ENGG5202
2023 Assignment
CIRCULAR ECONOMY ASSIGNMENT
DUE: 11 June 2023
Individual assignment:
Identify a process or product that is of interest to you and which you consider has a negative impact
on our environment. Apply what you learnt about the ‘circular economy’ to the product/process to
help eliminate or minimise waste and the continual use of resources.
Describe the product’s/process’s current manufacturing processes, and it’s input and outputs. Assess
the process’s steps in terms of sustainability. Identify key areas where you propose to improve or
change. The proposed approach could look at any aspect of ‘reuse, sharing, repair, refurbishment,
remanufacturing and recycling to create a close-loop system in order to minimise the use of any or all
of (a) resource inputs, (b) waste creation, (c) pollution and (d) carbon emissions.
The true impact of many proposed ‘circular economy’ proposals are debated as being too simplistic
which do not consider the complexity of existing systems. Therefore, critique your own
design/proposed changes and argue the advantage that such an approach may have on the current
designs. Identify limitations or challenges that your approach may have.
Report criteria:
A written report (<3,500 words)
The use of flow diagrams and figures is encouraged.
PDF upload to Canvas by 11.50 PM 11 June 2023 using your full name as the filename. We will not
accept any reports after the deadline.
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Marking Criteria
A written report (2500 – 3500 words) is required for the individual Final assignment. The report will
cover 30% of your final mark, and it will be assessed based on the following factors:
1. Problem outline 20%
A clear description of the current process/product is expected, which include its inputs (raw material,
energy, etc.) and outputs (products, waste, etc.). You should also assess the current process/product
in terms of sustainability.
2. Solution 35%
Based on the current process/product's limitations, identify any key area(s) and propose
improvements or changes towards these area(s). The proposed solution should follow the principle of
sustainability.
3. Critique 15%
Evaluate your proposed solution by discussing its advantages and weaknesses. The judgement should
be based on evidence and facts.
4. Innovation 20%
The proposed idea(s) should be innovative. Idea(s) that have not been widely implemented in the real
world are expected in this report. However, scientific proof should be provided to support the idea(s).
5. Report layout 10%
The report should follow a logical structure. It should have a proper format, and references should be
correctly cited (including in text, graphs, tables, etc.). We encourage you to create your own flowcharts
or figures in this report to support your ideas.