Sustainability and Circular Bioeconomy

Recommended Prerequisites

General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, Heat Transfer, Mass Transfer, Introduction to Biological Processes, Biochemistry, Thermodynamics.

Teaching Methods

The syllabus will be taught in: theoretical classes (T) - where the programmatic topics will be presented and developed, using audiovisual media; theoretical-pratical classes (TP) - in which concepts and tools will be applied / discussed in group tasks, under the tutorship of the teachers.

The preparation of a work in group will allow students to research and analyze a sustainability and circular economy approach, as well as to present and defend their knowledge. Whenever possible, the analysis of practical cases will be promoted with the participation of external experts.

Learning Outcomes

General objective: to acquire and apply engineering and biotechnology knowledge to achieve sustainability and the circular economy (CE).

Specific objectives:

- understand the holistic concept of sustainability (environmental, economic and social).

- apply sustainability assessment metrics;

- learn about environmental policy instruments that promote sustainability;

 - apply the concept of eco-efficiency and green engineering;

- understand climate change, the principles of industrial ecology and life cycle assessment.

- acquire technical engineering knowledge for the design of processes and products that favor the use of renewable or recycled raw materials; minimize emissions, energy consumption and resources; intensify reuse and recycling; circular use of water; reduction-recycling-reuse.

- identify and apply CE practices and tools;

- investigate practical cases of successful transitions to CE models.

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

Sustainability. Concept. Sustainability indicators and metrics. Sustainability instruments: ISO 14001 environmental management systems, Community Eco-Management and Audit System (EMAS), Eco-label, Industrial Licensing and Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (PCIP), Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). Eco-efficiency. Climate Change and Emissions Trading System (EU ETS). Green engineering. Methodologies and principles. Case studies. Industrial Ecology. Motivation. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). Concepts, methodology and application.

Circular Economy (CE) principles. Application of CE in Biotechnological Processes. Application of CE models in bioprocesses and bioproducts. Promotion of CE through ecology and industrial design. Intensification and circularization of bioprocesses. Longer lasting chemical products. Waste as raw material. Biomimicry. CE tools and metrics. Circularity of product, process and organization.

Head Lecturer(s)

Margarida Maria João de Quina

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Frequency: 40.0%
Project: 60.0%

Bibliography

1. Sonnemann, G. ; Tsang, M. ; Schuhmacher, M. Integrated life-cycle and risk assessment for industrial processes and products. 2nd Edition, Lewis Pub., Boca Raton, FL, 2019.

2. Allen, D.T.; Shonnard, D. Green Engineering: Environmentally Conscious Design of Chemical processes. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, 2001.

3. Graedel, T.E.; Allenby, B.R. Industrial ecology. Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, NJ, 2003.

4. Sillanpaa, M.; Ncibi, C., The circular economy: Case studies about the transition from the linear economy. Academic Press, London, 2019.

5. Lacy, P.; Long, J.; Spindler, W., The circular economy handbook: realizing the circular advantage. The Palgrave Macmillan, UK, 2020.

6. Ren, J.; Wang, Y.; He, C., Towards Sustainable Chemical Processes: Application of sustainability assessment and analysis, design and optimization, and hybridization and modularization, Elsevier, Amesterdam (Netherlands), 2020.