Familiarizing Undergraduate Students in Circular Economy: Use of Podcasting as a Digital Tool to Learn about Waste Biomass Valorization Using Sustainable Processes

Creating an optimal environment for fostering creativity and innovation in university teaching is a significant challenge. One possible approach involves the use of a podcast. In this context, podcasts are being used to redefine traditional communication methods in higher education by offering dynamic and flexible resources that enhance learning and development. In this work, podcasting was used as a teaching activity to expand knowledge about alternative and sustainable processes based on Green Chemistry Principles (safer, sustainable, and efficient chemistry) for obtaining value-added products from agro-industrial residues. This active learning experience was implemented in three science and technical degree programs (Environmental Science, Food Science and Technology, and Agricultural Engineering), as part of the waste management course by lecturers from the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of Vigo. This initiative aimed to develop students’ creativity and teamwork with students divided into working groups of 2–3 students tasked with creating different podcast episodes to investigate several methods of waste valorization generated in industries related to their fields of study within a Circular Economy framework. A total of 36 students participated in the podcast experience, and the survey conducted after completing the activity rated this methodology as an enjoyable tool for enhancing critical thinking skills and increasing awareness of the problems of waste generation in agro-industrial activities.