK.

United Nations University (2014). The Global E-Waste Monitor. Quantities, flows and resources. 80 pp.

Allesch A. & Brunner P.H. (2014). Assessment methods for solid waste management: A literature review. Waste Manag Res. 2014 Jun;32(6):461-73. 

European Commission (2010) Being wise with waste: the EU’s approach to waste management. 20pp.

European Commission (2015) Closing the loop - An EU action plan for the Circular Economy. COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS. COM(2015) 614.

ISWA (2009) Waste and Climate Change. ISWA WHITE PAPER. 40 pp.

Scheutz et al. (2009) Greenhouse gases, radiative forcing, global warming potential and waste management — an introduction

Additional reading

Science Env Policy for waste (Great resource of emerging scientific papers)

 

Field studies

Field studies are visits or workshops lasting half a day. These field studies are an important, and mandatory, part of the course in order to experience a real life situation or to interact with external experts.

• Dansk Retur System (World leading deposit return system for all the Danish beverage packaging)
• Copenhill: Technical visit of Copenhill, one of the world most advanced waste to energy plant with a ski slope.

-

Evaluation

Based on in-class tests, papers, presentations, and participation. Students are expected to participate in two field studies over the course of the semester and actively contribute in class.

Home quiz	30 %
Final report & Presentation	40 %
In-class participation & attendance	15 %
Article discussion	15 %

 

Participation

Your participation grade will be based on the following criteria:
• Attendance
• Reading and reflecting on all assigned texts (Short articles)
• Preparation for each class, including completing assignments
• Active participation in class discussions
• Active participation in field studies

In order to facilitate active and dynamic participation in class, each of you will be asked to talk about news articles relevant to the lecture of the day, during the first 10 minutes of each class. A list of sources and further guidance will be provided on Canvas. It is your responsibility to do the requested reading and write comments before the article is presented in class. This exercise will benefit the whole class by allowing us to have more informed discussions and thereby learn from each other. This exercise will count on your general participation grade.

-To be eligible for a passing grade in this class, you must complete all of the assigned work- 

 Academic Regulations

Laptop Computer Policy - While most students find that taking notes by hand in class is quite sufficient for review purposes, computers in class are allowed for note-taking purposes and for research sessions when encouraged by the instructor. However, you are asked not to use computers in class to write e-mails, connect to social media or other such activities, as this is quite disrespectful and distracting for me and other students. Failure to show this courtesy will count negatively in your class participation grade.

AI Policy for my classes

(Adapted from Ethan Mollick)

There is an increasing probability you have been using large Language Model AI (ChatGPT or other) or that you are using  AI (ChatGPT or other) in class or outside. 
Some assignments and exercises will require the use of AI. 
Learning to use AI is an emerging skill, please check this website for  some short videos

Links to an external site.

I am happy to meet and help with these tools outside of class.

Be aware of the limits of ChatGPT or other AI tools:

• If you provide minimum effort prompts, you will get low quality results. You will need to refine
  your prompts in order to get good outcomes. This will take work!
• Don't trust anything it says. If it gives you a number or fact, assume it is wrong unless you either
  know the answer or can check in with another source. You will be responsible for any errors or
  omissions provided by the tool. It works best for topics you understand.
• AI is a tool, but one that you need to acknowledge using. Please include a paragraph at the end
  of any assignment that uses AI explaining what you used the AI for and what prompts you used
  to get the results. Failure to do so is in violation of academic honesty policies.
• Be thoughtful about when this tool is useful. Don't use it if it isn't appropriate for the case or circumstance.
• Please make sure that you clarify whether you can use AI with your other teachers and courses 

Expectations of the Students

• Participate in all activities
• Engage in discussions, ask questions, and contribute to achieving the learning objectives
• Respect the speakers, DIS staff, and your fellow classmates
• Be curious
• Represent yourself, your home university, and DIS in a positive light

Please make sure to read the Academic Regulations on the DIS website. There you will find regulations on: 

• Course Enrollment and Grading  
• Academic Expectations and Honor Code 

 

DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia - www.DISabroad.org