LAWI100369 Circular-based waste technology

Type
course with continuous assessment
Semester hours
2
Lecturer (assistant)
Huber-Humer, Marion , Part, Florian
Organisation
Waste Management and Circularity
Offered in
Wintersemester 2026/27
Languages of instruction
Deutsch
Content

The course ‘Circular Waste Management’ forms part of the compulsory module ‘Technologies in the Circular Economy’. This module, which is designed and delivered in collaboration with the ISIG, builds upon the content of the module ‘Circular Economy and the Aquatic Environment’ and the lecture ‘Circular Urban Water and Waste Management’. Knowledge of the course content of the lecture ‘Circular Urban Water and Waste Management’ (LAWI100533) is a fundamental prerequisite for completing the course ‘Circular Waste Management’ and, for pedagogical reasons, it is strongly recommended that the two modules or courses be taken in this order – that is, first the module ‘Circular Economy and the Aquatic Environment’ in the summer term, followed by the module ‘Technologies in the Circular Economy’ in the subsequent winter term!!

Contents:
Review/revision of the fundamentals of waste management
Secondary resources, critical raw materials, pollutant issues in the circular economy
Environmental impacts of waste treatment/landfilling (old municipal waste landfills), management of historical waste deposits (remediation – decontamination, containment), landfill aftercare
3-barrier concept (disposal concept):
Waste quality (in accordance with (DVO)) and waste pre-treatment (mechanical-biological, thermal); site criteria, landfill technology (base sealing system, surface capping, gas collection, leachate treatment)
Treatment and recycling concepts and technologies, using the example of mineral waste (including construction waste, excavated and demolition materials), scrap metal and waste plastics
Previous knowledge expected

Basic scientific, technical and legal knowledge of waste management and circular economy
Objective (expected results of study and acquired competences)

Building on the fundamentals of waste management (terms used in waste legislation, regulations, waste management planning and (assessment) methods, the waste hierarchy, etc.) acquired in the course LAWI100533, students examine specific treatment, recycling and disposal concepts and technologies. They gain an overview of critical raw materials and secondary resources, and the significance of pollutants in the circular economy. They understand the ‘three-barrier concept’ as a waste disposal strategy; they know how the required waste quality (first barrier) is achieved and how these processes work (mechanical-biological or thermal pre-treatment). You will be familiar with the criteria for the second barrier (site quality) and know what measures landfill technology (third barrier) encompasses; you will be able to describe these and classify them according to different types of landfill. Furthermore, you will be aware of the environmental problems associated with uncontrolled waste disposal and the basic technical principles of the remediation and securing of historic waste disposal sites, as well as the aftercare of landfills. You will learn about landfill engineering facilities, such as base sealing systems, landfill covers, gas collection and leachate treatment methods. You will be able to produce schematic representations of landfill cross-sections and site plans for landfill engineering facilities of different landfill types, and
select suitable treatment and monitoring technologies for specific landfill types.
Furthermore, students are able to describe in more detail the areas of application of selected shredding, sorting and processing techniques (the fundamentals of which are covered in the course LAWI100533) using the examples of mineral waste (including construction waste), scrap metal and waste plastics (including packaging waste). They understand process steps and procedures and are able to draw up schematic flow diagrams of treatment and recycling concepts.
Students are able to address current issues and questions relating to the environmentally sound and resource-efficient use of treated waste/secondary raw materials within a circular economy and to develop sustainable solution strategies. They possess the technical understanding to select suitable environmental technologies for waste pre-treatment and material recovery, as well as for the thermal treatment and safe landfill disposal of residual materials.

The course equips students with the competence to contribute to integrative, interdisciplinary issues in waste and circular economy management. Students are equipped to gain further experience in the planning of anthropogenic material cycles and waste management infrastructure, and to apply suitable technologies in waste management.
Students acquire the skills for networked thinking and interdisciplinary understanding, hone their technical understanding, and are able to work with the state-of-the-art
as well as the latest scientific findings.
You can find more details like the schedule or information about exams on the course-page in BOKUonline.