MEC6801 · Industrial ecology

Overview

This new unit will provide analytical tools and methods for implementing principles of industrial ecology. The course will encompass sustainability concepts and tools on the potential role of industry in reducing environmental burdens throughout the product life cycle from the extraction of raw materials, to the production of goods, dematerialization, and to the use of those goods and to the management of the resulting waste. The practical applications covered in the course will be based largely on current research in the area of life cycle assessment (LCA). Case studies will be used to demonstrate concepts and principles of industrial ecology with the accomplishments of LCA. The unit would take a systems perspective in seeking the answers to questions such as how to improve resource efficiency; how to minimize waste generation; which material to use considering their costs, supply security, and criticality; and how to design an industrial process to minimize its resource and environmental risks. The unit will be highly beneficial for students, researchers, professionals, policymakers and engineers working in the industries.

Offerings

Assessment

The Handbook does not list a final examination among the assessment items. That is not a guarantee there is none.

Continuous assessment: 100% Final grades: PGO (pass grade only) or NGO (fail)

Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.

Requisites

Learning outcomes

1. Interpret and discuss the fundamental concepts of industrial ecology.
2. Appraise the material and energy flows and their transformation into products, byproducts, and wastes throughout industrial systems.
3. Formulate and construct the principal interactions between production, consumption, technology and sustainability.
4. Evaluate analytical life cycle tools and investigate their application and implications to industrial ecology.

Workload

The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of 3-6 hours of scheduled learning activities and 6-9 hours of independent study per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher-directed learning, peer-directed learning and online engagement. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities.

Student experience, not official rules. Nothing here changes what the Handbook says.