Circularity and Resource efficiency in the Processing Industry, 3 hp

• a seminar series within the Industrial Graduate School Resource Smart Processes
• 3 hp means approximately 2 weeks of work (80 hours).

 

Course content:

The course will be structured around a seminar series given online by the industrial partners in the Resource Smart Processes. Each seminar will be given by one of the industrial partners in the program elucidating one specific part of the value chain biomass-to-product and will be followed by a reflecting discussion. Active participation will be required.

 

Learning objectives:

Students should get a general understanding of basic principles and challenges for circularity and resource efficiency in the processing industry and an insight into how these can be addressed in different areas of biomass processing/under different conditions and in different companies.

After the completed course the students should be able to:

• Identify, analyze and compare sustainability challenges of biorefinery processes and engineering/production of materials.
• Explain the ethical complexity of the topic (Resource efficiency in the Processing Industry).
• Explain terms and methods used in the environmental and sustainability context.

 

Examination:

1. 
   Active seminar participation

This assignment is related to your participation in the industry seminars given within the course.  You are requested to look at the provided material before each seminar, and write down 1-3 questions in this document: 
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BwuqvJtHmf30dBKgjYVZ31ttVq-VfiZTeIZXZKbyPQI/edit?usp=sharingLinks to an external site. 

You should also take an active part in the discussions during the seminars. 

 

We will check presence and contributions for each seminar and you will get "graded" for 1 point for each. 

Out of the 8 seminars you need at least 7 points. 

In case you cannot attend more than one seminar, please contact us in advance

 

2. Planning and participation in a group presentation

Each group has been given a theme:

• Raw materials supply
• Biological diversity (waste generation)
• Climate change
• Fossil-based materials replacement
• End-of-life (recyclability vs biodegradability)

Prepare a 10-12 min presentation + 10 min discussion where you integrate the content of the course. Everyone in the group presents 3-4 min each. The presentation should address the following questions (you decide if you want to use slides or other aids:

1. Describe the sustainability challenge of your theme.
2. Which companies work with this challenge and how? Do you think they do enough or what else can be done?
3. Are there conflicting goals?
4. How do you anticipate what happens in the future, best and worst-case scenarios?
5. Prepare one discussion point
6. 
   Personal reflection: Sustainability challenges related to my research project (can be sent  to giadal@chalmers.se on April 10th )
   You should critically reflect on how sustainability relates to your research project, identifying challenges, potential impacts, and opportunities for improvement.

• Provide a brief overview of your research project.
• Define sustainability in the context of your field of study.
• Identify specific sustainability challenges linked to your research.
• Explain how these challenges arise and their broader implications.
• Discuss strategies or adjustments to make your research more sustainable.
• Share how engaging with sustainability challenges has influenced your perspective or approach to research.
• Discuss any ethical considerations or personal motivations.

• Length: 750–1500 words.
• Font: Times New Roman, 12 pt.
• Line Spacing: Single.
• Use references to support your reflection

Evaluation Criteria:

• Depth of reflection and critical analysis.
• Clarity and coherence of ideas.
• Relevance to sustainability and your research.

 

Examiner: Giada Lo Re, Chalmers giadal@chalmers.se

Contact person: Merima Hasani, merima.hasani@chalmers.se

 

Course fee: free of charge.

 

Pre-requisites: You should be a graduate student with a research project relevant to the field of biomass processing.

 

Contributors (fall 2024):

Giada Lo Re, giadal@chalmers.se

Gunnar Henriksson, ghenrik@kth.se

Malin Wohlert, malin.wohlert@angstrom.uu.se

 

Suggested course organization:

Session #	Date	Title	Lecturer	Confirmed contact person
1	22/10 2024 14:00	General course information, Introductory lecture: Sustainability and circularity -  challenges and conflicts	Giada Lo Re Gunnar Henriksson Malin Wohlert
2	31/10 2024 13:00	Sustainable forestry	Södra	Fredrik Wernersson Brolin, fredrik.wernerssonbrodin@sodra.com
3	14/11 2024 13:00	Sustainable pulping	SCA	Eva Lindström, eva.lindstrom@sca.com
4	28/11 2024 13:00	Development of sustainable materials for the future with reduced climate impact	Billerud	Christophe Barbier, christophe.barbier@billerud.com
5	23/1 2025 13:00	New packaging materials	Tetra Pak	Katarina Jonasson, katarina.jonasson@tetrapak.com
6	6/2 2025 13:00	Sustainable textiles, textiles from pulp	TTT	Åsa Östlund, asa.ostlund@treetotextile.com
7	20/2 2025 13:00	Cellulose derivatives	Nouryon	Leif Karlson, leif.karlson@nouryon.com
8	04/3 2025 13:00	Hygiene products	Essity	Charlotta Hansson, charlotta.hanson@essity.com
10	27/03 2025 13:00	Reflections	Malin Wohlert	Discussion in smaller groups + overall discussion where sustainability issues of the students’ research is analyzed.
11	03/04 2025 13:00	Summary and examination	Giada Lo Re	Group presentations and reflections

 

 

Examiner: Giada Lo Re

The course will be registered at Chalmers.