GVMEWM: Environmental and Waste Management

Module code: GVMEWM

Module provider: Geography and Environmental Science; School of Archaeology, Geography and Environmental Science

Credits: 20

Level: 7

When you’ll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Dr Steve Robinson , email: j.s.robinson@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Professor Martin Lukac, email: m.lukac@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2025/6

Available to visiting students: Yes

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 3 April 2025

Overview

Module aims and purpose

Learn how the principles of environmental and waste management are applied in professional settings. Using a series of lectures, case studies and site visits, we will examine the motivations for a range of businesses and organisations to carry out environmental and waste management, the ways in which environmental impacts are assessed and the systems employed to minimise environmental problems.

The lectures include contributions from external speakers on a range of technical and political challenges facing the waste industry and will be complemented by external visits to illustrate environmental and waste management in a range of contexts.

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Explore the potential environmental consequences of a range of business activities, explain the relationship between regulation of business and corporate responsibility in managing environmental impact and outline approaches to environmental impact assessment and assess the carbon footprints of organisations
2. Investigate environmental and waste management practices in a range of businesses including Environmental Management Systems
3. Describe and explain the regulatory processes governing the management of waste-to-land in England and critique and compare the sustainability of different strategies for processing and disposing of waste
4. Outline the main economic and environmental issues surrounding climate change and discuss mitigation and adaptation approaches and apply above principles to practice for a real client organisation

Module content

• Overview of environmental impacts from human activities.
• Assessing impacts including an introduction to the Environmental Impact Assessment process.
• Regulatory processes governing environmental and waste management in industry.
• Corporate perspectives – corporate responsibility and sustainability.
• Environmental management project for an external client.
• Field visits related to waste management and environmental protection.
• Case studies in environmental and waste management in the food and non-food industries – external speakers.
• Managing environmental change: mitigation and adaption.
• Implementing environmental management in organisations: policies, systems and governance.

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

16 x 2-hour lectures and 4 x 1-h seminars cover the principles of corporate environmental responsibility, waste regulation, Environmental Impact Assessment, environmental auditing and Environmental Management Systems.

3 or 4 half- or full-day external visits to local businesses and organisations to illustrate environmental and waste management in a range of contexts. 

Study hours

At least 52 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.