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Cleaner Technology Projects in Denmark 1997

Educational Material for the UMIP Method

Undervisningsmateriale til UMIP-metoden
Arbejdsrapport nr. 76, 1997, Miljøstyrelsen

The aim of the UMIP programme was:

	To develop methods for evaluation of complex industrial products
	To develop guidelines for construction of environmentally friendly industrial products
	To develop a database and a PC tool to support the evaluation of the environment
	To implement methods and tools in the associate companies

The educational material contains assignments for the UMIP Method. Moreover, it gives suggestions on to how an educational course can be realised and which assignment to use in the course.

The aim of the educational material is to supplement the UMIP Method books with assignments and teaching instructions that can be used when teaching the UMIP Method. The purpose is to illustrate the educational material and to facilitate the approach to the UMIP Method.

The assignments cover the environmental evaluation method and its application in the product development. Moreover, they cover examples of how to apply environmental evaluations for other purposes.

The educational material only deals with the UMIP Method and does not discuss other methods for life-cycle assessments. It could therefore be relevant to include other life-cycle assessment methods in the educational course in order to give the students an overview of the area. This matter, however, lies beyond the frames of this educational material.

The educational material primarily contains assignments for the book "Miljøvurdering af Produkter" (Environmental Assessment of Products) by Wensel, and therefore has the same target group as the book. The book is especially aimed at the environmental specialist, whose job is to estimate the environmental impact of products. The environmental specialist can be employed in the company or be an external advisor.

The user should have a technical and chemical educational background that corresponds to that of an engineer or another relevant university degree. He or she should be well informed about environmental issues, but does not necessarily need any practise in environmental assessment or in product development. Some parts of the environmental assessment method require an environmental-chemical and an eco-toxicological expertise of the user. However, external advisors can do these parts.

Both the book "Miljøvurdering af produkter" and the educational material is suited for educating students who study at engineering academies, technical universities, and scientific faculties.

Some of the assignments are small and easily done and are intended for the use in classes or for inspiring the student in his or her homework. Other assignments are complex and time-consuming and can be used as assignments for homework or for lengthy teamwork. The majority of the assignments are designed for teamwork and they are made in a way that the students can participate in discussions. Only few of the assignments are solely calculations.

The examples in the assignments are, as far as possible, taken from existing environmental evaluations (that is publications of the National Agency of Environmental Protection, the UMIP database, and from the UMIP Method’s Collection of Examples.) The data are, however, to some extent, simplified to make the assignments more clear.

Suggestions to solutions in the assignment book are to be considered possible solutions. Often the solution of an assignment is based on the consensus, which is reached by the students and the teacher through a discussion. The solutions are therefore not exhaustive and should not be considered "the only truth".

Author/ institution

Marianne Suhr Wernæs, Institut for Produktudvikling

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

ISSN no. 0908-9195
ISBN no. 87-7810-877-2

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