Further resources

The E-waste Challenge Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)





The MOOC was re-launched in February 2020.

The E-waste Challenge MOOC includes 5 mini-courses of about 6-8 hours each, including time to complete assignment tasks. (Modules do not equate to weeks - this can be spread across a longer time span). 


Course 1 E-waste: a global issue


1.0

Introduction to e-waste

1.1

An explosion of e-waste

1.2

What happens to e-waste around the world

1.3

Quiz and summary

Course 2 E-waste: impacts and solutions

 

2.1

What’s inside your e-waste?

2.2

E-waste impacts: environment, society and health

2.3

E-waste impact on climate

2.4

Opportunities and game-changing solutions

2.5

Take action – plan a campaign

2.6

Quiz and summary

Course 3 UNEP – E-waste and children’s health

 

3.1

Welcome to e-waste and children’s health

3.2

Introduction

3.3

E-waste and toxicity

3.4

Effects of e-waste on health

3.5

Exposure and impacts on children

3.6

Case studies

3.7

Management and prevention

3.8

Quiz and summary

Course 4 Reducing e-waste by design, standards, business & policy

 

4.0

Welcome to reducing e-waste

4.1

Preventing hazardous waste by design

4.2

Waste across borders

4.3

Instruments, policies and incentives

4.4

Be informed: standards and guidelines

4.5

Quiz and summary

Course 5 Inclusive and sustainable e-waste recycling

 

5.0

Welcome to e-waste recycling

5.1

Managing e-waste for a greener future

5.2

Environmentally sound management (ESM) in action

5.3

Inclusive recycling: guidelines and case studies

5.4

Business opportunities

5.5

Quiz and summary


What is a MOOC? A MOOC is a Massive Open Online Course that brings together people across the world and gives them free access to quality online learning materials.

What is the result?
A great learning experience that puts you in the perfect place to take action!

What is the E-waste Challenge MOOC?
Online learning materials featuring audio, video, and links to a fantastic range of online updated resources for you to explore in any way you choose. Add to this a great range of activities and the ability to get into lively discussions with other learners. All the materials have been endorsed by international e-waste specialists and experts.

The E-waste Challenge MOOC is presented in five stand-alone and comprehensive online mini-courses , it is self-paced and introduces challenge and possible solutions for the environmentally sound management of e-waste. Participants can follow a long track following all the five mini-course or a short track by selecting only some mini-courses.

What are the learning objectives?
This course will help the participants to understand why and how to manage e-waste in an environmentally sound manner and how action on e-waste could be taken in their own life, business, or organization.

The aims of the course are to:
  • Show how sound management of e-waste can help reduce GHG emissions, mitigate climate change and prevent hazards to health and the environment in accordance with the Basel, Rotterdam, and Stockholm conventions;
  • Share best practices, technological innovations, and sustainable e-waste recovery and inclusive recycling business models;
  • Present innovative research on technological solutions to reduce hazard by design;
  • Explore how the value in e-waste can be extracted in a way that supports the local economy and protects people’s health and the environment, evaluating the socio-economic impacts of this change into more sustainable business models;
  • Explore incentives and opportunities for e-waste recycling;
  • Advocate for the Environmentally Sound Management (ESM) of e-waste.
Learners who complete the first and second mini-courses, and each of the other mini-courses will receive a certificate. Learners who complete all the five mini-courses will receive a United Nations Environment Programme/Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions (BRS) and EIT Climate KIC certificate of course completion, including the contributing organizations. From the launch, on 18 February 2020, the MOOC will be accompanied by webinars live events, chat room discussions forums, and interactive features. After this period, the E-waste challenge MOOC will be available as an e-learning course.
This course is open to all and designed for university graduate students, policy makers, e-waste operators, administrators, business managers and anyone who is interested in the topic.

The MOOC has been developed by  the Secretariat of the Basel, Rotterdam and Stockholm conventions (www.brsmeas.org), the EIT Climate-KIC (https://eit.europa.eu/our-communities/eit-climate-kic), the University of Leuven (KU Leuven, Belgium), (https://www.kuleuven.be/english) with contributions from The EIT RawMaterials Academy (https://eit.europa.eu/our-communities/eit-rawmaterials), the International Telecommunication Union (https://www.itu.int/en/Pages/default.aspx), the World Resources Forum (www.wrforum.org/) and  the contribution of the World Health Organization (www.who.int) .