Options, measures, results: Ecoprofit–Styria–Prepare two years after project end

In 1992 and 1993 11 companies, three of them in Styria, one of the Federal States of Austria, took part in the so-called “Prepare” projects in Austria funded by the Ministries of Science and Environment, Youth and Family together with the Innovation and Technology Funds to reduce successfully their waste and emissions. The project Ecoprofit–Styria–Prepare, which was initiated by the Styrian Government, is based on the model of the above-mentioned projects. By consulting 13 companies individually, it should create examples of Cleaner Production for typical sectors and sizes of the Styrian industry as an efficient approach to solve problems associated with waste disposal and emissions. These should serve as reference cases and catalysts among their industries and regions to spread the idea of Cleaner Production among Styrian companies. One and a half years after the end of the consulting project, a study was conducted to find out the results, which had actually been realized. Therefore interviews were done with all the companies which had participated in the project. Questions asked included the degree of realization of the Cleaner Production options defined during the project and the development of attitude and management in the meantime. The economic savings amounted to 0.5–1% of turnover on average. We know from statistics of the chamber of commerce that the typical Styrian production enterprise is a small one employing 21 people. This study provided us with clues, which characteristics guarantee success for Cleaner Production projects especially for these very small companies. The interpretation of the answers is a difficult task as the project companies are quite heterogeneous regarding product, production and organization. It can be shown that there is a pattern, which options were realized depending on whether the companies are small ones or big ones. The bigger ones realized more technological options whereas the small ones concentrated more on good housekeeping measures. The results show that especially for a successful program with small enterprises it is not enough to indicate Cleaner Production options, but that very detailed help has to be provided to guarantee success: this help can include experiments and demonstration, but also basic and detailed engineering.