Course coordinator
Professor Peter Halley
Please meet me in lectures or tutes or use EDdiscussion board for course questions. Email me for personal student concerns.
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Chemical Engineering School
The transition from a take-make-waste economy to a circular economy is underway. The aim of a circular economy is to reduce non-renewable energy and resource consumption. This course will focus on methods for measuring circularity including energy, life cycle and ecological footprint analysis. The course will also look at the technologies that are shaping the sustainable future, including the H2 economy, bio-based plastics, bio-based liquid natural gas and energy storage systems. These changes are occurring at the same time that paradigms are shifting in transport (electric vehicles, driverless systems), communication (virtual instead of physical) and leisure. The course will examine the energy and material requirements of the sustainable society and the biological, physical and thermodynamic limits of the technologies that are proposed to meet these demands. Through a series of individual and team projects, students will gain experience in developing sustainable solutions, considering local and regional scales. The economic impacts of shifting to a circular economy will also be explored. The course applies to a wide range of careers, including Geotechnical, Civil, Mining and Environmental Engineering, Environmental Management, and Agricultural and Earth Sciences.
This course will examine concepts of the circular economy, tools used to evaluate circularity and sustainability,ﾠ examine case studies in sustainable engineering, and scope a circular product or process. Through a series of individual and team projects, students will gain experience in developing sustainable solutions in an engineering context, considering design, technological, environmental, social, policy, supply chain and business model areas.
Course requirements
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
Completion of 32 units towards BE(Hons)
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Professor Peter Halley
Tutor
Mr Vincent Mathel
Ms Tien Nguyen
Miss Shane Pratiwi
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Aims and outcomes
This course aims to enable you to use circular and sustainability tools andﾠ design circular products and processes, all with an understanding of current circular and sustainability principles.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Understand and apply the key principles of sustainability and circularity
LO2.
Use appropriate tools to assess sustainability on individual, process, product and global levels
LO3.
Work in a team to design a circular product/process and make recommendations that consider design, technological, supply chain, social, political and business aspects
LO4.
Find reliable data and analyse impacts on sustainability on variations of a circular product/process
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Assignment 1 Principles and assessment tools
|
20% |
21/03/2025 4:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Assignment 2 Detailed case studies
|
20% |
17/04/2025 4:00 pm |
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation |
Assignment 3 Circular product/process report
|
30% |
23/05/2025 4:00 pm |
| Examination |
Exam During Exam Period (Central)
|
30% |
End of Semester Exam Period 7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025 |
A hurdle is an assessment requirement that must be satisfied in order to receive a specific grade for the course. Check the assessment details for more information about hurdle requirements.
Assessment details
Assignment 1 Principles and assessment tools
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
21/03/2025 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02
Task description
This assignment will focus on use of simple sustainability and circular economy principles and tools.
Full requirements are on blackboard>assessment folder.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Blackboard submission.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessments must be submitted on or before the due date. Late submissions of assessment items will only be accepted if approval for late submission has been obtained prior to the due date.
Penalties Apply for Late Submission
Refer PPL Assessment Procedure Section 3 Part C (48)
A Student Access Plan (SAP) can only be used for a first extension. Extensions based on an SAP may be granted for up to seven (7) days, or the maximum number of days specified in the Course Instance (CI), if it is less than seven (7) days. Any further extensions will require additional supporting documentation, such as a medical certificate.
Assignment 2 Detailed case studies
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 20%
- Due date
17/04/2025 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02
Task description
Critical review of existing detailed sustainability or circular assessments.
Full requirements are on blackboard>assessment folder.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Via Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessments must be submitted on or before the due date. Late submissions of assessment items will only be accepted if approval for late submission has been obtained prior to the due date.
Penalties Apply for Late Submission
Refer PPL Assessment Procedure Section 3 Part C (48)
A Student Access Plan (SAP) can only be used for a first extension. Extensions based on an SAP may be granted for up to seven (7) days, or the maximum number of days specified in the Course Instance (CI), if it is less than seven (7) days. Any further extensions will require additional supporting documentation, such as a medical certificate.
Assignment 3 Circular product/process report
- Team or group-based
- Online
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
23/05/2025 4:00 pm
- Other conditions
- Peer assessed.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
Team report on circular engineering application incorporating holistic approach to product design, sustainability analyses, business aspects, supply chains, and policy and social effects.
Full requirements are on blackboard>assessment folder.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Via Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessments must be submitted on or before the due date. Late submissions of assessment items will only be accepted if approval for late submission has been obtained prior to the due date.
Penalties Apply for Late Submission
Refer PPL Assessment Procedure Section 3 Part C (48)
A Student Access Plan (SAP) can only be used for a first extension. Extensions based on an SAP may be granted for up to seven (7) days, or the maximum number of days specified in the Course Instance (CI), if it is less than seven (7) days. Any further extensions will require additional supporting documentation, such as a medical certificate.
Exam During Exam Period (Central)
- Hurdle
- Identity Verified
- In-person
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Examination
- Weight
- 30%
- Due date
End of Semester Exam Period
7/06/2025 - 21/06/2025
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L04
Task description
Final exam may have questions on circular economy principles, assessment tools, and a critical review of a detailed assessment example.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Hurdle requirements
Hurdle: You must pass the exam to pass the course (eg > 50/100).Exam details
| Planning time | 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Duration | 120 minutes |
| Calculator options | (In person) Casio FX82 series only or UQ approved and labelled calculator |
| Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - specified written materials permitted |
| Materials | One A4 sheet of handwritten or typed notes, double sided, is permitted |
| Exam platform | Paper based |
| Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You may be able to defer this exam.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: As per grade 2 and/or failure to complete assessment items. |
| 2 (Fail) |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Lack of evidence of professional competence in the course material to the degree that teaching team believe would unacceptably inconvenience or endanger participants in any future project. Overall course grade typically between 20-44.9%. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Falls short of satisfying all basic requirements for a Pass. Overall course grade typically between 45.0-49.9%. |
| 4 (Pass) |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstration of competency across core learning objectives . Overall course grade typically between 50-64.9%. |
| 5 (Credit) |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Competent work showing the clear application of circular tools and principles individually and in a project. Overall course grade typically between 65-74.9%. |
| 6 (Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Very competent work showing the clear application of effective thinking, effective communication and the application of circular tools and principles individually and in a project. Overall course grade typically between 75-84.9%. |
| 7 (High Distinction) |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Outstanding work showing the clear and concise application of effective thinking, effective communication, and the application of circular tools and principles individually and in a case study. The work will demonstrate out of the box thinking and students will demonstrate a capacity to go above and beyond task requirements. Overall course grade typically between 85-100%. |
Additional course grading information
Group work will be observed during the course and monitored by lecturer, tutors and peers.ﾠ
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
This is a highly changeable field, but some suggested readings are:
1. Life Cycle Assessment: A Metric for the Circular Economy, Edited by Aiduan Borrion, Mairi J. Black and Onesmus Mwabonje, (1st ed.). Royal Society of Chemistry. [e-version in UQ library]
2. Circular economy and sustainability. Volume 2, Environmental engineering, edited by Alexandros Stefanakis, Ioannis Nikolaou Elsevier (2022) [e-version in UQ library]
3. Sustainable Engineering -Principles and Implementation, Catherine N. Mulligan, 1st Edition, (2019) CRC Press [e-version in UQ library]
4. Sustainable Engineering: Drivers, Metrics, Tools, and Applications, Krishna R. Reddy, Claudio Cameselle, Jeffrey A. Adams, ISBN: 978-1-119-49393-8 (2019) [e-version in UQ library]
Circular economy case study examples
https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/topics/circular-economy-introduction/examples
LCA information
https://venturewell.org/tools_for_design/measuring-sustainability/life-cycle-assessment-content/
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks |
Lecture |
Lectures for concepts and examples Lectures to provide concepts and invited lecturer and practioner examples. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Tutes to exemplify concepts and allow project time Tutes follow lectures to provide examples. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.
Course guidelines
Anyone undertaking courses with a practical component must complete the UQ Undergraduate Student Laboratory Safety Induction and pass the associated assessment.
Specific instructions, usage guidelines and rules for each of the undergraduate laboratories will be delivered as part of each course.
In some cases, students may be required to attend a specific face-to-face laboratory induction/training session.