INTRODUCTION

The aim

The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview on how the amount of waste sent to landfills and incineration facilities can be reduced through the implementation of approaches that can be adopted by organisations.

The objectives

The objectives of Use waste as a resource chapter are to promote specific strategies for municipalities on the reusing of municipal waste and to provide general techniques that can be used by organisations to reduce the production of waste and to reuse different kinds of materials, such as paper, plastic, and glass, among other materials. Case studies of European organisations in different sectors that already use waste as a resource are presented as good practices and, finally, self-reflection of individuals and their organisations regarding the waste they produce is fostered.

The rationale

In 2020, the total waste generated in the European Union (EU) by all economic activities and households amounted to 2151 million tonnes or 4808 kg per capita, values that do not correspond to the aims of the EU. Considering these statistics, this module was developed to contribute to a wider awareness on the topic and on techniques that can impact in the improvement of these statistics.

The learning outcomes

The learning outcomes of Use waste as a resource chapter are to:

• Describe the environmental, economic, and social benefits of reducing, reusing, and recycling waste.
• List different methods used to process and recover waste materials.
• Explain the challenges and limitations of using waste as a resource, and strategies for overcoming them.
• Explain how resource recovery can support the transition to a circular economy.
• Evaluate the environmental, economic, and social impacts of different waste management options.
• Defend the importance of collaboration and partnerships in implementing sustainable waste management practices.

The duration of the course/study of this chapter:

Self-learning is expected to take 9 hours and self-diagnosis 1 hour.