A flock of birds flying over a landfill. (Courtesy of Justin Richie on Flickr. CC BY-NC-SA.)
Instructor(s)
Kate Mytty
Pedro Reynolds-Cuellar
MIT Course Number
EC.716 / EC.786
As Taught In
Fall 2015
Level
Undergraduate / Graduate
Course Description
Course Features
Educator Features
Course Description
This introductory course will provide you with a multidisciplinary approach to managing waste in low- and middle-income countries, with strategies that diminish greenhouse gas emissions and provide enterprise opportunities for marginalized populations. You will focus on understanding some of the multiple dimensions of waste generation and management. Topics are presented in real contexts through case studies, field visits, civic engagement and research, and include consumer culture, waste streams, waste management, entrepreneurship and innovation on waste, technology evaluation, downcycling / upcycling, Life Cycle Analysis and waste assessment. Labs include building low-cost, small scale technology, field trips to waste-related institutions and businesses, art workshops and e-waste scrapping taught by practitioners, artists and waste enthusiasts.