REMADE Launches New Training Offering in Systems Analysis for the Circular Economy

January 19, 2022

The REMADE Institute, a 141-member public-private partnership established by the United States Department of Energy (DOE) with an initial investment of $140 million, today launched its newest online training offering and certificate pathway in Systems Analysis for the Circular Economy.

A live, online, three-hour certificate training on the topic – part of the Institute’s REMADE Academy – will take place over two days next week. It is scheduled to run from 12:00-1:30 pm ET on Monday, Jan. 24, and from 12:00-1:30 pm ET on Wednesday, Jan. 26.

The course, titled “Systems Analysis and First Insights From REMADE Projects,” will be taught by Dr. Barbara Reck, a Senior Research Scientist with the Yale School of the Environment, and Node Leader, Systems Analysis and Integration, with REMADE. Learning objectives of the course include introductions to: 

  • The Circular Economy concept, its motivation and goals
  • Material Flow Analysis, the research questions it addresses (e.g., material efficiency, future scrap supply), and examples
  • Life Cycle Assessment, the research questions it addresses, how it complements MFA in systems analyses, and examples
  • Calculation of recycling metrics “end-of-life recycling rate” and “recycled content,” barriers to their improvement, and examples for different materials
  • Techno-Economic Analysis, the research questions it addresses (e.g., cost of current and future technologies), with examples
  • Systems Analysis and how a holistic use of the above mentioned tools creates new insights for REMADE that help prioritize future research

 The live, three-hour training is open to all. Innovators, researchers and leaders in industry, academia, government, and the non-profit sector who are interested in learning more about the U.S.’s transition to a Circular Economy are especially encouraged to attend.

Instruction will focus on metals, plastics/polymers, and fibers, including paper and textiles. A certificate of completion will be issued to participants upon successful passage of a quiz to validate course attendance.

To register for training, click here. Cost is free for REMADE members and is $450 for non-members.

In her role at REMADE, Reck’s work helps identify and prioritize opportunities to save energy and reduce embodied emissions across product design, material optimization, reuse and remanufacturing, and recycling and recovery initiatives. In her nearly 20-year research career in the field of industrial ecology, she has focused on evaluating how sustainably materials are used in society, information relevant to environmental and resource policy as well as Circular Economy assessments. Prior to her research career, Dr. Reck worked in industry as Manager of Environmental Affairs for Lufthansa Airlines.

Reck holds an MS and PhD in Environmental Engineering from the University of Applied Sciences in Bingen, Germany, and the Technical University of Berlin in Berlin, Germany, respectively.

Through its REMADE Academy, the Institute offers members more than 50 hours of online training content focused on systems analysis, design, materials optimization, remanufacturing and end-of-life, and recycling and recovery of four energy-intensive material classes: metals, plastics/polymers, fibers, and electronic waste.

For more information and to learn more about REMADE’s Education and Workforce Development (EWD) offerings, visit EWD Overview — The REMADE Institute.