♻️ Circular Economy and Waste Reduction

The way we make and use things is shifting from a linear "take-make-waste" model to a circular economy that keeps materials in use and designs waste out from the start. This course explains that shift end to end — the limits of the linear model, the waste hierarchy that ranks prevention above recycling, the three circular-economy principles of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, how to reduce and reuse at source, where recycling and recovery fit in, and how to build and measure a real waste-reduction program. It draws on Ellen MacArthur Foundation principles, the EU Circular Economy Action Plan, US EPA Sustainable Materials Management and ISO 59004:2024. The course is organized into 6 modules, ending with a final exam (pass mark 80%). It is free awareness-level training designed for anyone who wants a practical, working understanding of circular economy and waste reduction.

What you'll learn

• Linear vs circular economy and the take-make-waste problem
• The waste hierarchy: prevent, reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, dispose
• Circular design principles and biological vs technical cycles
• Reduce and reuse at source
• Recycling, recovery and materials management
• Building and measuring a waste-reduction program

Learning objectives

• Distinguish the linear take-make-waste model from a circular economy
• Apply the waste hierarchy: prevent, reduce, reuse, recycle, recover, dispose
• Explain the three circular-economy principles of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation
• Design out waste through durability, repairability, modularity and design for disassembly
• Reduce and reuse at source using right-sizing, reusable packaging and product-as-a-service
• Build and measure a waste-reduction program using audits, diversion rate and targets