DTU Management Engineering, IPU, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency and the Confederation of Danish Industry have developed a practical Guide to integration of environmental thinking into product development.
Based on a detailed study of methods and experiences with environmentally conscious product development in Danish and international companies, and through a series of in-depth workshops with industrial companies in Denmark, a Guide to environmental improvement through product development has just been published. The Guide is primarily aimed at product developers, as a help to the integration of environmental thinking into the development process, and therefore into products.
It can be said of the majority of companies, that have had environmental issues on the agenda for some years, that the more environmentally analytical, documentation and reporting tasks are now routinely tackled in the organisation. However it can also be said that there is very often much less focus on the creation of completely new solutions, that lead to environmental improvements. The Guide leads the reader through a seven-step solution-oriented approach, towards environmental improvement. The seven steps are simple, inspiring and different in relation to the considerations and tasks carried out in everyday product development. The approach makes space for creative thinking, by supporting a focused view on environmental thinking.
The even steps are: User dimension - Overview over products lifecycle - Product's environmental effects - Actor network and achieved value - Quantification of environmental effects - Creation of environmental concepts – Make an environmental strategy.
The Guide can be downloaded electronically here (click on the graphics) or ordered in book format via , from the Confederation of Danish Industry.
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For more details regarding the Guide and the project, contact Associate Professor Tim McAloone, DTU Management Engineering.