Course Description

Municipal waste management and circular material use in society. This lecture series deals with waste management and not global environment. Students who wish to learn about typical global environmental issues such as climate change are recommended to take "Natural Environment I" or courses provided by other lecturers.
Taking into account the issues on the environment and resources at the global scale, and also local disputes on waste, we are required to achieve a circular use of materials in the society with minimal depletion of natural resources. Actions are required at all stages of resource use (production, distribution, consumption, disposal). This lecture series will start from the viewpoint of disposal. Main focus will be on the current frameworks on circularity in Japan, i.e. governmental basic plans and existing legislations.