This module is an introductory module, which deals with the problem of environmental pollution and environmental degradation as an example of interactions between natural and human systems. It also discusses the main problems of pollution of the air, water, land surface, and the food chain. It covers the processes responsible for the occurrence and release of pollutants into the environment, dispersion mechanisms, risks associated with different types of pollutants, problems of toxic accumulation, emission reduction measures and the treatment of polluted environments, in addition, gain an introductory knowledge to waste management.

This module aims to understand the holistic and sustainable strategic approach, which is the “Integrated solid waste management (ISWM)”, as a sustainable management strategy of solid wastes that covers waste stream starting from waste generation, segregation, transfer, sorting, treatment, recovery, and disposal in an integrated way, taking into consideration to maximize the efficiency of the resource use. The integrated approach represents an important sustainable solution to waste management, which would include the prevention of waste generation from the source, collective management of all types of wastes, and implementation of the 4Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Recovery) policies and strategies. This module will cover this approach holistically.

This module is designed to provide an understanding of technical issues and the management of municipal solid waste particularly since it represents the majority of waste nationally and internationally. The participants will gain the knowledge about municipal solid waste classification and categories, factors affecting the MSW generation rate, policy of management, and the sustainable methods for storage, collection, transfer, treatment and disposal. Besides, this module discusses the opportunities provided by MSW management using ISWM approach, and it provides the opportunity to visit recycling facilities and disposal sites to better understand links between theory and practice.

This module provides a holistic overview of plastic waste management. Plastic products have become an integral part of our daily life because of the increase in polymer production worldwide.  Plastic waste has negative impacts on oceans, wildlife, and human health since it can enter the food chain easily. Approximately a 70percent of plastic packaging products are converted into plastic waste in a short span, which make it critical to improve a sustainable plastic waste management system to reduce the plastic pollution which leads to serious harmful impacts on human health and wildlife. Thus, Plastic waste needs to be emphasized and prioritized to be managed sustainably, which will be covered through this module.

This module determines which wastes are classified as hazardous waste, and how to properly manage hazardous waste per national and international regulations. By the completion of this module, the participants will be able to appreciate the nature and definition of hazardous wastes.

This module provides knowledge about the industrial hazardous wastes, from the point of production to the point of disposal, with appreciation of the main hazards and risks associated with the management of industrial hazardous waste. The participants will understand the range of technical options that are available for the effective management of industrial hazardous wastes. Appreciate the legal, financial, and environmental liabilities associated with poor control over hazardous wastes, and develop emergency response plans to hazardous substance release. Furthermore, it provides knowledge about how to minimize the toxicity of hazardous wastes and to reduce or eliminate exposures to these wastes using engineering controls. 

This module will cover the following topics: Definition, Sources, and Characteristics of Healthcare Waste, Health, and Environmental Impacts with characterizing main types of hazards associated with healthcare wastes and their health effects. It discusses the national Healthcare Waste Management planning and practices, Incineration of Healthcare Waste, and the Management of healthcare waste as Specific Infectious and non-infectious Wastes. This module includes the Management of Chemical, Cytotoxic, Pharmaceutical and Radioactive Wastes generated from the medical sector, according to the WHO Healthcare Project guidelines.

Biodegradable waste including food waste represents the majority of domestic waste in the developing countries including the GCC countries. This module focuses on the importance of managing biodegradable waste in a sustainable way to avoid its harmful impacts on the environment and human health if dumped in landfills. It will identify the composition of the biodegradable waste, and provide knowledge about the valorization of biodegradable waste, the environmental impacts, the sustainable technologies for its management, and the benefits earned from the sustainable biodegradable waste management. 

This module will be of value to a wide range of professionals working in or interested in many manufactures and industries. Emphasizes the potential benefits of circular procurement and how recycling technologies, efficient ways of collecting and recycling critical raw materials (CRMs), can make business and production more resource resilient. Innovative product design and reusing, recycling and remanufacturing products can help to deal with a raw materials shortage. However, this can only provide an integrated solution if CRMs kept in the loop through smarter CRM management. These include professionals involved in producing products containing CRMs (such as electronics) as well as local or national government officials tasked with organizing waste management and recycling for these products. Students interested in the field of waste management will also find this course helpful for their studies in electronics, industrial design, and industrial ecology. 

At the end of this module, participants will be able to: Describe some of the current challenges and opportunities in resource resilience, Identify environmental problems caused by waste mismanagement of products that contain CRMs, and waste collection methods, Appreciate remanufacturing, refurbishment, re-use and recycling processes of products which contain CRMs. Besides, provide knowledge to identify benefits of circular procurement to keep critical raw materials in the loop through smart waste management, and know the effect of product design on recycling and remanufacturing efficiency. Participants also will learn the impact of innovative business models on waste reduction and resource resilient.

Improper solid waste management method may cause negative environmental impacts on water, air, and soil, and might affect human well-being, and cause waste of natural resource. This module aims to learn the criteria for selecting the appropriate technologies for sustainable solid waste management based on local context. To select the most preferred technology, a set of criteria is required. This module provides the major criteria and logical steps on which the decision can be made for selecting the technologies. Proper waste management will ensure the appropriate utilization of the resources, a drastic reduction in the waste going to the landfill, and minimize environmental pollution.

This module aims to introduce the concept of the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) Security Nexus, concerning the waste that forms a so-called WEFW nexus. It allows participants to gain a deeper understanding of the WEF Nexus as an integrated and holistic management approach in decision-making processes within the water, energy, food, and environmental sectors, and to relate it to the waste that represents the loss of the WEF.

Waste management has become resource management as per the current trends. The developed waste management systems integrate Information Technologies (IT) into the solid waste management chain that contributes to waste prevention and reduction, reuse, recycle and recovery, as well as the disposal ideas. Thus, technological advancements in waste management require innovation. New business models, technological innovations, and social enterprise have the potential to reduce waste. This module provides an introduction towards the innovative solutions in waste management and the role of innovation in the improvement of this sector in order to create sustainable societies and therefore contribute realizing the SDGs of 2030.

This module presents the role of waste management in the context of a circular economy transition. Key challenges relate to moving beyond the perception of ‘waste as a problem’ to ‘waste as a resource’. Collecting high-quality waste streams for re-use, remanufacturing and recycling requires citizen engagement and integrated infrastructure development from the municipal to country level. From this perspective, this module is designed to emphasize the success stories of some of the developed countries and their experience in waste management and investment in a circular economy that creates a new market to learn from, through round table open discussion.