Course Description

Ontario continues to generate more and more waste; historically, three quarters of this waste has been discarded. In this course, learners are introduced to the tremendous environmental and economic opportunities that exist to embrace resource conservation ideology and a circular economy - a system in which products are never discarded, but reused, recycled and reintroduced into new products. With interactive activities, videos, and gaming; learners identify concepts and technologies to make informed decisions regarding waste management. Learners reflect on material learned, connect it to their own personalized industry or interest, and locate innovation and entrepreneurship opportunities.

General Education Theme Area(s)

This is a General Education course that supports learning in the following theme area(s): Civic Life , Science and Technology

Essential Employability Skills

This course contributes to your program by helping you achieve the following Essential Employability Skills:

EES 1 Communicate clearly, concisely and correctly in the written, spoken and visual form that fulfills the purpose and meets the needs of the audience. (A)
EES 2 Respond to written, spoken or visual messages in a manner that ensures effective communication. (A)
EES 4 Apply a systematic approach to solve problems. (T, A)
EES 7 Analyze, evaluate and apply relevant information from a variety of sources. (T, A)
EES 8 Show respect for diverse opinions, values, belief systems and contributions of others. (A)
Assessment Levels —T: Taught A: Assessed CP: Culminating Performance 

Course Learning Requirements / Embedded Knowledge and Skills

When you have earned credit for this course, you will have demonstrated the ability to:

1. Locate and identify waste generated by all activities within the province, and evaluate its impact on all aspects of human endeavor

  • Explore how waste is generated from businesses and residential activities
  • Categorize waste generated according to its physical and chemical form
  • Differentiate waste diversion and waste disposal practices
  • Determine the impact of waste on the environment and sustainability

2. Summarize the current function of various levels of government in waste control and management

  • Discuss the role of the Federal and Provincial governments in waste management
  • Recall the current municipal waste management systems
  • Choose the most appropriate and legal disposal method of all types of waste
  • Illustrate current responsibilities of citizens and businesses toward waste disposal and waste diversion

3. Identify current technologies used in waste management and discuss the role of technological innovation

  • List current and emerging technologies in waste collection, diversion and disposal
  • Outline technologies used in waste avoidance, reduction and reuse
  • Explain challenges faced in processing and preparing divertible material to be recycled and finding end markets
  • Compare the pros and cons of new waste management technologies to existing ones

4. Discuss Ontario's place in the national and international community regarding waste management, and explore the waste-free Ontario strategy initiative

  • Define the current national and local waste management performance and its impact on sustainability
  • Summarize the global immergence of the concept of circular economy
  • Convey how the Province is adopting a Circular Economy (CE) and Extended Producer Responsibility (ERP) for a Waste-Free Ontario
  • Locate other initiatives that supports the diversion and reduction of waste in the Province

5. Explain what it means for people to live responsibly and reach their potential towards reduction of waste and building a circular economy

  • Explain the key components that constitutes circular economy framework in business
  • Explore case studies on how organizations around the world are going circular
  • Determine circular economy opportunities in an industry of interest
  • Investigate companies and products for their sustainability

Pre-defined Evaluation / Earning Credit

The following list provides evidence of this course's learning achievements and the outcomes they validate:

Online Activity(ies)/Assignment(s) (30%)

Validates Outcomes:  CLR 1, CLR 2, CLR 3, CLR 4, CLR 5, EES 2, EES 4, EES 7

Case Study(ies) (15%)

Validates Outcomes:  CLR 1, CLR 3, CLR 5, EES 1, EES 7, EES 8

Journal/Reflective Assignment(s) (15%)

Validates Outcomes:  CLR 1, CLR 2, CLR 3, CLR 4, CLR 5, EES 1, EES 7, EES 8

Discussion Forum (20%)

Validates Outcomes:  CLR 3, CLR 4, CLR 5, EES 1, EES 4, EES 8

Quiz(zes) (20%)

Validates Outcomes:  CLR 1, CLR 2, CLR 3, CLR 4, EES 4, EES 7

Learning Resources

There is no required textbook to purchase for this course.
Required, recommended and additional web-based online resources for this course are available to access through the learning management system.
 

Learning Activities

Fully online, asynchronous, modular course
Online interactive lectures and videos
Online activities and discussion forums
Using open source online tools and applications
Role playing and investigative challenges
Virtual tours collection (flexibility to select according to own interest)
Case study (flexibility to select according to own interest)
Reflective journal (flexibility to select according to own interest)

Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition

Students who wish to apply for Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) need to demonstrate competency at a post-secondary level in all outlined course learning requirements. Evidence of learning achievement for PLAR candidates includes:

  • Portfolio
  • Project/Assignment

Other Information

Grade Scheme

Final Grade Mark Equivalent Numeric Value Final Grade Mark Equivalent Numeric Value
A+ 90% - 100% 4.0 A 85% - 89% 3.8
A- 80% - 84% 3.6 B+ 77% - 79% 3.3
B 73% - 76% 3.0 B- 70% - 72% 2.7
C+ 67% - 69% 2.3 C 63% - 66% 2.0
C- 60% - 62% 1.7 D+ 57% - 59% 1.4
D 53% - 56% 1.2 D- 50% - 52% 1.0
F 0% - 49% 0 FSP 0 0

Course Related Information

Please refer to the Course Section Information (CSI) / weekly schedule for specific course-related information as
provided by your professor

Program Information

College Related Information

Algonquin College’s policies have been developed to ensure the health, safety and security of all students, faculty and staff, and the proper and fair operation of the College as an academic institution and employer.  Please refer to the Algonquin College Policies website for the most current policy information available at http://www.algonquincollege.com/policies/.

Students are especially encouraged to be aware of the following College expectations

Academic Integrity 
Algonquin College is committed to the highest standards of academic integrity, and students are expected to uphold these standards as part of the learning process. Any academic work submitted by a student is expected to be their own work, unless designated otherwise and all sources must be attributed. All students should be familiar with the Algonquin College policy AA48: Academic Integrity .  In some courses, online proctoring may be used to discourage cheating. Additional information can be found at https://www.algonquincollege.com/studentsupportservices/student-learning-kit/preparing-to-learn-online/. Students with any questions about the course expectations for academic dishonesty and plagiarism are encouraged to speak to their professor.

Centre for Accessible Learning
Students with visible and/or non-visible disabilities are encouraged to register with the Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) in order to be eligible for appropriate learning supports and/or accommodations.  Students are strongly encouraged to make an appointment at the Centre for Accessible Learning as early as possible when starting a program. Once your needs are identified, a Letter of Accommodation (LOA) will be issued which you can share with your professors. If you are a returning student, please ensure that professors are given a copy of your LOA each semester.

College Email
Students at Algonquin College are provided with a college email account. This is the address that will be used when the College, your professors, or your fellow students communicate important information about your program or course activities.  Your network credentials can be found in the ACSIS portal and you are expected to check your Algonquin email regularly and to use it to send and receive college-related email. Support is available through the college Information Technology Service (ITS) at: https://www.algonquincollege.com/its/

Retroactive Accommodations
Students are expected to meet evaluation and completion deadlines as stated in course outline and course section information documents. In circumstances where evaluation and/or completion deadlines are missed or student performance has been affected by a temporary or permanent disability (including mental health), interim or retroactive accommodations may be considered. In such instances, please consult your course faculty member. For other situations where deferral of evaluations may be warranted, please consult Algonquin College Policy AA21: Deferred Evaluation.

Student Course Feedback
Algonquin College’s invites students to share their course experience by completing a student course feedback survey for each course they take. For further details consult Algonquin College Policy AA25: Student Course Feedback.

Use of Mobile Devices in Class
With the proliferation of small, personal mobile devices used for communications and data storage, Algonquin College believes there is a need to address their use during classes and examinations. During classes, the use of such devices can be  disruptive and disrespectful to others. During examinations, the use of such devices may facilitate cheating. For further details consult Algonquin College Policy AA32: Use of Mobile Devices in Class

Technology Requirements
As Algonquin College continues to respond to public health guidelines, many courses will be offered through remote delivery. As such, students will be required to have access to a computer and to the internet. There may also be additional technology-related resources required to participate in a course that are not included in the course materials fee, such as headphones, webcams, specialized software, etc. Details on these requirements can be found in the Course Section Information of the course outline for each course available on Brightspace.

Transfer of Credit
It is the student’s responsibility to retain course outlines for possible future use to support applications for transfer of credit to other educational institutions.