INNOVATION THROUGH SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RECONSTRUCTION: A UNIVERSITY EXPERIENCE

Abstract

The manuscript describes the experience of university students enrolled in the Sustainable Development course, part of the academic programme of a higher education institution, as they develop a project to address the environmental sustainability problem of solid waste. The methodology implemented to achieve the proposed goal consisted of Project-Based Learning (PBL), through which a Technology Project (Tech. Proj.) adapted to first-year students was developed. This pedagogical approach aimed to promote innovation in the design and construction of devices that support the efficient management of solid waste. By way of illustration, a project carried out by a group of students is added. In general, the response from the young people was positive, resulting in a favourable outcome, as the students demonstrated a high degree of commitment by proposing to transform innovative ideas into practical solutions that contribute to caring for the environment and the well-being of society.