Recycling and Solid Waste Logistics Course
Online course of 300 hours in recycling and solid waste logistics, structured in 6 modules covering reverse logistics, collection fleets, route optimisation, transfer facilities and recycling markets and costs under Law 7/2022, Royal Decree 553/2020 and Regulation (EU) 2024/1157, with an assigned technical tutor.
Recycling and Solid Waste Logistics Course — studying from Malta
Malta's civil engineering sector is active, driven by ongoing construction, infrastructure upgrades, coastal works and urban regeneration projects across the islands. Demand for civil engineers is closely linked to public works, land development and the modernisation of transport networks. Smart city initiatives, including digital mapping, traffic management and sustainable urban planning, are increasingly relevant. Engineers typically find employment with contractors, consultancies, government departments and utility providers managing infrastructure in a densely populated environment.
Fees for Malta: €797 (Euro), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in Malta
Typical roles
Questions from Malta
Which Maltese bodies regulate civil engineering and related professional practice?
The Chamber of Engineers (KSU) regulates the use of the title 'engineer' in Malta under the Engineering Profession Act. Planning and development matters fall under the Planning Authority, and public works and transport infrastructure involve government agencies including Transport Malta. A SEIUM qualification does not itself grant a regulated title; recognition is decided by employers or the relevant body.
What employers in Malta would value civil, rail or smart city engineering skills?
Malta's construction, infrastructure, consultancy and public sector firms are the main employers, along with transport and utilities bodies. Smart city and digital infrastructure work is growing in some areas. Employers typically look for chartered-level experience and licensing, so a private qualification should be seen as supporting your professional development rather than a substitute for those requirements.
How can I study this while working on site, and what support is there?
The programme is delivered entirely online in English, so you can study from anywhere in Malta without a student visa. Each student has an assigned technical tutor, and the course ends with a final project. Time commitment depends on the programme length, from 300 to 1,900 hours. Ask about instalment payments and employer sponsorship to help manage costs.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Understand reverse logistics applied to solid waste.
Apply documentation and traceability requirements for waste shipments.
Size fleets and container systems.
Optimise collection routes with routing tools.
Locate transfer and treatment facilities.
Calculate the logistics costs and emissions of the service.
Design the recycling logistics system of a municipality.
Who it's for
- Waste collection service managers.
- Waste logistics planners looking to optimise routes and resources.
- Fleet management technicians.
- Transfer station managers.
- Urban services consultants.
- Waste traceability specialists.
- Engineering or science graduates aiming to work in urban services companies.
What you'll work with
- Law 7/2022 (Spanish law on waste and contaminated soils for a circular economy)
- Royal Decree 553/2020 (shipment of waste within Spanish territory)
- Regulation (EU) 2024/1157 (shipments of waste)
- Directive 2008/98/EC (EU Waste Framework Directive)
- ADR (European Agreement concerning the international carriage of dangerous goods by road)
- UNE-EN 840 (mobile waste and recycling containers)
- UNE-EN 1501 (refuse collection vehicles)
- Royal Decree 1055/2022 (Spanish regulation on packaging and packaging waste)
- QGIS with routing plugins
- Google OR-Tools
- ArcGIS Network Analyst
- PTV Route Optimiser
6 modules
1.1Logistical particularities of waste1.2Reverse supply chain1.3Municipal solid waste flows1.4Stakeholders: producers, waste managers and carriers1.5Register of waste production and management1.6Identification documents and prior notifications1.7Waste shipments within the national territory1.8Transboundary shipments of waste1.9Service logistics indicators1.10Case study: flow map of a metropolitan area
2.1Types of collection vehicles2.2Rear, side and top loading2.3Pneumatic collection systems2.4Electric and natural gas vehicles2.5Fleet sizing2.6Shifts, frequencies and staffing2.7Fleet maintenance2.8Fleet telemetry and control2.9Container fill-level sensors2.10Practical exercise: fleet sizing for a medium-sized city
3.1Capacitated vehicle routing problem3.2Arc routing problem3.3Heuristics and metaheuristics3.4Dynamic routes based on fill level3.5Time-window and traffic constraints3.6GIS routing tools3.7Route efficiency indicators3.8Reducing kilometres and emissions3.9Route implementation and monitoring3.10Workshop: route optimisation with QGIS and OR-Tools
4.1Transfer stations4.2Facility location4.3p-median location models4.4Compaction and long-distance transport4.5Sorting plants4.6Reject management4.7Storage and fire safety4.8Weighbridges and incoming waste control4.9Digital traceability of incoming waste4.10Lab: optimal location of a transfer station
5.1Value chain of recovered materials5.2Prices of secondary raw materials5.3Contracts with recyclers5.4Logistics costs per tonne5.5Extended producer responsibility collective schemes5.6Taxation and charges5.7Carbon footprint of transport5.8Occupational safety in collection5.9Tendering of services5.10Case study: cost breakdown of packaging collection
6.1Analysis of the service area and waste generation6.2Definition of fractions and models6.3Container sizing6.4Route and fleet design6.5Location of the transfer station6.6Costs and tariffs6.7Emissions and sustainability6.8Implementation plan6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
The course is 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so it fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original regulations and applied exercises. The working software is QGIS with routing plugins, Google OR-Tools, ArcGIS Network Analyst and PTV Route Optimiser, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: collection route optimisation, fleet and container sizing and the location of transfer facilities. Assessment is continuous per module plus the final project.
Standards covered: Law 7/2022; Royal Decree 553/2020; Regulation (EU) 2024/1157; Directive 2008/98/EC; ADR; UNE-EN 840; UNE-EN 1501; Royal Decree 1055/2022.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- An internet connection and a computer able to run the programme's software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with QGIS with routing plugins, Google OR-Tools, ArcGIS Network Analyst and PTV Route Optimiser, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
No prior qualification is required; you need an internet connection, a computer able to run the programme's software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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