Yes, but the practical work is mostly guided rather than project-heavy. You'll do applied exercises such as planning a waste generation and characterization study, calculating moisture content or C:N ratios for biowaste, and working through an ungraded anaerobic digester design task. That practice helps you connect the concepts to realistic municipal waste decisions.

You'll study how municipal waste systems function on the ground, from waste generation and collection to recycling and disposal. The course also looks at the decisions around those systems, including policy, financing, stakeholder roles, community participation, and gender, then moves into organic waste treatment and special waste fractions. By the end, you'll have a broader view of how technical choices, climate concerns, and long-term planning fit together in municipal waste management.

After finishing, you should be able to analyze a municipal solid waste system and discuss realistic ways to improve it in a low- or middle-income setting. You'll be able to compare collection, disposal, and treatment options, recognize governance and financing constraints, and explain how different waste streams need different management approaches. For example, you could outline a basic waste characterization study and use the findings to shape a local waste management plan.

It's more concept-first than project-heavy. Most of the learning comes through lessons, readings, case studies, and quizzes, with applied exercises that reinforce the ideas, so it suits learners who want a systems view rather than a build-as-you-go course.