This teaching innovation project was implemented in the university subject named as “Waste Management" in course of the Agro-Food and Agro-Environmental Engineering degree at UMH during the 2022–2023 academic year. The main objective was to promote active student participation in circular economy practices through learning and development of composting treatment as methodology to obtain “waste to resource”. Students analyzed compostable waste generated on the EPSO campus, including organic waste (FORS) produced from canteen, pruning waste, and manure from the experimental farm. Then, using the Calculator UMH App tool, they designed composting processes according with to the carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio of the collected materials. Composting treatment was carried out in 350 L static composters with selected organic waste from EPSO-UMH (COMPOLAB) for three months, with three specific mixtures formulated on a volume percentage basis (C1: goat manure (28,5%)+grass with leaf litter (71.5%); C2 FORS (38,5%)+pruning of vine shoots (54%) + goat manure (7.5 %) and C3: rabbit manure (29.7%+ mixed pruning waste (70.3%). During the treatment time Students monitored temperature, moisture, and environmental parameters, conducting four sampling events. Final compost quality was assessed through analytical parameters such as pH, electrical conductivity, nutrient content (N,P and K), and heavy metals. The project enhanced the environmental knowledge and understanding of waste management, improved their academic performance compared to previous years, and aligned with sustainability and circular economy goals within higher education institutions.

Keywords: Sustainability, circualr economy, waste, resource.