Importance of recycling education: a curriculum development at WSU

The use of recyclable materials has been continuously increasing worldwide due to economic, environmental, and technological developments. Not reusing recyclable materials means that they will be degraded or corroded, and then completely destroyed by nature, thus representing a waste of resources and much environmental damage. To increase both academic and public awareness of recycling, the authors have developed a three-credit-hour recycling course entitled "Recycling of Engineering Materials" at the College of Engineering at Wichita State University, which was taught in spring 2008 and 2010. The lectures focused on basic characterization and separation techniques of recyclable materials, recycled products, environmental concerns, and potential commercial applications. Throughout the lectures, students were expected to gain an understanding of recycling concepts, processing techniques, recent progress on recycling, as well as health issues relating to toxic and hazardous materials and their handling procedures. The survey results confirmed that the course is well established and understood by the undergraduate and graduate students.