CIRCULAR ECONOMY SOLUTIONS (ONLINE) - 2025/6

Module Overview

This module provides students with an overview of the key principles of circular economy and affords them hands-on-experience to develop circular economy-based projects and assess their economic feasibility. Students will be exposed to real-life case studies looking at how to convert waste to useful materials/products/energy. Students will also be introduced to specific methodologies such as the techno-economy analysis (TEA) with a view to equipping them with the necessary research skills to analyse case studies, produce written reports and develop problem-solving skills.

Module provider

SOL - Sustainability, Civil and Env Eng

Module Leader

PUTRANTO Aditya (Chst Chm Eng)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 7

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative module content:

1. Origins and understanding of the circular economy.


2. Case study 1: circular strategies and business model in manufacturing industry.


3. Case study 2: circular strategies and business model in food sectors.


4. Case study 3: circular strategies and business model in domestic settings.


5. Case study 4: circular strategies and business model in council/county settings.


6. Life cycles regulatory trends and material /energy cycles in the biosphere.


7. Circular life cycle assessment.


8. A critical view on circular economy.


9. Projects on generating circular economy in their workplaces based on identified waste/resources.

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

None

Assessment Strategy

The students will ultimately work on a personalised assignment to consolidate and showcase their competencies. Based on the methodology sections, the assignments will be divided into: problem statement, project case, business plan and environmental impact assessment. Guidance will be offered during the dedicated live sessions. 
The assessment strategy is designed to:

1. Evaluate the students’ competencies in understanding the basic circular economy principles.


2. Assess students’ skills on developing circular strategies based on technical and economy considerations.


3. Evaluate students’ capabilities to critically analyse the proposed circular strategies. 

1. Flow diagram to represent materials and energy circularity.


2. Materials and energy flow analysis.


3. Cost and profitability analysis.


4. Environmental impact analysis.

Module aims

• To introduce students to principles of circular economy and its role in building sustainable societies.
• To provide students with the necessary ability to generate circular strategies and evaluate their economic, social and environmental feasibility.
• To equip students with the skills needed to be active players in community eco-design.
• To expose students to the key methods and technologies in circular economy.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The circular economy solutions module will be delivered through a combination of recorded lectures followed by online questionnaires to track the level of understanding of each section. Initially, the basic concepts (covering linear vs circular economy, roles, regulations, socio-economic implications) will be introduced. The key elements of this module are the methodology sections and the case-studies of circular economy across different sectors (mining, food, chemicals, manufacturing) to provide the students with understanding on the rationales, and step-by-step approach to generate circular economies. Through the case-studies, the students will also gain capabilities to identify challenges of generating circularity from a range of resources (e.g. biomass, electronic, plastic, domestic waste).

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: ENGM316

Other information

The Institute for Sustainability is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Employability, Digital Capabilities, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Sustainability, and Resourcefulness and Resilience. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills, and capabilities in the following areas:
Knowledge and skills development in a critical sector such as circular economy, which underpins employability.
Supporting the sustainability of businesses and organisations, developing tools and governance models that will drive future economies. 
Developing global and cultural capabilities through emerging technology and developing digital capabilities that are at the core of circular economies. 
The interconnectivity of sustainability, governance, and risks validates the continuous development of resourcefulness and resilience as life skills for business.

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2025/6 academic year.