Course Catalogue

Module Code and Title:        ENM408 Waste Management          

Programme:                          BSc in Environmental Management

Credit:                                    12

Module Tutor:                       Jamyang Pelmo (Coordinator), Kinley Dorji

General objective: This module will provide students with a broad overview of waste generation and its management practices. Students will have an opportunity to visit municipal organization and waste management sites in the locality familiarizing students with current waste management practices and allow them to discover alternative measures in managing wastes in Bhutan. The module also emphasizes a holistic approach to waste management in terms of ethics, civic sense, and producer responsibility.

Learning outcomes – On completion of the module, students will be able to:

  1. Classify wastes into different categories.
  2. Explain the factors affecting waste generation.
  3. Explain the factors affecting waste decomposition.
  4. Describe waste classification.
  5. Discuss the impacts of solid and liquid wastes.
  6. Apply waste management hierarchy concepts to the management of wastes in case studies.
  7. Describe the roles of various systems for treatment of wastes.
  8. Critically evaluate potential solutions for waste-related problems.
  9. Explain the concept of cleaner production and its scope for sustainable development.
  10. Examine the roles of various stakeholders in a holistic waste management approach.

Learning and Teaching Approach:

Type

Approach

Hours per week

Total credit hours

Contact

Lectures

3

60

Discussions and presentations

1

Independent study

Self-Study

3

60

Reading and review of class materials

1

Total

120

Assessment Approach:

  1. Individual Presentation: 10%

Students will work to produce a strategy for creating awareness on solid waste management at individual, community and Gewog levels and make presentations. The duration for the presentation will be between 10-15 minutes.

6%       Explanation of information and idea, completeness and accuracy

4%       Delivery (Oral presentation, use of visual aids and efforts to engage audience and discussion)

  1. Individual Assignment: 20%

Students will write a 1000-1200 words assignment on analysis of household waste production in Thimphu. The students will be required to select an area and keep record of total household waste generated over a period of one month and present their findings.

8%       Content (appropriateness of material, scientific and literary accuracy of the text and diagrams)

8%       Quality of analysis and reflection (includes well stated and original analysis, thoughtfulness of reflection, uses relevant and adequate support for all claims made)

4%       Mechanics (Language, organisation and referencing)

  1. Field Report: 15%

Students will individually write a report on a field trip made to a relevant site. In the report, students must focus on field observations of both organic and inorganic waste management in the Thimphu valley. They will discuss and analyse the related policies to waste. Students will be provided with a grading rubric that will help to guide the writing of the field report. Reports are expected to be 800-1000 words in length.

5%       Description of their subject and its context/ summary of the visit (accuracy and      completeness)

7%       Quality of analysis (includes an explanation of a key concept or process from the module, and well-supported argument for how their subject illustrates the concept or process)

3%       Mechanics (Language, organization and referencing)

  1. Midterm Examination: 15%

Students will take a written exam of 1.5-hr duration covering topics up to the mid-point of the semester.

  1. Semester-End Examination: 40%

Students will take a written exam of 2.5-hr duration encompassing all the subject matter covered in the semester. This assessment is comprehensive and summative in nature, and will comprise structured questions like MCQ, fill-in-the-blanks, matching, definition, as well as open-ended essay questions.

Areas of assignments

Quantity

Weighting

A.    Individual Presentation

1

10%

B.    Individual Assignment

1

20%

C.   Individual Field Report 

1

15%

D.   Midterm Examination

1

15%

Total Continuous Assessment (CA)

 

60%

Semester-End Examination (SE)

 

40%

Pre-requisites: ENV101 Introduction to the Environment and ENM307 Environmental Pollution Management

Subject matter:

  1. Unit I: Introduction to Technical Concepts of Waste
    • Definitions
    • Categories of waste
    • Factors affecting waste generation
    • Waste decomposition and conversion
    • Waste hierarchy
    • Factors affecting waste decomposition
    • Wastes and public health
    • Benefits of waste conversion
    • Wastes as resources and environmental hazards
  2. Unit II: Ethical Concepts of Waste Management
    • Ethical and legal responsibilities for proper waste management
    • Review of relevant theories in environmental ethics (different worldviews and their takes on human responsibility for waste management)
    • Review of ‘Tragedy of the Commons’ concept in the context of waste management
    • Polluter-pays principle: individual responsibility, legal enforcement thereof
    • Waste management hierarchy
    • Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for waste management
    • Challenges and opportunities in promoting individual and community-based responsible waste management
  3. Unit III: Solid Waste
    • Types, sources, properties and impacts
    • Disposal and management strategies
    • Integrated solid waste management
      • Collection, storage and transport
      • Source reduction
      • Product recovery
      • Recycling
      • Incineration
      • Composting
      • Sanitary landfill (infrastructure design and provisions for effluent and leachate– types, design and management)
      • Modern biotechnological approaches (compost & biogas)
  1. Unit IV: Liquid Waste
    • Definition of liquid waste
    • Classification of liquid waste
      • Source
      • Toxicity
    • Characterization of liquid wastes
    • Wastewater treatment
      • Physical Treatment (Primary)
      • Chemical Treatment (Secondary)
      • Biological treatments (Tertiary)
    • Case studies (Oil spill, industrial effluent)
    • Reuse of greywater
  2. Unit V: Hazardous Waste
    • Definitions
    • Types of hazardous waste
      • Clinical waste
      • Electronic waste
      • Automatic waste
      • Cosmetic waste
    • Management of hazardous waste
    • Conventions (Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm)
    • Pollution prevention for a sustainable society
    • Case studies (gas explosion, nuclear waste)
  3. Unit VI: Cleaner Production
    • Stages of CP
    • Advantages and disadvantages
    • Life Cycle Analysis
    • Case studies (Green road, Extended Producer Responsibility)
  4. Unit VII: Waste management policy in Bhutan
    • Waste Prevention and Management Act, 2009
    • Waste Prevention and Management Regulation, 2012
    • Environmental codes of practice for Hazardous Waste, 2002
    • Integrated Waste Management Strategy, 2014
    • Plastic bag ban policy

Reading List:

Essential Readings

Berg, L., Hager M., & Hassenzahl, D. (2016). Visualizing environmental science (5th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons.

Peavy, H. S. & T. George (2018). Environmental engineering (3rd ed.). New York: NY:  McGraw-Hill

Quarrie, J. (1992). Earth Summit ’92, The United Nations conference on environment and development. Rio de Janerio. London, UK: Regency Press

Queensland Litter Prevention Alliance. (2008). Waste product decomposition time. Queensland, Australia. http://www.qldlitter.com/pdfs/wastea3.pdf

Additional Readings

Aquarius ND Ltd. (2013). Domestic wastewater treatment plants. http://www.aquariusbg.com/en/Domestic-wastewater-treatment-plants/product.html

Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal. http://www.basel.int/

Bloch, M. (2009). Waste decomposition rates. Green Living Tips. http://www.greenlivingtips.com/articles/311/1/Waste-decomposition-rates.html

Botkin, D.B. (2014). Environmental science, earth as a living planet (9th ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons Inc., USA.

Casiday, R., Noelken, R. and Frey, R. (1999). Treating the public water supply. http://www.chemistry.wustl.edu/~edudev/LabTutorials/Water/PublicWaterSupply/PublicWaterSupply.html

Cunningham, W. P and Cunningham, M. A. (2004). Principles of environmental science: Inquiry and application. New York, NY: Tata McGraw Hill.

Gupta, S.K. (2009). Methods in environmental analysis of water soil and air. Jodhpur, India: Agribios.

Miller, G.T., and Spoolman, S.E. (2018). Environmental science (16th ed.). New Delhi, India: Cengage Learning.

National Environment Commission. (2007). National environmental protection act of Bhutan 2007. Thimphu, Bhutan: Phama Printing and Publishers.

National Environment Commission. (2009). Waste prevention and management act of Bhutan. Timphu, Bhutan: NEC.

National Environmental Commission. (2002). Environmental code of practice for hazardous wastes management. Thimphu, Inida: National Environmental Commission.

National Environmental Commission. (2004). Environmental discharge standard. Thimphu, Bhutan: National Environmental Commission.

Syed, S. (2006). Solid and liquid waste management. Emirates Journal for Engineering Research, 11(2), pp. 19-36.

Viessman, W. Jr.  & Hammer M.J. (2005). Water supply and pollution control. London, UK: Pearson Education.

Willams, P. T. (2005). Waste treatment and disposal. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons.

World Business Council for Sustainable Development. (2009). Water Facts and Trends. http://www.unwater.org/downloads/Water_facts_and_trends.pdf

Date: June 2021
Royal Thimphu College