Resource Conservation and Recovery

Jim Newton, P.E., DEE

Course Outline

This two hour course provides valuable information for those individuals who participate in the operations and management of local governments, non-governmental organizations (NGO’s), governmental agencies and any other individuals with an interest in protecting the planet and being a better world citizen.  Completion of this course will provide the student the necessary information and testing to meet the continuing education requirements in order to renew their licenses.  It was designed by an instructor who has developed and implemented numerous similar training courses. 

This course requires the completion of a multiple-choice quiz at its conclusion in order to obtain the necessary certification.

Learning Objective

At the conclusion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Understand basic resource conservation and recovery principles;
• Understand the benefits of resource conservation and recovery;
• Understand basic resource conservation  practices and technologies;
• Understand basic recovery practices and technologies;
• Understand the basic solid waste management hierarchy;
• Understand source reduction and reuse;
• Understand recycling;
• Understand composting;
• Understand waste treatment with energy recovery;
• Understand landfilling and incineration without energy recovery;
• Understand who are the key participants in resource conservation and recovery;
• Understand possible investment opportunities;
• Understand the role of the community in resource conservation and recovery;
• Understand how to develop and track results;
• Understand managing logistics;
• Understand how to encourage source reduction and reuse;
• Understand various funding sources;
• Understand the federal programs available for resource conservation and recovery;
• Understand the state programs available for resource conservation and recovery;
• Understand the local programs available for resource conservation and recovery;
• Understand how Kansas City MO practices resource conservation and recovery;
• Under stand how Palm Beach County FL practices resource conservation and recovery ; and
• Understand available additional resources.

Intended Audience

The intended audience for this course is any professional who is involved in the operation and management of schools, non-governmental organizations (NGO’s), governmental agencies and any other individual with an interest in protecting the planet and being a better world citizen.

Benefit to Attendees

Attendees of this course will understand the basic concepts of resource conservation and recovery and how to implement these programs.

Course Introduction

Local governments have a significant opportunity to reduce waste management costs, air pollution, GHG emissions and energy consumption through resource conservation and recovery.  They are typically responsible for managing the waste generated within their municipalities and can implement strategies to help lower the costs to their communities.  Solid waste management uses energy and generates GHG emissions, air pollutants and air toxics.  The impacts are even greater when products are viewed from a lifecycle perspective: the extraction, production, use and disposal of goods and materials are responsible for an estimated 42% of US GHG emissions.

Local governments can reduce these costs and emissions by encouraging source reduction, and the reuse of products and materials, as well as composting and recycling wastes generated by their communities.

Course Content

This course is based upon the following book:

In this course, you are required to study the US EPA publication, “Resource Conservation and Recovery” provided as a pdf document as a part of this course.  This document describes the steps to promote resource conservation and recovery techniques to reduce GHG emissions.

Resource Conservation and Recovery

Please click on the above underlined hypertext to view, download or print the document for your study. Because of the large file size, we recommend that you first save the file to your computer by right clicking the mouse and choosing "Save Target As ...", and then open the file in Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Course Summary

This course discusses basic resource conservation and recovery concepts.

Related Links

For additional information related to this subject, please visit the following websites or web pages:

U.S Environmental Protection Agency

Quiz

Once you finish studying the above course content, you need to take a quiz to obtain the PDH credits.

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DISCLAIMER: The materials contained in the online course are not intended as a representation or warranty on the part of PDH Center or any other person/organization named herein. The materials are for general information only. They are not a substitute for competent professional advice. Application of this information to a specific project should be reviewed by a registered architect and/or professional engineer/surveyor. Anyone making use of the information set forth herein does so at their own risk and assumes any and all resulting liability arising therefrom.

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