Unit of Study PLAN3001 Waste as a Resource (2025)

Future students:
T: 1800 626 481
E: Email your enquiry here

Current students:
Contact: Faculty of Science and Engineering

Students studying at an education collaboration:
Please contact your relevant institution

Show me unit information for year

Unit Snapshot

Unit type

UG Coursework Unit
Credit points

12
Faculty & College

Faculty of Science and Engineering
Placement

No

Unit description

Introduces students to the complex issues of waste management and the associated technologies in industry and community settings. The unit focuses on the concept of the circular economy and the conversion of wastes into resources. This unit uses case studies, practical and field experiences and a multidisciplinary approach to explore the expanding range of technologies to manage waste in appropriate and effective ways.

Unit content

1. History of waste and problems associated with waste handling and management

2. Variety of waste streams, solid, liquid, gas and nuclear.

3. Household behaviour and resource recovery, resource recovery from waste, saving dollars and closing loops at the individual level.

4. Solid recovery of resources from waste streams, separation, sorting, closing loops.

5. Liquid waste module, recovery of nutrients and bringing water back to A grade recycled water for reuse or responsible discharge

6. Governance and economic drivers of waste sector, frontier of change, eventual circular economy outcomes.

Availabilities

Location	Domestic	International
Lismore	Term2	Term2
Online	Term2	Term2

Learning outcomes

Unit Learning Outcomes express learning achievement in terms of what a student should know, understand and be able to do on completion of a unit. These outcomes are aligned with the graduate attributes. The unit learning outcomes and graduate attributes are also the basis of evaluating prior learning.

On completion of this unit, students should be able to:

demonstrate an advanced understanding of the types of waste and their impacts on the environment.

understand complex waste management technologies and waste minimisation strategies.

measure the impact of newly manufactured versus recycled material on the behaviour of produced products

critically evaluate the concept of the circular economy

Teaching and assessment

Teaching method

Tutorial 2 hours (Weekly)

Workshop 1 hour (Weekly)

Assessment
Literature review	40%
Poster	30%
Short written response	30%

Teaching method

Tutorial 2 hours (Weekly)

Workshop 1 hour (Weekly)

Assessment
Literature review	40%
Poster	30%
Short written response	30%

Prescribed learning resources

Prescribed Texts

Prescribed text information is not currently available.

Prescribed Resources/Equipment

Prescribed resources/equipment information is not currently available.

Prescribed Learning Resources may change in future Teaching Periods.

Fee information

Domestic

Commonwealth Supported courses
For information regarding Student Contribution Amounts please visit the Student Contribution Amounts.

Fee paying courses
For postgraduate or undergraduate full-fee paying courses please check Domestic Postgraduate Fees OR Domestic Undergraduate Fees.

Find out more for domestic fees