Spotlight on ethics: Recycled materials and the circular economy

What is circularity, and how does it relate to climate goals or environmental practice?

This is one of the questions posed in our Engineering Ethics Toolkit case study Recycled materials and the circular economy.

This case involves an engineer responsible for verifying the source of recycled construction material to ensure it is not contaminated. It address the ethical issues of risk and respect for the environment, and examines situations that professional engineers need to consider, such as conflicts of interest, public health and safety, legal implications, whistleblowing, and corporate social responsibility.

We’ve provided this and other case studies – which include classroom activities and additional resources – for you to use and adapt in your teaching. We also have a growing library of guidance articles available to support you, and an interactive Ethics Explorer to get you started.

If you would like to give feedback on this or any other Engineering Ethics resource, or submit your own content, you can do so here. We also have a newly created community of practice that you can join, where we hope that educators will support each other, and share their success stories of teaching engineering ethics. You can join our Ethics Ambassadors community here.

Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Related articles

Spotlight on ethics: How to integrate ethics into a module or course

If you’d like to improve your own ethics learning, then our guidance article How to integrate ethics into a module...

Toolkits

Spotlight on ethics: Choosing to install a smart meter

Our original case study Choosing to install a smart meter is an example of ‘everyday ethics’. Now we have provided an...

Toolkits

Engineering Ethics Toolkit - Educators' pack

A pack of resources to help you present and promote the Engineering Ethics Toolkit.

Toolkits

Spotlight on ethics: Microplastics in cosmetics

You're an engineering student on an industrial placement year at a company that manufactures cosmetics. You notice that a batch...

Toolkits
Let us know what you think of our website