Circular Economy Course in Urban Waste Management
Online course of 300 hours in circular economy in municipal waste management, structured in 6 modules covering prevention and reuse, separate collection, material recovery and the assessment of waste management systems under Law 7/2022 and the EU Waste Framework Directive, with an assigned technical tutor.
Circular Economy Course in Urban Waste Management — studying from South Africa
Civil engineering is central to South Africa's infrastructure, from roads and water systems to rail and urban development. Transnet's freight rail network, the Gautrain system in Gauteng and metropolitan projects in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg create steady demand for engineers. Large contractors and consultancies, along with public agencies such as the South African National Roads Agency Limited, employ specialists in structures, transport and urban systems. Smart city initiatives increasingly combine civil works with digital monitoring and sustainable design.
Fees for South Africa: R 10 200 (South African rand), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in South Africa
Typical roles
Questions from South Africa
Which South African body registers civil engineers, and would SEIUM qualifications count towards registration?
ECSA registers engineering professionals in South Africa, and built environment professionals are registered through SACPCMP and SACAP. Registration requires recognised qualifications, supervised experience and assessment. SEIUM is a private online institute, and its qualifications are not official state degrees or accredited by a national body. Whether they count is decided by ECSA or the relevant body and your employer, so verify before enrolling.
Will this programme help me work on rail or smart city projects in South Africa?
South Africa has ongoing infrastructure, rail and urban development work, with projects involving public bodies, engineering consultancies and contractors. Employers typically seek registered professionals with proven project experience. A private online qualification in smart cities or rail can support your profile, but it does not guarantee work on any project. Speak to potential employers about how they view it.
Can I study alongside a full-time job, and can my employer help pay?
Yes, the programme is 100% online, so you can study around work, though you need a reasonable level of English as teaching is in English. Master's programmes take 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and specialist courses 300 hours, with a technical tutor. Fees are payable in instalments, and employer sponsorship may be possible. Many employers in South Africa fund professional development, so ask yours.
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 the principles of the circular economy applied to municipal waste.
Apply the waste hierarchy and current regulations.
Design local prevention and reuse strategies.
Compare separate collection models and their performance.
Assess material recovery processes.
Use material flow analysis and life cycle assessment tools.
Draw up a municipal circular economy plan.
Who it's for
- Municipal waste officers looking to build a solid circular economy approach.
- Circular economy consultants advising local authorities and companies.
- Treatment plant managers seeking a wider view of the waste system.
- Prevention and reuse specialists.
- Life cycle analysts working on waste management systems.
- Sustainability managers.
- Engineering or science graduates aiming to work in local councils and inter-municipal associations.
What you'll work with
- Law 7/2022 (Spanish law on waste and contaminated soils for a circular economy)
- Directive 2008/98/EC (EU Waste Framework Directive)
- Directive (EU) 2018/851 (amendment to the Waste Framework Directive)
- Regulation (EU) 2025/40 (packaging and packaging waste)
- Royal Decree 1055/2022 (Spanish regulation on packaging and packaging waste)
- Directive 1999/31/EC (landfill of waste)
- Royal Decree 646/2020 (disposal of waste by landfill)
- SimaPro
- STAN (material flow analysis)
- QGIS
- EASETECH
- Microsoft Excel
6 modules
1.1From the linear to the circular model1.2Waste hierarchy1.3EU Circular Economy Action Plan1.4Spanish Circular Economy Strategy 20301.5Municipal waste: composition and generation1.6Circularity indicators1.7Extended producer responsibility1.8Ecodesign and prevention1.9Taxation: landfill and incineration taxes1.10Case study: circularity diagnosis of a municipality
2.1Local prevention plans2.2Reducing food waste2.3Reuse and repair centres2.4Collaborative and service economy2.5Reusable packaging and return systems2.6Green public procurement2.7Public awareness campaigns2.8Measuring prevention2.9Retail and hospitality2.10Workshop: design of a municipal repair centre
3.1Kerbside container, door-to-door and pay-as-you-throw collection3.2Separate collection of bio-waste3.3Textiles and household hazardous waste3.4Network of recycling centres3.5Containers with user identification3.6Quality of the collected fraction and non-target materials3.7Routes and frequencies3.8Cost comparison of collection models3.9High-performance experiences3.10Practical exercise: comparison of collection models for a municipality
4.1Composting and anaerobic digestion4.2Packaging sorting plants4.3Mechanical and chemical recycling of plastics4.4Glass, paper and metals4.5Secondary raw materials and end-of-waste status4.6Markets for recycled materials4.7Industrial symbiosis and by-products4.8Construction waste in the city4.9Compost quality and use4.10Lab: mass balance of a bio-waste plant
5.1Material flow analysis5.2Life cycle assessment of management systems5.3Waste charges and their design5.4Service contracts and their monitoring5.5Recycling indicators under the European methodology5.6Governance and inter-municipal associations5.7Funding from European funds5.8Communicating results5.9Innovation and digitalisation5.10Case study: transition plan towards pay-as-you-throw
6.1Baseline analysis6.2Waste characterisation6.3Definition of objectives and legal targets6.4Prevention measures6.5Design of the collection system6.6Destination and recovery of fractions6.7Economic and environmental assessment6.8Communication 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 SimaPro, STAN (material flow analysis), QGIS, EASETECH and Microsoft Excel, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practical work is based on real procedures: diagnosis of municipal waste flows, comparison of collection models and life cycle assessment of management systems. Assessment is continuous per module plus the final project.
Standards covered: Law 7/2022; Directive 2008/98/EC; Directive (EU) 2018/851; Regulation (EU) 2025/40; Royal Decree 1055/2022; Directive 1999/31/EC; Royal Decree 646/2020.
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 SimaPro, STAN (material flow analysis), QGIS, EASETECH and Microsoft Excel, 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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