Environmental Management Plan in the Hospitality Industry - Case Study Example

Student Name: Tutor: Title: Environmental Management plan in a hospitality industry Institution: Due Date: Table of Contents Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Environmental sustainability framework 4 Restaurant operations 4 Corporate operations 6 Sustainable supply 7 Advocacy and partnerships 8 Culture and communication 9 Suggestions 11 Conclusion 12 Bibliography 13 Chelsey, L., 2011, Environmentally friendly green Taco Bell to save energy, water: Few fast-food sites in the U.S. have LEED certification. Accessed on 6 February 2012 from, 13 Introduction Modern hospitality businesses are operated through various paradigms that illustrate their services as a truly environmentally friendly through sustainable approaches. As a result, most of the global fast-food companies such as Macdonald, Taco Bell, Checker’s, A& W and Kentucky-fried-chicken make efforts to operate in a more environmentally-friendly manner. Sustainable development is one of the bases of environmental management. This covers various aspects which range from the preservation of the physical resources, biological systems, and natural habitats as well as the preservation of organizational culture (Webster 2000). It is important to argue that environmentally friendly fast food restaurants are increasingly becoming more popular because of their sustainability capacity to show consumers their “greener” side with the new social and ethical institutional marketing effort. Such corporations take their environmental reputation more seriously. For instance, making changes through the use of Energy Star appliances, utilizing the recycled papers and organic foods, are some of the examples through which fast food restaurants are seen making efforts to controlling their carbon footprint, and thus going green. The report provides a comparison and contrast of how Macdonald, Kentucky-fried-chicken and Taco Bell Corporation as the global fast-food companies implement their environmental management plan to show consumers achieve a sustainable environmental reputation. Restaurant operations, corporate operations, sustainable supply, advocacy and partnerships as well as culture and communication are key environmental sustainability framework considered in the discussion. Environmental sustainability framework Improving and maintaining the environmental performance of restaurant business is absolutely the best way to go because it promotes good business sense. Sustainability, therefore, refers to the activities of an organization, typically implemented voluntary to demonstrate the promotion of social and environmental concerns within the business operations as well as in relating with stakeholders (Mason 1996). Restaurant operations Macdonald’s impact on the environment is clearly reflected in its restaurant operations particularly in the environmental management areas of water consumption, waste generation, and energy use as well as greenhouse gas emissions. It has been reported that the company continue to focus on these crucial areas of performance management and development of targets. In Macdonald’s operations, the use of energy leads to increased bulk of CO2 emissions, and thus its environmental focus in line with this helps to reduce the consumption of electricity. The company also participates in the Energy Efficiencies Opportunity (EEO) Program of the federal government. Through the EEO public report, the company’s energy use and opportunities for improvement are outlined. On the other hand, Macdonald has also contributed to the Sydney Water Every Drop Counts program. This participation helps the company to monitor its water usage, discover key areas to apply the water management practices as well as implement the various water conservation measures (PACE 2006). In order to encourage water conservation measures, Kentucky-Fried-Chicken like Macdonald has dual-flush cisterns within its restaurant toilets and waterless urinals put in place. The company also reduces its carbon footprint removing the over-door heaters, introduced covered bike racks at all its drive thru’s to encourage less car journeys, installed control systems for odour extractors. KFC like Macdonald has also developed energy efficiency mechanisms which include reduced energy of lighting and signage and through the enhanced control systems for the walk-in freezers. KFC continually tests and monitors new technologies such as solar water heating, water, electrical sub-metering as well as power perfectors and heat recovery. KFC has recently developed two ‘sustainable restaurant design’ models within the U.S. and U.K. The two models are designed to consume less energy as well as water compared to a conventional building, and thus increasingly reduce the waste dumped to the surrounding landfills and incinerators. This implies that the company like Macdonald aims at acquiring more similar ‘green’ restaurants to boast Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification at international level and other fast-food companies operating in the U.S. (ELPC 2008). Similarly, all companies identified with the U.S. brands are currently using napkins and fiber drink-cups produced from 100-percent recycled-content materials through its U.S. KFC operations. This is reflected in their recently-launched equipment of the reusable food side container announced in the competition of the 2010 Greener Package Awards (Bertagnoli 2000). Taco Bell has installed LED (light emitting diode) lighting fixtures which use less energy compared to the typical building lighting within their dining rooms. Furthermore, rain and air conditioning, waste recycling and use of recycled material, condensation water harvesting, low-flow plumbing fixtures, use of white roof as well as light colored concrete, application of water conserving landscape irrigation are also environmental measures used to reflect heat as well as other features in order to reduce the company’s environmental impact (Chelsey 2011). Corporate operations Macdonald ensures that its corporate operations are set example for its restaurants. The company has installed both energy and water conservation products within the offices located as restaurants. Rain water tanks, water restrictors on the taps, dual flush toilets as well as sensor lighting within the car parks are the main water conservation measures undertaken. Kentucky-Fried-Chicken (KFC) makes efforts to roll out its new and reusable side container to be used by all restaurants across the world. This sustainable side container emerged the winner in the Greener Package Awards held in 2010. The newly developed container is considered part of the KFC’s important packaging initiative. For instance, paper serving boxes are used in place of plastic plates and are part of the KFC’s environmental management plan to minimize its reliability on the nonrenewable resources, and thus focusing on how to ultimately eliminate the foam packaging from all its restaurants. Taco Bell restaurants like Macdonald are incorporating the green concepts in case the LEED approach is not used to recycle products within their operations. For example, bamboo eating utensils, installation of the energy-efficient lighting, cork floors versus the traditional paper towels within rest rooms will be considered. Taco Bell recently also plans to install the new “Grill-To-Order” type of cooking machines in its locations across the world. The company not only aims at reducing water and energy usage, but also to enhance cost efficiency. Sustainable supply The Macdonald’s responsibility to the environmental management issues spans its entire product life cycle, beginning with the fresh ingredients from the farm, food packaging design to food manufacture as well as customers and waste disposal. The company has developed its own environmental guideline for suppliers that focus on maximizing the water usage efficiencies while ensuring that the release of wastes, by-products into its surroundings through water is eliminated. Furthermore, the company maximizes its energy usage efficiency by utilizing the ecologically sustainable and renewable sources available. Macdonald uses a scorecard to measure its supplier environmental performance, particularly for water, energy, waste as well as emissions associated with the manufacture of its products. Reports are conducted quarterly and annually to enable tracking significant improvements by the company’s suppliers. The Sustainable Supply Steering Committee (SSSC) comprise of representatives from various Supply Chain Management, Corporate Social Responsibility as well as Corporate Communications across the globe. The committee responsibly guides McDonald on its vision for sustainable supply. This is implemented through the identification of global priorities and enhancing its progress in a manner that balance between the local priorities and efforts made (Shelke et.al.2008). Similarly, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC)’s management of its global sustainable supply operations has improved dramatically. Implementation of the strategic planning as well as operational controls is seen to be critical, though more entrepreneurial spirits view the reporting and other controls oppressive within the organization size of KFC’s, environmental management controls are crucial. In KFC restaurant, consistency of the product development and performance, including its environment is one of the key areas to the company’s brand recognition and drawing interchange. Taco Bell Corporation focuses on Middletown to investigate and compare in this market a more environmentally-friendly restaurant. Therefore, the company like Macdonal and Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is developing on Breiel Boulevard its new stand-alone environmentally-friendly restaurant with the certification for (LEED) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (EPA 2007). Advocacy and partnerships In 2010, Macdonald Company signed up to a Sustainability Advantage, a program that is run by NSW Department of Environment, Water and Climate Change to enable improves its sustainability initiatives. The company also partners with the Sydney Water, Energy Efficiency Opportunities tourism program, Packaging Covenant, National Greenhouse for Climate Change and the Energy Reporting Act. Kentucky Fried Chicken like Macdonald works in collaboration with environmental management bodies. The company established its Environmental Leadership Council in the year 2006 and is currently working in partnership with the Carbon Trust so as to reduce its emissions by 10%. Furthermore, KFC has already made analysis, implemented different green technologies and the associated practices, and thus electricity throughout its UK KFC restaurants is currently obtained from alternative energy. It is important to note that promoting environmental awareness as well as an acceptance of operational accountability by the public through conducting businesses at international and local levels, motivates most of hotel organizations to adopt the frameworks for environmental management to be part of their business operations (Davies & Konisky 2000). Through its water-Use it wisely national campaign, Taco Bell focus on educating individuals on the significance of implementing water conservation measures. This endorses Taco Bell as a pioneer to the extent that the rest of other quick service restaurants must follow. It has been reported that though Taco Bell’s main LEED stand-alone store is in Middletown, the company is still part of the Yum! Brands that released in 2009 its main LEED certified building known as a KFC/Taco Bell in Northampton. Culture and communication A focus on the environmental management is considered as part of the Macdonald’s culture which in turn affects the day to day decision-making process. Therefore, continuous improvement has become the overall business culture of the company, an attitude which directs the Macdonald’s journey towards achieving its environmental sustainability. On the other hand, various communication channels are put in place so as to inform the public about the environmental initiatives as well as foster participation in environmental management events including Clean Up Australia Day and the Earth Hour. Reducing its environmental impact is considered a top priority at KFC Development. As a result, Brands communication takes a long-standing commitment or culture to the continued environmental conservation and improvement of the company’s structure, management as well as service procedures. Based on the KFC’s recently-released Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report about Serving the World, most of its U.S.-based operations that comprise of popular fast-food chains, for instance, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and A&W Restaurants—have successfully managed to have a reduced combined-energy consumption through continuous installation of the environmentally-friendly lighting, air-conditioning systems, new-generation, lower-energy and heating restaurant equipment (Garnett, T. 2008). It is apparent that the new direction organizations in the hospitality industry are obliged to take in accordance with the new organizational initiatives, require responsibility to manage the impacts such activities have on their environment and commitment to the principles of sustainable development. Although international standards as well as benchmarks for environmental management are practiced in the hotel industry, guidelines for restaurants, corporate, sustainable supply, advocacy and partnerships as well as culture and communication operations are not yet fully developed for some environments. A number of fast-food organizations are more concerned with demonstrating a friendly environmental performance. This is achieved through controlling the impacts of activities associated involved in production and services provided on the environment, focusing on their environmental policies and objectives (Davies & Konisky 2000). Corporate operation, sustainable supply, culture and communication operations increasingly foster legislation that enhances environmental protection within the fast-food organizations through the principle of sustainable development. Arguably, based on the international trends, companies which are in the business to promote sound environmental practices are more likely to achieve long-term or sustainable development. In particular, when the international trade requirements as well as local legislation authorize insist on defined environmental standards (Webster 2000). Suggestions It is important for Macdonald, A& W and Kentucky-fried-chicken to adopt the International Hotel Environment Initiative (IHEI), a programme of the global Tourism Partnership developed by the global hotel industry, purposely to benefit all hotels and their environments. This will promote the benefits obtained from environmental management activities among the three fast-food companies. Such companies need to view it as an integral body of operating a successful and more efficient hotel business (Cederberg 2003). Fast-food hotels and restaurants need to increasingly acknowledge environmental responsibility through partnering with the International Hotel and Restaurant Association (IH&RA), a body that hosts the annual environmental awards or determines which independent hotels to join their environmental programmes. This environmental management body will take into consideration policies that affect the environment, water and energy conservation measures as well as waste and emissions within the identified fast-food companies. Therefore, such companies must implement standards required in restaurants and food service operations by the Green Seal’s self-governing certification program to promote sustainable food production, enhance the conservation and management of energy, regulate the consumption of water, encourage environmentally as well as socially sensitive purchasing and foster measures for waste reduction through organizational commitment to sustainable environmental management (Environmental Law and Policy Center), 2008). Conclusion Fast-food restaurants generate a large amount of the solid wastes such as paper, metals, cardboard, plastics, wood and food wastes, glass and hazardous wastes. The business-wise and fast-food restaurant owners have the obligation to continually search for new as well as better ways. The main focus is to promote sustainable environmental management and reduce costs and overhead expenses caused by environmental or hazardous activities while meeting the demands of their customers. Environmental management body mainly focus on policies that affect the environment, water and energy conservation measures as well as waste and emissions within the identified fast-food companies. Corporate operation, sustainable supply, culture and communication operations are the major frameworks upon which environmental management legislations are fostered to encourage environmental protection within the fast-food organizations through the principle of sustainable development. Bibliography Bertagnoli, L., 2000, Energy-Saving Ideas: Ways for Restaurants to Reduce Utilities Spending. Restaurants & Institutions 106(6): 134. Cederberg, C., 2003, Life cycle assessment of animal products. In Environmentally-Friendly Food Processing. Ed B Mattsson and U. Sonesson. Woodhead Publishing Limited, Cambridge England. Chelsey, L., 2011, Environmentally friendly green Taco Bell to save energy, water: Few fast-food sites in the U.S. have LEED certification. Accessed on 6 February 2012 from, Davies, T. & Konisky, D., 2000, Environmental Implications of the Foodservice and Food Retail Industries: Discussion Paper 00-11 March 2000, Resources for the Future. Washington, DC. ELPC (Environmental Law and Policy Center), 2008, Goingreener: opportunities to improve your Restaurants Environmental Practices. Accessed on 6 February 2012 from, EPA, 2007, Energy Star. Putting Energy into Profits: ENERGY STAR Guide for Restaurants. Accessed on 6 February 2012 from, Garnett, T., 2008, Cooking up a storm: Food, greenhouse gas emissions and our changing climate Summary. Food Climate Research Network. Centre for Environmental Strategy. University of Surrey. Accessed on 6 February 2012 from, Mason, D.M., 1996, Development and Evaluation of a Resource Manual: "Environmental Issues Impacting Foodservice Operations. Master's Thesis. Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas. PACE (Partners for a Clean Environment), 2006, Energy Efficiency Opportunities for Restaurants. Boulder, CO. Accessed on 6 February 2012 from, Shelke, K.,et.al. 2008, Social Aspects of the Global Food Supply Chain in Sustainability in the Food Industry Edited by C. Baldwin. Wiley-Blackwell. Webster, K., 2000, Environmental management in the hospitality industry. New York: Cassell. Read More