ECOThink – Enhancing skills in sustainable design, life cycle analysis, and carbon footprinting for environmentally friendly products and processes

Project information

Acronym

ECOThink

Title

Enhancing skills in sustainable design, life cycle analysis, and carbon footprinting for environmentally friendly products and processes

Description

The ECOThink project integrates design for sustainability and life cycle assessment (LCA) into vocational education and training (VET) to equip future professionals with the skills needed to calculate and interpret environmental footprints. It aims to develop sustainable practices in companies by promoting responsible product and process design, reducing environmental impact, and improving economic efficiency. The project focuses on teaching students to perform LCA using tools like OpenLCA and the Sustainable Process Index (SPI), enhancing their ability to assess environmental risks. By providing practical skills in sustainability and critical competencies in environmental analysis, ECOThink contributes to fostering innovation and preparing a more sustainable industrial future.

Project Reference Code/ID

N/A

Level

Intermediate

Copyright license

CC BY-SA: Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.en

Materials

51 files | 207.99 MB

Last updated

05/2026

Download Statistics

1 file download | 4.04 MB

Materials (51 files / 207.99 MB) ⬇ Download all materials (208.0 MB)

▶ 📁 Design for Sustainability
The "Design_for_Sustainability" folder contains a range of educational materials and worksheets in multiple languages, including textbooks and practical guides that focus on sustainable design practices, project planning, environmental impact assessment, and life cycle thinking. These resources are part of the ECOThink project, aimed at promoting sustainability competencies and methods among various stakeholders, including students and professionals in the field. AI generated
⬇ Download folder (136.8 MB)
- ▶ 📁 Textbook
  This folder contains three educational textbooks in German, English, and Slovenian, all part of the ECOThink project. Each textbook provides materials and worksheets focused on sustainable design, addressing topics such as life cycle thinking, environmental impact assessment, and strategies for eco-innovation. AI generated
  ⬇ Download folder (4.8 MB)
  - ECOThink Textbook DE.pdf (1.71 MB)
    The document is an educational textbook in German titled "Design für Nachhaltigkeit," which focuses on teaching materials and practical worksheets for creating sustainable products and processes. It is part of the ECOThink project, aimed at promoting competencies in sustainable design and life cycle thinking, supported by the European Union through the Erasmus+ Programme. The textbook is structured into various chapters that cover topics such as the importance of sustainable design, project te… AI generated
  - ECOThink Textbook EN.pdf (1.51 MB)
    The ECOThink textbook provides comprehensive educational materials and worksheets aimed at fostering sustainable design practices. It covers various aspects of designing sustainable products and processes, including life cycle thinking, environmental impact assessment, and strategies for sustainability. The text is structured into different chapters that guide users through the design process, from understanding sustainability principles to developing actionable eco-innovation strategies. It als… AI generated
  - ECOThink Textbook SL.pdf (1.56 MB)
    This document serves as an educational guide on creating sustainable products and processes under the ECOThink project, aimed at vocational education and training (VET) students, young entrepreneurs, and sustainability professionals. It outlines a structured approach to sustainable design, covering topics from understanding sustainability challenges, product life cycles, and environmental impacts to developing strategies for eco-design. The content includes theoretical explanations and practical… AI generated
- ▶ 📁 Worksheets
  This folder contains a comprehensive collection of worksheets from the ECOThink project, focused on sustainability planning and product evaluation. It includes bilingual resources that guide users through various aspects of sustainable design, such as team setup, project management, environmental impact assessment, and life cycle cost analysis, aimed at enhancing organizational sustainability efforts across multiple contexts. AI generated
  ⬇ Download folder (132.1 MB)
  - ECOThink Worksheets 10 DE.docx (985.44 KB)
    This document contains Worksheet 10, which focuses on evaluating products and planning sustainability projects, part of an Erasmus+ funded initiative. It includes assessment questions for project evaluation and sustainable product design, aimed at helping users analyze the impact and effectiveness of their sustainability efforts. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 10 EN.docx (6.07 MB)
    This document contains a set of worksheets designed for evaluating a product and planning sustainability projects within companies. It includes questionnaires for assessing project impact, methods for product evaluation, and guidelines for integrating sustainability into business practices, making it a useful resource for organizations seeking to enhance their sustainability efforts. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 10 SL.docx (6.07 MB)
    This file contains Worksheet 10 from the ECOThink project, supported by the Erasmus+ program. It focuses on product evaluation and sustainability project planning, featuring a questionnaire designed to assess project impacts, contributions, and areas for improvement related to sustainability efforts within a business. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 11 DE.docx (988.21 KB)
    This document is a worksheet focused on the action plan for further activities in sustainability planning, developed as part of an Erasmus+ project funded by the European Commission. It includes guidelines for integrating sustainability measures into existing management systems, checklists for environmental management, and strategies for improvement in product lifecycle impact and compliance with legal requirements in sustainability planning. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 11 EN.docx (6.08 MB)
    This document contains worksheets designed for setting up a project team and planning sustainability initiatives, supported by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ programme. It includes an action plan template, a checklist for sustainability planning, and guidelines on environmental management systems, addressing aspects such as objectives, implementation, communication, and monitoring in sustainability practices. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 11 SL.docx (6.07 MB)
    This document is a worksheet outlining an action plan for sustainable planning activities as part of the ECOThink project, supported by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ program. It includes guidelines for assessing sustainability within project development, a checklist for environmental management systems, and recommendations for improving environmental effectiveness throughout product life cycles. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 1 DE.docx (980.22 KB)
    This document contains Worksheet 1 for establishing a project team and planning a sustainability project, part of the ECOThink initiative funded by the Erasmus+ program. It includes tables for identifying team members, their roles, involvement steps, and considerations for involving external experts or students in the project. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 1 EN.docx (6.07 MB)
    This document contains a series of worksheets designed to assist in setting up a project team and planning a sustainability project. It includes tables for outlining team roles, collaborating with external experts and stakeholders, involving local universities, preparing project timelines, and establishing communication strategies among team members. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 1 SL.docx (5.44 MB)
    This document contains Worksheet 1 for the ECOThink project, focusing on forming a project team and planning for sustainability. It provides a structured template for identifying team members, their roles, and strategies for communicating and collaborating effectively on sustainability initiatives within the project. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 2 DE.docx (984.22 KB)
    This document contains "Worksheet 2" focused on motivating planning factors for sustainability and project goal setting, part of the ECOThink project funded by the European Commission through the Erasmus+ program. It includes sections for SWOT analysis, exploration of motivating factors, and setting goals for sustainability planning, providing structured exercises to help assess and prioritize factors related to sustainability in business contexts. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 2 EN.docx (6.07 MB)
    This file contains worksheets designed for sustainability planning and project goal setting. It includes tools for conducting a SWOT analysis, exploring motivational drivers for sustainability, and setting project objectives, helping organizations assess internal and external factors influencing their sustainability initiatives. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 2 SL.docx (6.07 MB)
    This document contains Worksheets for the ECOThink project, supported by the Erasmus+ program. It includes exercises focused on motivational factors for sustainable planning, facilitating SWOT analysis, and identifying project goals related to sustainability within organizations. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 3 DE.docx (989.83 KB)
    This document contains Worksheet 3 focused on product selection as part of an Erasmus+ project. It includes guidelines and evaluation questionnaires designed for sustainability planning teams to help select suitable products for sustainability projects, assessing factors such as modification potential, market interest, and environmental compliance. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 3 EN.docx (995.32 KB)
    This document contains Worksheets 3 for the ECOThink project, focusing on product selection criteria for sustainability planning. It includes evaluation questionnaires, checklists for preparing product dossiers, and guidance for describing the context of use, aimed at aiding teams in selecting and assessing products based on their sustainability potential. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 3 SL.docx (6.07 MB)
    This document contains Worksheet 3 for the ECOThink project, supported by the Erasmus+ program. It includes criteria for product selection, evaluation questionnaires for sustainability planning, product documentation preparation checks, and context of use descriptions, aimed at assessing and improving the sustainability potential of products within a planning team. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 4 DE.docx (1.05 MB)
    This document contains worksheets aimed at analyzing the environmental aspects of a product as part of the ECOThink project, funded by the European Commission. It includes tasks such as selecting appropriate life cycle assessment (LCA) tools, defining LCA objectives and scopes, establishing functional units, and conducting material flow inventories to assess environmental impacts systematically. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 4 EN.docx (6.14 MB)
    This document contains a set of worksheets designed for determining the environmental aspects of a product, as part of the ECOThink project supported by the Erasmus+ programme. It includes detailed methods for environmental impact analysis, defining purposes and scopes, establishing functional units, outlining life cycle stages, and conducting environmental assessments through various tools such as the MECO matrix and LCA. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 4 SL.docx (6.14 MB)
    This document contains Worksheet 4 from the ECOThink project, focusing on identifying environmental aspects of products. It includes sections for analyzing environmental impacts, defining objectives, and assessing the life cycle of a product, along with tables and guidelines for conducting life cycle assessments. It is designed for participants in the Erasmus+ program to aid in understanding environmental sustainability practices. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 5 DE.docx (980.32 KB)
    This file contains a worksheet focusing on analyzing product life cycle costs, designed for educational purposes within the Erasmus+ program. It includes sections for users to estimate and record various costs associated with different life cycle phases, such as pre-production, production, distribution, usage, and disposal, along with guidance on handling cost estimation challenges. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 5 EN.docx (6.07 MB)
    This document contains worksheets for conducting Product Life Cycle Cost Analysis, designed to help users identify and estimate costs associated with various stages of a product's life cycle, from pre-production to end-of-life. It includes tables for noting financial considerations and encourages users to provide calculations or qualitative descriptions when quantitative data are unavailable. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 5 SL.docx (6.06 MB)
    This file contains Worksheet 5 for the ECOThink project, which focuses on the analysis of life cycle costs of products. It provides a structured format for identifying and calculating the various costs associated with different phases of a product's life cycle, including pre-production, production, distribution, usage, and end-of-life. It also includes a table for users to input economic estimates related to these costs. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 6 DE.docx (1.03 MB)
    This document provides Worksheet 6 focused on developing a strategy and creating a sustainability planning brief as part of an Erasmus+ project. It outlines critical strategies for sustainability planning, offers guidance on drafting a sustainability planning overview, and includes sections for contact information, company profiling, context, problem identification, design, budgeting, and project scheduling. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 6 EN.docx (6.13 MB)
    This document contains educational worksheets focused on developing a strategy and preparing a sustainability planning brief as part of the ECOThink project supported by the Erasmus+ programme. It includes guidelines and exercises for identifying key sustainability strategies, preparing a sustainability planning overview, and drafting various components critical to effective sustainability planning. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 6 SL.docx (6.13 MB)
    This document contains Worksheet 6 from the ECOThink project, supported by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ program. It focuses on developing a sustainability strategy and preparing a sustainable planning report, providing templates and guidance for analyzing sustainability goals, project context, budget planning, and key criteria for decision-making. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 7 DE.docx (986.14 KB)
    This document contains Worksheet 7 focused on ideas for product improvement, part of an Erasmus+ project. It provides a structured approach for conducting creativity sessions to identify and prioritize potential enhancements based on sustainability criteria, incorporating a matrix for assessing feasibility and implementation timelines. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 7 EN.docx (6.07 MB)
    This document contains worksheets designed for setting up a project team and planning a sustainability project, as part of the ECOThink initiative supported by the Erasmus+ programme. It includes templates for identifying product improvement ideas, evaluating their feasibility based on various criteria (technical, financial, market, environmental), and prioritizing them for implementation, facilitating teamwork and structured decision-making. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 7 SL.docx (6.07 MB)
    This document is Worksheet 7 from the ECOThink project, supported by the Erasmus+ program. It provides a framework for conducting creative workshops aimed at generating ideas for product improvements, along with a matrix for assessing technical, financial, environmental, and market feasibility of proposed changes. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 8 DE.docx (979.92 KB)
    This file contains a worksheet focused on product concept development and evaluation, part of the ECOThink project funded by the Erasmus+ program. It outlines criteria for selecting the best product concepts and provides templates for comparing new product ideas against reference products based on various economic, social, and environmental factors. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 8 EN.docx (6.07 MB)
    This document contains worksheets designed for product concept development and evaluation as part of the ECOThink project, supported by the Erasmus+ programme. It includes criteria for assessing product concepts, such as environmental and financial benefits, technical feasibility, and market opportunities, allowing users to compare new products against reference products systematically. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets 8 SL.docx (6.06 MB)
    This document contains Worksheet 8 from the ECOThink project, supported by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ program. It focuses on the development and evaluation of product concepts, providing a framework for assessing various criteria such as environmental, social, and financial benefits, as well as technical feasibility and market opportunities. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets All DE.docx (1.21 MB)
    This document contains practical worksheets designed for sustainable design and process planning as part of the ECOThink project, which aims to promote skills in sustainable design and life cycle thinking. It includes various worksheets covering team setup, project planning, product selection, life cycle assessment, cost analysis, strategy development, improvement ideas, and sustainability project management, aimed at guiding users through sustainability initiatives. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets All DE.pdf (1,004.67 KB)
    This document contains practical worksheets designed for the development of sustainable products and processes. It is part of the ECOThink project, funded by the European Union, and includes various activities such as establishing project teams, conducting SWOT analyses, assessing product lifecycle costs, and developing sustainability strategies. The worksheets aid in implementing sustainability planning and evaluating its impact across different stages of product development. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets All EN.docx (1.13 MB)
    This document contains practical worksheets designed to aid in the creation of sustainable products and processes as part of the ECOThink project. It includes tools for project planning, product selection, environmental impact assessment, and life cycle cost analysis, aimed at promoting sustainability in design. Users will find structured approaches for team collaboration, strategic planning, and product improvement ideation. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets All EN.pdf (973.96 KB)
    The document contains practical worksheets designed to aid the development of sustainable products and processes as part of the ECOThink project. It includes various worksheets covering project team setup, sustainability planning factors, product selection criteria, environmental impact analysis, and product life cycle cost analysis. The worksheets aim to facilitate strategic planning for sustainability, encompassing methods and tools for effective evaluation and improvement across product life … AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets All SL.docx (1.13 MB)
    This file contains practical worksheets for designing sustainable products and processes, developed within the ECOThink project supported by the Erasmus+ program. It includes a comprehensive collection of worksheets addressing various stages of sustainable design, including project planning, product selection, environmental impact assessment, and cost analysis, aimed at fostering skills in sustainable thinking and design methodologies. AI generated
  - ECOThink Worksheets All SL.pdf (979.83 KB)
    The document contains practical worksheets designed for sustainable product design and processes as part of the ECOThink project, funded by the European Union. It includes a variety of worksheets covering topics such as project planning, motivation factors for sustainability, product selection criteria, environmental impact assessment, cost analysis, strategy development, and project evaluation. The worksheets aim to foster skills in sustainable design and lifecycle thinking. AI generated
▶ 📁 LCA Workshop Slides and Case Studies
The LCA_Workshop_Slides_and_Case_Studies folder contains a series of workshop slides and presentations focused on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), utilizing OpenLCA software. It includes comparative analyses of methanol production from different sources and the environmental impacts of beverage packaging materials, along with foundational training materials for beginners in the field. AI generated
⬇ Download folder (46.9 MB)
- OpenLCA Workshop Slides Methanol Production SI.pdf (2.81 MB)
  This document presents a comparative life cycle analysis of methanol production from natural gas versus wood biomass, using the OpenLCA software. It includes detailed methodologies, environmental impact assessments across several categories (such as greenhouse gas emissions and eutrophication), and practical insights for using OpenLCA effectively in modeling and analysis, as illustrated by various diagrams and tables throughout the slides. AI generated
- OpenLCA Workshop Slides Methanol Production SI.pptx (6.15 MB)
  This presentation provides a comparative life cycle analysis of methanol production from natural gas and wood biomass using the OpenLCA software. It outlines the synthesis pathways, input-output data, environmental impact assessment methods, and concludes with findings emphasizing the environmental impacts associated with each production method. Suitable for educational purposes and understanding LCA application in energy production. AI generated
- OpenLCA Workshop Slides Packaging Beverages SI.pdf (3.07 MB)
  This document presents a workshop on the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of alternative beverage packaging materials, specifically focusing on comparisons between plastic bottles (PET), glass bottles, and aluminum cans. It includes the methodology for carrying out LCA using OpenLCA software, insights into environmental impacts, data sources, and specific case studies detailing the assessment process and findings. Visual aids summarize key findings and results on various environmental indicators asso… AI generated
- OpenLCA Workshop Slides Packaging Beverages SI.pptx (6.56 MB)
  This presentation covers a comparative life cycle assessment (LCA) of alternative packaging materials for beverages, highlighting the environmental impacts of PET bottles, glass bottles, and aluminum cans. It discusses the OpenLCA software, data sources, assessment methods, and results of environmental impact analysis, emphasizing the production phase's significant contribution to global warming potential. The content is aimed at educational purposes and practical application of LCA tools. AI generated
- OpenLCA Workshop Slides SI.pdf (10.15 MB)
  This PDF document contains workshop slides for a training session on OpenLCA, presented by Damjan Krajnc. It covers the basics of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), methodologies, and practical applications of OpenLCA software, including data import/export, process creation, and result analysis. The material is tailored for beginners and discusses the integration of sustainability into processes, demonstrating how to analyze and interpret environmental impacts efficiently. The presentation includes vi… AI generated
- OpenLCA Workshop Slides SI.pptx (18.16 MB)
  This file contains presentation slides from a basic training workshop on OpenLCA, led by Damjan Krajnc. It covers topics such as Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) principles, data import/export, the creation of flows and processes, and interpretation of results, aimed at helping attendees understand the methodologies and tools available for assessing environmental impacts and promoting sustainable practices. AI generated
▶ 📁 SPI Workshop Slides and Case Studies
This folder contains a collection of materials from a workshop on sustainability assessments, including PDF and PowerPoint presentations that focus on ecological footprint methods and life cycle assessments (LCA). It encompasses general sustainability concepts and specific case studies related to wine production, featuring practical exercises, visuals, and tools like the Sustainable Process Index (SPI). AI generated
⬇ Download folder (24.3 MB)
- SPI Workshop Slides.pdf (4.04 MB)
  This document presents slides from a workshop focusing on sustainability assessment using the ecological footprint. It covers theoretical and practical aspects, including an introduction to life cycle assessment (LCA) and the Sustainable Process Index (SPI), along with examples and exercises aimed at students and professionals in various sectors. Visuals, charts, and infographics throughout illustrate key points and methodologies related to ecological impact measurement. AI generated
- SPI Workshop Slides.pptx (5.85 MB)
  This PowerPoint presentation provides slides from a workshop focused on measuring sustainability through ecological footprint assessments. It includes theoretical background, practical exercises related to sustainability metrics, and an introduction to tools like OpenLCA and the Sustainable Process Index (SPI), aimed at educators and professionals in environmental fields. AI generated
- SPI Workshop Slides - Case Study Wine Production Part 1.pdf (3.23 MB)
  This document contains workshop slides focusing on sustainability assessments in wine production, specifically using the ecological footprint method. It includes an introduction to life cycle assessment (LCA), the Sustainable Process Index (SPI), and practical exercises related to vineyard processes. The slides emphasize both theoretical concepts and hands-on activities related to sustainability in agriculture, particularly within the wine industry. AI generated
- SPI Workshop Slides - Case Study Wine Production Part 1.pptx (4.74 MB)
  This PowerPoint presentation provides insights on sustainability assessment in wine production, focusing on life cycle assessment (LCA) and ecological footprint metrics. It includes exercises related to creating flow diagrams of vineyard processes and calculating the ecological impacts, along with an overview of the Sustainable Process Index (SPI) approach. AI generated
- SPI Workshop Slides - Case Study Wine Production Part 2.pdf (2.52 MB)
  This document contains workshop slides focused on the sustainability assessment of wine production, utilizing the Sustainable Process Index (SPI). It includes discussions on ecological and economic sustainability, lifecycle assessment phases, and practical examples detailing the ecological footprint of winemaking, supported by charts and diagrams throughout the presentation. AI generated
- SPI Workshop Slides - Case Study Wine Production Part 2.pptx (3.86 MB)
  This PowerPoint presentation provides insights into measuring sustainability in wine production, focusing on ecological, economic, and social aspects. It includes case studies, lifecycle assessments, and tools for calculating ecological footprints, along with specific examples and data related to apple and wine production. AI generated

Organisations involved

Accreditation Council for Entrepreneurial and Engaged Universities

Germany

Verein für ökologische und soziale Nachhaltigkeit

Austria

Mednarodni institut za implementacijo trajnostnega razvoja, Maribor

Slovenia

Funding Programme

Erasmus+ Small-scale partnerships

Funding body:

European Commission

Disclaimer:

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. The author is solely responsible for this publication (communication) and the Commission accepts no responsibility for any use may be made of the information contained therein. In compliance of the new GDPR framework, please note that the Partnership will only process your personal data in the sole interest and purpose of the project and without any prejudice to your rights.