Learning sustainability through competitive game: experiences from the Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM) case study

The change of current design perspective in the industrial context towards a more sustainable one is a complex and challenging problem. Experiential learning performed through a “sustainable” competitive game could help practitioners, engineers and master students in being aware of the problem complexity. The paper describes objectives, methods, expected results and evaluation criteria of a learning competitive game. The goal of the “sustainable” game is two-fold: to identify the optimal site location of a new Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM) production plant in a given regional supply-chain; to find the best Pollution Prevention Equipment (PPE) configuration allowing to meet both the required level of plant availability and the environmental regulation limit of the air emissions. In both cases the sustainable solution of the problem shall be consistent with economic, as well as environmental constraints. This “reality” experience on sustainable design has been tested during the XIV Summer School “Franceso Turco” – Sustainable Development: The Role of Industrial Engineering.