Course Memo 2022

Welcome to the course Waste Management!

This course memo contains important information about the course, each activity and the course requirements. If you have any further questions, please contact the course coordinator.

Please take your time to read this memo carefully!

Course Aim and Content

This course aims to give a deeper knowledge in the problems and possibilities of waste management from a national and global perspective. The course focuses on municipal solid waste issues and takes a holistic view on waste management solutions, as well as technical aspects.

Aim and Objectives

After this course the student should be able to:

  • Suggest and describe suitable technical solutions for biological and thermal treatment, and discuss the drawbacks and prerequisites for a chosen solution.
  • From a given case, connected to a solid waste problem, suggest, motivate and describe a way to tackle the problem from a system analysis approach.
  • Analyse and describe the potential of solid waste as a secondary raw material, and thereby associated problems and possibilities in a sustainable society.
  • Use and discuss around a system analytical tool connected to waste management 
  • Independently search for information connected to solid waste management, make a compilation of this, and analyse it in a written report
  • Make an oral presentation of a group work and actively participate in the discussion of other groups work

Important concepts

  • Waste management principles and strategies
  • Waste treatment and disposal
  • Waste management in a systems perspective

The course contains of:

  • Lectures: 27 h (incl GIS and System thinking seminar)
  • Study visits: four "visits"
  • Assignments: four assignments
  • Project work: one group work project

Modules

The course is built up by 5 modules in Canvas based on different Themes:

  • Theme 1 Waste management – problems, trends and strategies
  • Theme 2 Treatment of Waste – biological treatment and incineration
  • Theme 3 Landfill
  • Theme 4 Special waste – radioactive waste and mining waste
  • Theme 5 System perspectives 

Each theme consists of several activities such as lectures, seminars, literature, study visit and assignments. The lectures are complemented by study visits and, in some cases, show the present research in the area.

Assignments are mainly based on the course literature but lectures, study visits and own search for information on internet can also help.

Each lecture has been assigned mandatory reading:
Lectures will be based on the content of this literature. Read this literature before attending the lecture. The literature is outlined in the module for each lecture

Course Requirements

The following activities/tasks are required to be completed to pass the course:

  • Two passed assignments
  • Passed project work
  • Active participation at the presentation of the project
  • Attend one study visit including the task connected to the visit
  • Attendance at the seminar about GIS (L10) and System thinking (L12)

If you cannot fulfill these requirements for any reason, you must inform the course coordinator before the relevant deadline. You will also be required to complete an additional assignment task. The complementary assignment for passing the course is to be delivered and passed before 3rd of June 2022.

Examination and Grading

The course examination consists of the following:

  • ANN1 - Study Visit (one) + system thinking seminar (Casual loop) + GIS seminar, 1.5 hp, grade scale: P/F
  • INL1 - Assignment (two), 3.0 hp, grade scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F
  • PRO1 - Project Work, 3.0 hp, grade scale: A, B, C, D, E, FX, F

For grading of Assignment and Project see “Assignments – general instructions and grading” and “Project - general instructions” respectively. The results for both the Assignment and Project Work are given equal weight, to result in a maximum total of 40 credits:

  • 36 - 40 credits – A = 89-100%
  • 31 - 35 credits – B= 76 - 88%
  • 26 - 30 credits – C = 64-75%
  • 21 - 25 credits – D = 51 – 63%
  • 16 - 20 credits – E = 40-50%
  • <16  credits - F

When a grade is reported, you cannot higher your grades by redoing assignments or projects.

Objective oriented grading criteria can be found Download HERE

Literature

Course book (Available online from the KTH Library): T. Williams, 2005. Waste Treatment and Disposal. John Wiley & Sons.

Additional literature

Christensen, T. (2010). Solid Waste Technology & Management (Vol. 1-2). Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons. (Also available online through the KTH Library)

 

Disability

Support via Funka

If you have a disability, you may receive support from Funka

We recommend you inform the teacher regarding any need you may have. Funka does not automatically inform the teacher.

Administrative Information

Course Coordinator: Jiechen Wu, jiechenw@kth.se
Examiner: Monika Olsson monika@kth.se
Course adminstration: kursadmin.seed@abe.kth.se 

Teaching Unit: Dept of Sustainable Development, Environmental Science and Engineering (SEED). 
Address: Teknikringen 10B