In-class discussions

Guest lectures held by business practitioners

Huber, Joseph (2000): Towards industrial ecology. Sustainable development as a concept of ecological modernization. In: Journal of Environmental Policy & Planning 2 (4), S. 269–285. DOI: 10.1080/714038561.

Braungart, Michael; McDonough, William A.; Bollinger, Andrew (2007): Cradle-to-cradle design: creating healthy emissions – a strategy for eco-effective product and system design. In: Journal of Cleaner Production 15 (13-14), S. 1337–1348. DOI: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2006.08.003.

Ny, Henrik; MacDonald, Jamie P.; Broman, Göran: Sustainability constraints as system boundaries: An approach to making life-cycle management Strategic.

Mestre, Ana; Cooper, Tim (2017): Circular Product Design. A Multiple Loops Life Cycle Design Approach for the Circular Economy. In: The Design Journal 20 (sup1), S1620-S1635. DOI: 10.1080/14606925.2017.1352686.

Stahel, Walter (1984): The product-life factor. In: S. G. Orr (Hg.): An Inquiry Into the Nature of Sustainable Societies: The Role of the Private Sector: Houston Area Research Center, S. 72–96.

Stahel, Walter R. (2010): The performance economy. 2nd ed. Basingstoke, England, New York: Palgrave Macmillan. (Chapters 3.2, 3.3, 3.4).

Tietze, Frank; Hansen, Erik G. (2016): To own or to use? How Product Service Systems Facilitate Eco-Innovation Behavior. University of Cambridge, Cambridge. Online verfügbar unter https://www.ifm.eng.cam.ac.uk/uploads/Working_paper/16_04_Tietze_Hansen.pdf, zuletzt geprüft am 27.11.2024.

Tukker, Arnold (2004): Eight types of product–service system: eight ways to sustainability? Experiences from SusProNet. In: Bus. Strat. Env. 13 (4), S. 246–260. DOI: 10.1002/bse.414.

To understand the need for environmental and resource management from a business perspective

To distinguish two fundamental perspectives in environmental and resource management: the corporate and the life cycle perspective To explore important tools and concepts in the field of quantitative environmental and resource management, life cycle assessment, carbon footprint, material flow cost accounting and sustainability reporting as well as its linkage to quality management and lean production To explore major environmental challenges in polymer industries To broaden the perspective on corporate environmental and resource efficiency by understanding the concepts of industrial ecology and sustainability To understand basic terms and concepts of environmental management, quality management and resource efficiency and their importance for companies, particularly in polymer industries

To understand the need for environmental and resource management from a business perspective

To distinguish two fundamental perspectives in environmental and resource management: the corporate and the life cycle perspective To explore important tools and concepts in the field of quantitative environmental and resource management, life cycle assessment, carbon footprint, material flow cost accounting and sustainability reporting as well as its linkage to quality management and lean production To explore major environmental challenges in polymer industries To broaden the perspective on corporate environmental and resource efficiency by understanding the concepts of industrial ecology and sustainability To understand basic terms and concepts of environmental management, quality management and resource efficiency and their importance for companies, particularly in polymer industries

This course on the circular economy introduces students to a transformative economic model designed to address pressing global challenges such as resource scarcity, environmental degradation, and unsustainable production patterns. The course explores the circular economy’s foundational principles, including biological and technical cycles, and related strategies for sustainable value creation.

Students will gain a deep understanding of the circular economy as a multidisciplinary framework for sustainable development. They will develop critical thinking and analytical skills to evaluate circular economy strategies and propose innovative solutions for transitioning from linear to circular systems. This course equips students with the expertise to contribute to academic and professional discussions on the circular economy and apply its principles in real-world contexts.