CHE5888 Sustainability and innovation
Faculty of Engineering
CHE5888 Sustainability and innovation is a level 5, 6-credit-point, postgraduate unit from the Faculty of Engineering, offered in 2026 in Semester 2 at Clayton. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 2
- Clayton
- Assessment
- Exam 40%
- and 5 other tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
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Requisites
Before CHE5888
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After CHE5888
No unit lists CHE5888 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
You must be currently enrolled in a master’s course in engineering or related STEM and in a related discipline. The unit assumes that you have the necessary foundational knowledge.
Overview
Apply industrial ecology and circular economy principles to utilise by-products, minimise waste and enhance profitability of bioproduct manufacturing products. Apply design for recycling and eco-design principles to develop a new generation of biomass-derived materials and chemicals, including utilising lignocellulosic biodegradability and waste-to-energy applications. Critically evaluate new bioproduct manufacturing processes (either stand-alone or processing by-products) for techno-economic feasibility and their potential to enhance overall process sustainability. Apply lifecycle analysis to quantify the environmental sustainability of bio-based chemicals and materials and compare them with non-renewable alternatives. Understand the application of lifecycle analysis to multi-function systems, such as how to divide the overall lifecycle impacts to producing multiple systems products and having multiple functions.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Second semester | Clayton | On campus |
Assessment
- Weekly quizQuiz / TestThreshold hurdle10%
- Assignment 1WrittenThreshold hurdle20%
- Assignment 2WrittenThreshold hurdle20%
- Presentation 1PresentationThreshold hurdle5%
- Presentation 2PresentationThreshold hurdle5%
- Final assessmentExaminationThreshold hurdle40%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
Design products to meet recyclable eco-design.
- 2
Research the most effective materials and processes to maximise sustainability.
- 3
Synthesise and integrate a wide range of tools and best practices to evaluate product and process innovation sustainability.
- 4
Design processes using concepts such as green chemistry, industrial ecology and cleaner production to minimise environmental impact.
- 5
Utilise LCA to assess the sustainability of processes and materials.
Workload and teaching
- Workshops24 hours
- Practical activities24 hours
- Teaching approachProblem-based learning
- Teaching approachActive learning
- Teaching approachOnline learning
The minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of 3-6 hours of scheduled learning activities and 6-9 hours of independent study per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher-directed learning, peer-directed learning and online engagement. Independent study may include associated readings, assessment and preparation for scheduled activities.
Students are required to apply industrial ecology and circular economy principles to utilise by-products, minimise waste and enhance profitability of bioproduct manufacturing products.
This unit broadly follows a flipped classroom approach, which seeks to promote active learning. Students are required to review a series of videos, readings and knowledge-based quiz questions prior to attending a virtual practical class, where they will practice applying the weekly skills with their peers and lecturer. At the end of the week, students will then have an opportunity to independently test their ability to apply these skills by completing a practice case study or quiz. The unit will use a series of case studies and problems to teach the unit content in an industrially-relevant way.
All lectures have been recorded and will be available online through Moodle. Students are required to attend the virtual practical class (via Zoom) every week during the semester.
Learning resources
Technology resources
Zoom
LCA software
Contacts
- Unit Coordinators
- Professor Warren Batchelor
- Chief Examiners
- Professor Warren Batchelor
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for CHE5888?
CHE5888 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is CHE5888 offered?
In 2026, CHE5888 runs in Semester 2 at Clayton.
How much work is CHE5888?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does CHE5888 have an exam?
Yes. The exam is worth 40% of the final mark, alongside 5 other tasks.