Circular Economy of Metals

This module introduces the main topic of the course and the teaching staff. It also covers the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the UNEP International Resource Panel.

This module introduces the world of metals, their properties, uses, and essentiality. It covers major and minor metals, their applications, and introduces the UN Sustainable Development Goals as a framework for judging developments in resource use.

This module outlines the metals challenge, focusing on providing sufficient metals without compromising environmental quality. It covers metal supply, scarcity, criticality, and environmental impacts.

This module focuses on understanding the metal system, discussing stocks and flows of metals in society and their interactions. It provides a theoretical foundation for considering solutions to the metals challenge.

This module presents various options to solve the metals challenge, including materials and product design for environment and recycling, remanufacturing, and recycling strategies.

This module explores the effectiveness of a circular economy in solving the metals challenge, using aluminium as a case study. It examines whether a circular economy can maintain supply while avoiding environmental issues.

This final module looks into future scenarios for metal demand, supply, and environmental impacts. It explores the possibility of reconciling development goals with environmental goals in the context of metal production and use.