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General Objective of the Module

Blown by the winds, across land and throughout the oceans, waste is being generated at an
unsustainable and ever-increasing rate. By 2050, 3.40 billion tons of waste is expected to be built up
annually and keep on contributing to climate change. The linear economy has negative impacts on the
amount of waste being produced as it follows the “take-make-dispose” step-by-step plan. Therefore,
Page | 5 it is important to understand how everyday life materials can be used more efficiently, longer, and in
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closed loops. This is the aim of the circular economy and the transition to it is critical.

The general objective of the module is to define and explain the terms linear economy and circular
economy, as well as to describe the causes and effects of waste.
The module will begin by exploring the issues of Linear Economy and the effects it has on water and
soil pollution. Then, the concept of Circular Economy will be introduced as well as its main principles
and benefits. Teachers and students will get to know more about the different types of waste
management methods such as landfills, combustion, recycling, composting etc.

Topics:

1) Linear Economy and Circular Economy

2) Unsustainable waste management methods

3) Sustainable waste management methods

Learning Goals
• Define the terms linear economy and circular economy
• List advantages of circular economy
• Describe the causes and effects of waste in the world and relate the issue to their own lives
• Explain circular economy with examples from daily life
• Realize that the problem of waste in human societies is due to linear flow systems of
production and consumption
• Defend that circular flow is one of the important strategies to enable long-term resilience,
secure sustainable resource supply and the well-being of the planet.
• List different methods of waste management
• Distinguish between sustainable and unsustainable waste management methods
• Understand the concept of responsible consumption.
• Discuss possible solutions to the problem of waste.

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the
views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the

information contained therein.