You will produce a 3,000 - 3500 word research report that critically evaluates socially innovative approaches addressing two priority waste types within your chosen locations. Apply lifecycle thinking and systems thinking to assess the local context, evaluate real initiatives, and propose practical, evidence‑based recommendations for local implementation or scaling. 

In your report, you will:

• Choose two waste types from the types that are covered in detail within this unit:

• • Plastic waste
  • Textile waste
  • Agricultural and organic waste
  • Electronic waste (e‑waste)
  • Building and construction waste

• Focus on one specific location for each waste type. Your chosen locations may be a state/province, city, local council area, or community. You must select 2 separate geographic locations. For example, you might explore e-waste in Accra, Ghana and plastic waste in Delhi, India.
• For each location and waste type, investigate socially innovative solutions that reduce, recover, or reuse these wastes (for example, social enterprises, repair and reuse programs, community initiatives).
• Use data and evidence to show how these solutions improve environmental, social, and economic outcomes at the local scale.
   

Word count

The 3000 - 3500 words exclude the cover page, headings, and the reference list. Calculate your word count minus exclusions before submission and include this on the cover page.

Report Requirements

Introduce your two locations and their respective waste types. Briefly outline why these were selected and how they relate to broader global waste challenges.

For each location:

• Provide a concise description of the selected waste type and explain its relevance and scale in the chosen location (e.g. prevalence in kerbside streams, local industries, or community concerns). Explain why it matters in this location (e.g., volumes, litter/illegal dumping, local industries, vulnerable communities, environmental sensitivities).
• Using credible academic and industry sources, analyse the environmental (e.g., pollution, emissions, land use, resource use), social (e.g., government policies/bans, health, equity, community wellbeing), and economic (e.g., costs, jobs, value of materials) impacts of each selected waste type in the chosen location or a closely comparable context. Where possible, include data or examples (e.g. waste audit results, diversion rates, contamination data, service usage data, employment figures, or cost estimates) to support your analysis. Briefly comment on the quality and limitations of the information sources, noting uncertainties, gaps and potential biases.
• Identify socially innovative initiatives relevant to your chosen waste type. These may include social enterprises, repair and reuse initiatives, community programs, circular business models, makerspaces, or community composting hubs. Explain how each social innovation addresses or could address, the specific waste challenges you have identified (e.g., activities, stakeholders, business or governance model). Provide evidence of the initiatives’ outcomes, including any available data or documented results.
• Discuss how the identified solutions could be adapted, integrated, or scaled up in your chosen location to support reduction, reuse, recycling and/or recovery of materials. Demonstrate critical and systems thinking by considering interactions between policy and regulation, physical infrastructure and collection/recycling systems, community behaviours and expectations, and local industry, or market dynamics.
• Propose clear, feasible recommendations for your location. Explain how and why these solutions are likely to improve environmental, social and economic outcomes, and what barriers or trade‑offs might arise.
   

Across all sections of the report, students are expected to use a formal structure that follows postgraduate level academic writing conventions, including both in-text citations and a detailed reference list.

Referencing

All sources must be cited and referenced appropriately throughout this task in the correct style (Harvard or APA 7th). Please follow the CQUniversity Library guides for either Harvard or APA 7th referencing style. All use of Generative AI tools must also be included within in-text citations and the reference list. If you need help with referencing or academic writing, please consult the Academic Learning Centre as soon as possible for guidance. 

Generative AI

You are permitted Level 3 use (AI collaboration) of GenAI tools in Part 1 of this assessment. You may use AI to assist with specific tasks such as drafting text, refining and evaluating your work. You must critically evaluate and modify any AI-generated content you use.

Students must submit a Generative AI Use Declaration form with this assessment, even if you did not use AI. Please use the declaration form template in Moodle.

Waste Overview (15%)

Clarity and relevance of location descriptions; adequate explanations of each waste type; rationale for local significance.

Impact Analysis (20%)

Depth and accuracy of environmental, social, and economic analysis; effective use of examples and data; consideration of information quality and limitations.

Evaluation of Socially Innovative Solutions (25%)

Clear articulation of how solutions address waste problems; robustness of outcome evidence; critical evaluation of solutions’ strengths and limitations.

Application of Solution to Local Context & Recommendations (25%)

Systems thinking across policy, infrastructure, community expectations, and environmental impacts; feasibility and specificity of recommendations; consideration of barriers/trade‑offs.

Academic Writing & Referencing (15%)

Structure, coherence, academic writing style; correct and consistent referencing; use of credible sources, and appropriate use/declaration of GenAI tools.

This assessment has three parts. Across these parts, you will complete a 7‑day personal waste audit, analyse your data, and present your findings in the context of the waste policies and systems where you live.

Part 1: Seven‑Day Personal Waste Audit (20%)

For 7 days, you will keep a digital or paper logbook of all items you use or consume that become waste.
Examples include takeaway coffee cups, paper receipts, plastic carry bags, kitchen scraps, and food packaging.

Please note:

• Record individual items by quantity, not by weight, where possible.
• Pay attention to composite items, such as plastic‑lined cups or multilayer packaging, as these often have special recycling or recovery challenges.
• Note any Australian Recycling Label (ARL) logos on packaging (e.g., chasing arrows, bin).
• Photograph examples of your waste items, including ARL logos

After the 7 days, you will:

1. Categorise your waste (e.g., plastic packaging, paper, food scraps, textiles, electronics).
2. Record how each item was disposed of (e.g., general waste bin, recycling bin, organics/FOGO bin, home compost, sink).
3. Analyse your data using descriptive statistics (for example: totals, percentages, or simple graphs).

Your logbook and data analyses (e.g., spreadsheet(s)) must be submitted in Week 7 along with your pre-recorded slide presentation video (see below).

Generative AI

You are permitted Level 3 use (AI collaboration) of GenAI tools in Part 1 of this assessment. You may use AI to assist with specific tasks such as drafting text, refining and evaluating your work. You must critically evaluate and modify any AI-generated content you use.

You must submit a declaration of your use of GenAI tools in Part 1 of this assessment, via Moodle, in Week 7. This is required whether you used these tools or not; please refer to the template in Moodle.

Part 2: Video Presentation (10 minutes) (20%)

You will create a 10‑minute video presentation with slides. Your presentation must:

• summarise and explain your waste audit results,
• include graphs created from your waste data,
• include some photographic examples of your waste items, and
• connect your findings to:
  • principles of the circular economy and/or waste hierarchy,
  • government policies and regulations (e.g., national, state/territory, and local government/council regulations, circular economy targets, and waste reduction, recycling, and reuse plans), and
  • local waste systems, including resource recovery and recycling services and infrastructure in your area (e.g., council FOGO bin rules, container deposit schemes, repair cafes, recycling facilities).

You should also discuss:

• the likely end‑of‑life pathway for your items (e.g., landfill, recycling, waste‑to‑energy), and
• the barriers and opportunities you identified for reducing, reusing, or recycling your waste.

Your slides must include in‑text citations and a reference list.

Submit your video and slides via Moodle in Week 7.

Generative AI

You are permitted Level 3 use (AI collaboration) of GenAI tools in Part 2 of this assessment. You may use AI to assist with specific tasks such as drafting text, refining and evaluating your work. You must critically evaluate and modify any AI-generated content you use.

You should submit a declaration of your use of GenAI tools in Part 2 of this assessment, via Moodle, in Week 7. This is required whether you used these tools or not; please refer to the template in Moodle.

Part 3: Oral Defence (10 minutes) (10%)

In Week 8, you will complete a 10‑minute live oral defence with the Unit Coordinator.
You will be asked questions about:

• your experience conducting the audit,
• your interpretation of your results, and
• your understanding of circular economy, waste hierarchy, and material life cycle content from the unit.

You may refer to a printed copy of your slides, but you cannot use GenAI tools or any additional digital or analogue materials.

Generative AI

You are permitted Level 1 use (no AI) of GenAI tools in Part 3 of this assessment. You must not use AI at any point during the assessment. You must demonstrate your core skills and knowledge.

Please note:

This is a timed assessment, so the 72-hour grace period does not apply.

1. Quality and Accuracy of Waste Audit Data (20%)

Assesses the student’s ability to accurately collect, categorise, and analyse waste items; apply descriptive statistics; and demonstrate understanding of material characteristics (e.g., composite items, ARL labels) and disposal pathways.

2. Interpretation and Application of Unit Concepts (20%)

Evaluates the student’s capacity to interpret their audit findings using concepts such as the circular economy, waste hierarchy, product lifecycles, and relevant waste policies/regulations at national, state/territory, and local levels.

3. Evaluation of Barriers and Opportunities for Waste Reduction (20%)

Assesses the student’s ability to effectively identify, analyse, and discuss challenges and opportunities for reducing, reusing, repairing, or recycling waste within their local context, including likely end-of-life outcomes.

4. Communication, Structure, and Visual Quality of Video Presentation (20%)

Assesses clarity, professionalism, accuracy of in-text citations and references, effectiveness of visual communication (graphs, images), and correct declaration and citation of GenAI use according to unit requirements.

5. Oral Defence: Depth of Understanding and Responsiveness (20%)

Evaluates the student’s ability to clearly articulate their audit process, defend their interpretations, answer questions accurately, and demonstrate knowledge of circular economy principles, waste systems, and lifecycle concepts without external assistance.