Sustainable solutions: Building a circular economy
Welcome to our circular economy course! 👋
In this course, you will learn about a new way of thinking about the economy that is becoming popular around the world. The traditional linear economy model of ‘take, make, and dispose’ has led to massive amounts of waste and pollution, and is not sustainable in the long term. The circular economy offers a better and more sustainable alternative.
In a circular economy, we aim to keep resources in use for as long as possible, extracting the maximum value from them while in use, and then recovering and regenerating products and materials at the end of their life cycle. This way, we can reduce waste, lower our impact on the environment, and create new opportunities for economic growth and job creation.
By the end of this course, you will have a solid understanding of the circular economy, its potential to transform our economy and society for the better, and the importance of sustainability in our modern world from real-world examples. You will also have the tools and knowledge to start applying circular economy principles in your own life, and contribute to a more sustainable future, as you will have the opportunity to prototype your own circular economy ideas.
Modules
Introduction: Understanding the circular economy
Explaining the circular economy in today's world and why it is important to transition from a linear to a circular economy
Analyzing Circular economy principles (reducing, reusing, recycling, and composting)
Examining circular business models - Reducing
Examining circular business models - Reusing
Examining circular business models - Recycling
Use design thinking to create your own circular products/services
Õpiväljundid
- What is circular economy and why it is important to transition from a linear to a circular economy
- Which are the key principles of circular economy and examine different circular business models from real-life examples
- The importance of reducing waste and increasing recycling rates and different strategies for waste reduction and recycling
- How design thinking can contribute to circular economy and design your own circular solutions
- How to analyse examples of circular design and innovation
Hindamine
✅ The grading of the course is non-differentiated (pass/fail).
📋 The prerequisite for passing the course is completing all self-evaluation tests with at least 80% correct answers and submitting both the mid-term and final project of the course.
🎥 Online class recordings of this course will be made available after each class.
👀 Participating in all online classes is not required for passing the course, but the course grade cannot be "Pass" if the student participates in fewer than half of the online classes.
👨🏫 The teacher can set additional criteria for passing the course.