COUNTY Durham manufacturing firms are amongst the first to benefit from a new initiative to provide smaller businesses with expert guidance on making their products more environmentally friendly.

By the end of 2013 around 80 small and medium sized firms in the region will benefit from the project, which will involve working with a design engineer for between two and five days.

The first firm to have completed the scheme, run through Newcastle University's Resource Centre for Innovation and Design (RCID) is County Durham based.

A further firm in the county has also started work with one of the 11 engineers based at the centre.

Under the scheme, which is free for the firms involved, an analysis is made of a product or component including the raw materials used, the energy used in manufacture, the packaging, its carbon footprint while being used and even its recycability when it reaches the end of use.

The design engineer will then give recommendations of improvements that can be made to a product to make it more environmentally friendly.

Michael Mulroy, RCID's business development manager, said: "We are expecting manufacturing companies with their own products to be involved.

"It will normally involve an initial meeting at the company's premises to understand more about what they needing, but the work will be done back at the university.

"They will get an indication of how they can improve their environmental impact from a product design point of view.

"We are also expecting as part of this they can get other improvements. From using less material as well as a positive environmental impact it could have a positive cost impact for the company."

The project, named Sustainable Lifecycle Design, is being piloted in the North-East.

It has received £340,000 from the European Regional Development Fund, managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government, with Newcastle University providing match funding.

Mr Mulroy added: "Companies are becoming increasingly aware of the vital importance of their products' environmental impact.

"It is a worthwhile project and there is a real need for it, we are excited to get it started."

Communities Minister Baroness Hanham said: "This project is currently unique in the North East and will be of significant value to small and medium enterprises in terms of awareness and understanding key environmental issues.

"This will have a knock-on effect of increasing profitability of businesses in the Programme area while also helping to reduce the carbon footprint and benefiting the local environment."