Increasing engineering students’ involvement in circular economy practices

Abstract

The circular economy has become a topic of intense interest for policymakers, scholars and business managers because it has proven to be a new paradigm to achieve the sustainability of our society. However, the main efforts made in the circular economy cannot be limited to the actions of professional or experts. We believe that if we intend to meet current needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, we must teach present generations the principles for achieving economic, social and environmental sustainability in the short, medium and long-term. This paper highlights the use of participatory guided activities instead of traditional courses to teach and engage engineering students with circular economy practices.