Are you concerned about the increasing strain on our planet's resources and the growing piles of waste threatening our environment? Have you ever wondered how engineers can make a difference?
The Resource and Waste Engineering track equips you to address these challenges. Imagine developing solutions that minimize resource depletion and mitigate waste's harmful effects on health and the environment
You will explore resources' entire lifecycle, from extraction to recycling, ensuring sustainable management. You'll also study circular and sustainable materials to integrate them into processes, reducing environmental impact and promoting sustainability.
Key features
➨ Understand material and waste flows to develop technologies for recycling and resource recovery. ➨ Assess circularity and optimize resource efficiency to promote sustainable practices. ➨ Implement proactive waste management strategies, including circular redesigns and efficient disposal. ➨ Engage in hands-on learning through labs, field trips, and real-world projects.
The RWE track also offers you the opportunity to specialize in two exciting themes:
Reactive Resources and Waste
Interested in understanding how certain materials interact with their environment? This specialization focuses on the dynamic relationship between reactive resources and wastes and environment. You will explore how these materials behave, and learn strategies to prevent, assess, and mitigate their impact on human health and the environment.
Waste Processing Technologies
Have you ever wondered what happens to your waste after you throw it away? With this specialization, you will discover the world of waste management. Explore cutting-edge technologies designed to separate waste streams and promote circularity in resource usage. By understanding how to efficiently process waste, you can play a vital role in creating a more sustainable future.
This track aligns with my interest in plastic waste recovery. As a widely used commodity, improperly disposed of plastic endangers wildlife and pollutes the environment. Optimizing collection and recycling techniques can keep plastic in a continuous cycle, reducing microplastics, carbon emissions, and fossil fuel use.
Earth’s primary resources are finite. Human inventiveness, however, isn’t. At TU Delft’s laboratories, Francesco Di Maio is working on the recycling of concrete waste. He hopes his technologies will help to transform urban economies into self-sustaining loops.
In ten years’ time the methods used to recycle plastic and electronic waste will be completely transformed, predicts Peter Rem, professor of Resources & Recycling at TU Delft. The recycling plants of today will have been replaced by distribution centres for recovered raw materials which can be made into high-quality products.
