Waste and Society
Waste is an increasingly pressing global environmental threat and a lens through which to examine local, national and global politics, and it is part of our everyday lived experience. It can be both a valuable resource and a hazard. It is a source of livelihood for millions around the world, the subject of activism, a focal point for environmental justice, and for climate solutions. We learn about politics and policy, activism, science and technology, culture and history, as wellas local and global aspects of wastes, scrap and recycling, and policy solutions. The course also covers critical concepts, such as distancing, scale, and the shadows of consumption, and can be taken by all students, whatever their interests or majors.
Topics
- To learn the basics of local, national and global politics of wastes and recycling, and the critical challenges they pose to society To discover how these “mundane” substances really matter, their afterlives, and why you can study any political processes, histories and systems through a “waste lens” To learn about the politics of city, national, global initiatives and policies, how they are made, and the impacts they have To understand informal labor sectors and environmental justice activism, globally To learn about and advance solutions, such as circular economies or right to repair To learn how to undertake research: sources, methods, and forms of analysis, where to look for policy and organizations in waste work, and the fields of Waste and Discard Studies To learn from, discuss and teach each other about important topics in this area To write a structured essay based on readings and lectures To prepare, carry out, and present an open-format project
Official catalogue course objectives and student learning outcomes
Sources
- Course catalogue ↗2026-2027