Tutorial Assignment #3: Instructions
What a Waste: Identifying Critical Barriers to Sustainable Waste Management
“What a Waste: Identifying Barriers to Sustainable Waste Management” is a written, research-based
assignment that will be due by the start of what would be your Week 8 tutorial class on October 24, 25,
or 26, 2023. Please note that there is no tutorial class scheduled for Week 8 due to it being the week
before Reading Week.
Your task is to write a research essay that identifies one critical barrier to the development,
implementation, and/or maintenance of sustainable waste management policies, processes, and/or
programs. You may select any barrier that substantially impacts any form of waste reduction or diversion
including, but not limited to, reduction initiatives; reuse programs; large-scale, off-site composting (e.g.,
municipal ‘green bin’ programs); small-scale, on-site composting (e.g., backyard composters);
vermicomposting; single stream recycling; multi-stream recycling; and special materials recycling (e.g., ewaste). Your barrier may impact one or more component(s) of a waste reduction or diversion process,
such as collection, transportation, separation and/or sorting, selling, and manufacturing. Situate your
chosen barrier in one of the following waste contexts: (1) industrial, commercial, and institutional (IC&I)
waste; or (2) residential waste. Present an argument, supported by credible and scholarly evidence, that
highlights the importance of addressing your selected barrier within your chosen waste context.
You are expected to write in proper essay format, meaning that you are required to write using full,
complete sentences (i.e., no bullet points) and properly formatted paragraphs. A paragraph is a distinct
section of writing unified by a single theme. A paragraph may be one sentence, or it may constitute several
pages of sentences. Please ensure that your paragraphing is appropriate for the ordering and impact of
your thoughts.
The maximum word count for this assignment is 500 words; however, this assignment will adhere to a
‘10% rule’, meaning that if you are 10% under or over the word count limit, marks will not be deducted
from your assignment. Your title, name, sub-titles (should you choose to use them), and reference list do
not count towards your word limit; however, in-text citations and essay text do count within the 500word limit. Please use 1-inch margins (i.e., the default margin setting on Microsoft Word); double space;
and use a standard, 12-point, black font, such as Times New Roman, Arial, or Calibri. Essays must be
submitted in .docx or .pdf format. Visual elements are not permitted.
You are welcome to use as many credible resources as needed to sufficiently support your arguments.
The following is a list of credible sources that are acceptable to consult in this course:
• Academic (preferably peer-reviewed) journal articles and books (you can use the Western Library
website, Google Scholar, and/or consult a librarian to help you locate these resources)
• The resources/readings assigned in this course
• Municipal, provincial, and federal government reports and websites
• Intergovernmental organizations’ reports and websites (e.g., United Nations)
• Non-governmental organizations’ reports and websites (e.g., World Wildlife Fund)
• Articles from credible media sources (e.g., National Geographic)
Wikipedia, blogs, social media content, and websites that do not meet the criteria listed above are likely
not acceptable to use in this course. If you find a resource that does not meet the criteria listed above,
but you think it is credible and you would like to use it for your assignment, please arrange a meeting with
your TA during their office hours to discuss further.
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All dates, statistics, questionable facts, and ideas other than your own must be referenced. It is better to
over-reference than neglect to do so and run the risk of plagiarism. You are expected to follow APA
formatting for all referencing. APA format includes the use of in-text citations and a reference list. Both
direct quotations (i.e., the direct transfer of five or more words from a source to your text) and
paraphrased material (i.e., re-wording of something written or spoken by someone else) require an intext citation. Any resources that have been cited in-text must also appear in the reference list; however,
only resources that are cited in your assignment should be included in your reference list. If you are
uncertain, consult a referencing guide, such as the Purdue Owl website.
When you are ready to submit your assignment, please upload a .docx or .pdf file of your essay to the
OWL submission portal. Paper and email submissions will not be accepted.
This tutorial assignment is worth 10% of your final course grade and will be graded out of a total of 30
marks. The following rubric will be used to assess the quality of your submission:
Developing
Satisfactory
Good
Exemplary
0 to 4 marks
5 to 6 marks
7 to 8 marks
9 to 10 marks
Content
The student did not
present an
appropriate thesis;
develop logical
arguments; and/or
demonstrate their
understanding of
their chosen topic
within their selected
geographical
context.
The student
presented an
appropriate thesis;
developed logical
arguments; and
demonstrated their
understanding of
some components
of their chosen topic
within their selected
geographical
context.
The student
presented an
appropriate thesis;
developed logical
and persuasive
arguments; and
demonstrated their
understanding of
their chosen topic
within their selected
geographical
context.
The student
presented an
appropriate and
original thesis;
developed logical,
persuasive, and
sophisticated
arguments; and
demonstrated a
strong
understanding of
their chosen topic
within their selected
geographical
context.
Evidence
The student rarely
supported their
arguments with
relevant and
credible evidence;
did not demonstrat
their ability to
synthesize their
research; and/or did
not reference in
accordance with
APA guidelines.
The student
supported some of
their arguments
with relevant and
credible evidence;
demonstrated their
ability to synthesize
some of their
research; and
mostly referenced
in accordance with
APA guidelines.
The student
supported most of
their arguments
with relevant,
credible, and
scholarly evidence;
demonstrated their
ability to effectively
synthesize their
research; and
referenced in
accordance with
APA guidelines.
The student
supported all their
arguments with
relevant, credible,
and scholarly
evidence;
demonstrated their
ability to effectively
synthesize their
research and
present it in an
original manner;
and referenced in
accordance with
APA guidelines.
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Writing
The student rarely
articulated their
ideas clearly and did
not attempt to
structure their essay
in a manner that
prioritized
readability.
The student
articulated some of
their ideas clearly
and attempted to
structure their essay
in a manner that
prioritized
readability.
The student
articulated their
ideas clearly and
concisely, organized
their thoughts and
structured their
essay in a manner
that prioritized
readability, and
demonstrated
diligence in their
writing process.
The student
articulated their
ideas clearly and
concisely, organized
their thoughts and
structured their
essay in a manner
that prioritized
readability and
interest, and
demonstrated
diligence and
originality in their
writing process.
Your teaching assistant will discuss the “What a Waste: Identifying Barriers to Sustainable Waste
Management” assignment in your tutorial class on October 17, 18, or 19. There will be an opportunity to
ask questions about the assignment at this time.
If you are interested in improving your writing skills, Western’s Writing Support Centre offers one-to-one
advising sessions, writing workshops, and other writing supports that you may find helpful. You can review
the Writing Support Centre’s website by clicking here. Please reach out to the course instructor if you
require assistance navigating these resources and supports.
Applicable Course Policies from the Syllabus
Flexible Deadlines: All five tutorial assignments and the Pro-Environmental Change Assignment will have
flexible deadlines. If you are struggling to meet the deadlines for any (or all) of these assessments, you
may have up to 48 additional hours to complete and submit your assignment(s) without penalty. You do
not need to email the instructor or your teaching assistant to communicate that you will be using the
flexible deadline option. You are not required to provide any explanation or personal details as to why
you would like to use the flexible deadline option, and formal accommodation through your academic
counselling office is not required. We understand that life happens, so please use the flexible deadline
option for some or all of these assessments if needed.
Late Submissions: Assignments that are submitted late (i.e., beyond the flexible deadline), without a
granted extension, will be subject to a -5% per day late deduction. Assignments submitted five days (or
more) late will earn a mark of zero but will be graded for your educational benefit.
Extensions: Extensions will only be available to students with approved documentation. All
documentation for missed assessments must be provided to your faculty’s academic counselling office
within 48 hours of the original assessment deadline, otherwise you will earn a grade of zero on the
assessment. You can access your faculty’s academic counselling office’s website by clicking here.
Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI): Within this course, students are permitted to use AI tools
exclusively for information gathering and preliminary research purposes. These tools are intended to
enhance the learning experience by providing access to diverse information sources. However, it is
essential that you critically evaluate the obtained information, exercise independent thinking, and engage
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in original research to synthesize and develop your own ideas, arguments, and perspectives. The use of AI
tools can serve as a starting point for exploring a topic; however, you are expected to uphold academic
integrity by appropriately attributing all sources of information and avoiding plagiarism. The inclusion of
AI-generated text in course assessments is strongly discouraged. If included, all AI-generated text must be
formatted as a direct quotation (i.e., placed within quotation marks and cited according to APA
guidelines). As you are the creator of your assessment submissions, all your submissions should reflect
your own thoughts and independent work. The use of AI-generated visuals (e.g., figures, graphs, diagrams,
etc.) in assessments is not permitted. By adhering to these guidelines, students contribute to a responsible
and effective learning environment that promotes critical thinking and independent inquiry. The same
principles also apply to the use of translation software to support the creation of assessments.
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