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Cleaner Technology Projects in Denmark 1996

Environmental Review - Experiences from Green-House Centres and the Furniture Industry

The hypothesis of this project is that it should also be possible to introduce voluntary eco-management in small companies. This hypothesis was tested by introducing eco-management as an experiment in two production areas which are traditionally characterised by a large percentage of small and medium-sized companies: Green-house centres and the furniture industry. The purpose of the project was to develop and test the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme model (EMAS), which is specially designed for small- and medium-sized companies.

EMAS is an environmental management system concerning the voluntary participation of industrial companies in a community scheme for eco-management and environmental auditing.

Environmental management, e.g. in the form of EMAS, is one of the answers to how companies can improve their environmental performance on an ongoing basis and thereby meet the increasing requirements of authorities, consumers, customers, sub-suppliers, etc.

The report deals with an environmental review of the company’s environmental conditions, the preparation of an eco-management system that includes eco-policy, eco-objectives and eco-programmes. It also deals with internal environmental auditing - which is to be carried out by an environmental auditor - and the drawing up of environmental reviews, which should receive external confirmation. Finally, the report also deals with the assignments which the regulation places on environmental auditors and verifiers.

As a result of the project environmental auditing was introduced in seven different companies: Farstrup Møbler A/S og D.K. Plant, whose environmental statement exists as an appendix in the report, Carl Hansen og Søn A/S, EH Totalindretning A/S, Gartneriet Rosborg, Bellinge A/S, Gartneriet Thoruplund A/S and Ultra A/S.

The project has been significant in connection with the law on green accounts. The project’s method of registering information on environmental data sheets has been applied by the Danish Environmental Agency in their preparation of the legislative work on the green accounts. Green accounts describe the companies' use of energy, water and raw materials as well as the character and the amounts of their use of contaminating substances.

Experience with the eco-management system indicates that it can be developed as an extension to the preparation of environmental programmes and objectives. The best procedure is to build up the management systems differently from company to company and in close co-operation with the companies in order to take maximum account of the wishes that a company may have to a management system.

Another experience to be drawn from the project is that the best way of creating an eco-management system is by designing it in a triad between the company, the environmental auditor and the verifier.

The benefits of the participating companies have been quite different, but it is generally agreed that it is possible to combine environmental improvements with economies.

Another result of the project is that environmental considerations have now become a more natural part of the company’s way of thinking. Eco-management is an integrated part of the companies, in their organisation - strategically and financially in their sales and R&D work, in marketing and in their co-operation with the authorities. The employees are now involved in day-to-day environmental management.

Finally, the eco-management system has opened up for new marketing possibilities for the companies.

One of the aims of the project was to reach a complete description and understanding of how the method works so that the capacity, purifying capacity and other operational data could be stated for different operating areas. This goal was not fully reached.

Author/ institution

Kåre Gausdal, Miljøfyn og Leith Olsen, Revisionsfirmaet Leo Olsen A/S.

This report is subsidised by the National Council for Recycling and Cleaner Technology.

ISSN no. 0908-9195
ISBN no. 87-7810-627-3

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