The ”Circular Material Valuer Curriculum” is a citizen science initiative to explore the skills, experience and sensibility necessary to extend the lifespan of the growing volume of goods discarded or kept unused. The project draws attention to a particular set of tasks and activities whose relevance deserves better appreciation and research in order to transition to a more circular economy. Circular Material Valuer is envisioned as a new role for professionals, to decide how better to divert reusable goods and materials from the waste stream through repairing, upcycling, adapting and recirculating.
By combining material, social, economic and environmental considerations, the Material Valuer can contribute to reducing the environmental and economic impact of waste in cities and regions around the world. The project will co-design educational resources with participants in Berlin, active in the fields of circular economy, zero waste, recycling and reuse, and will promote knowledge exchange with projects and experts from the Global South. The core of this proposal is building the first open-source collaborative Curriculum to educate Material Valuers in Germany.
The aim of the project is to gain a better understanding of the importance of Material Valuers in circular systems. It will well document the knowledge, skills, experience, sensitivity and processes required for their daily work. All research data and ongoing outputs will be published with open licenses.
Project developed in partnership with GIG, funded by the Hans Sauer Stiftung.