Sustainability at Facets of a Business Operation - Research Paper Example

? Businesses must comply with the expectations of its stakeholder groups. One of the biggest concerns from s is the environmental impact thatthe operations of businesses have on the planet and its natural resources. In the past people and businesses were living within the resource limit, but today companies are creating an ecological debt because they are spending more resources that the earth can absorb (Apple, 2010). A way for companies to become environmental friendly is by applying the principles of sustainability. Sustainability refers to the method of harvesting or using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damage (Merriam-webster, 2012). The purpose of this paper is to describe how companies can use sustainability in their operations strategy. The concept of sustainability is not a fad. It is a sound strategy that can be used by companies to achieve long term success. There many corporations such as Colgate that have implemented sustainability as a long term strategy. Colgate’s long term sustainability strategy is focused on three areas: people performance, and planet (Colgate, 2012). This firm has integrated sustainability into its operations by investing in production technologies that lower its consumption of water and electricity. The world is currently in the middle of an energy crisis due to the high dependence on petroleum. A sustainability practice that benefits companies by lowering its operational costs is energy savings initiatives. There are various alternative energy technologies such as solar and wind energy that can partially or completely supply the electricity needs of a business. Utility companies will pay corporations for the excess energy that is produced by these systems. A simple operational solution that can save a lot of money in energy is switching all the light bulbs in a company to LED bulbs. Lowering the gasoline consumption of the fleet of vehicles of a corporation is another sustainable practice that can pay off great dividends. This can be achieved by switching the firm’s fleet of vehicles to hybrid and electric cars. Companies that have their own trucks can apply logistics techniques to minimize the time in transit of the trucks. A way to achieve that is by placing warehouses near the places where the most business occurs. Human resource practices can also help in the implementation of sustainability. Car pooling policies force employees to share a ride with each other. A major environmental problem that our society faces is the excessive amounts of garbage that is produced daily by the actions of individuals and corporations. Luckily sustainability is one of the solutions that can help alleviate the problem. An operational sustainability practice that can be used to improve the profitability of a company is green packaging. Green packaging can be achieved by using recyclable or environmentally friendly materials to package products. Companies that use recyclable material in their packaging are able to save money because typically the majority of recycled materials are cheaper. “It is now cheaper to recycle an aluminum can into a new can than it is to make one from virgin material, and the same is becoming true for plastic bottles” (Strom, 2012). Engineers can also use ergonomics to design packages that minimize the total use of material. A 5% decreases in total material usage for a company that generates millions of units yearly can represent a saving of thousands of dollars. Sustainability can be applied in the production process of businesses. A lot of industrial processes generate pollution. Companies have to apply engineering principles to develop production processes that lower pollution. Air and soil pollution are two big problems that must be attended by corporations. It is often challenging to lower pollution and the problem is more complicated and complex than what people think. “Because industrial activities are so different, one from the other, it is impossible to arrive at any single solution—or even any single set of solutions—to the variety of pollution challenges that they present” (Curtismoore, 2008). The use of technology is an effective solution that can be used to lower pollution due to the fact that older machines have ineffective emission systems. Corporations can also apply sustainability in their waste management practices. A way for companies to minimize waste and utilize the waste in a productive manner is by building their own composting bin. A composting bin will turn waste into fertilizer which can be used to maintain plants in the green areas of the company. One of the most important benefits of sustainability is the ability to protect natural resources. The most valuable resource that people have is water. The United Unites might not suffer from water scarcity, but in other parts of the world such as the Africa Sub-Sahara desert water is very scarce. A way for companies to apply sustainability of water in a corporation is by building an internal water recycling plant. Educating employees about saving water can help reduce overall water consumption. Sometimes people are unaware that simple techniques can save water such as turning off the fossil each time you wash your hands while rubbing soap. All companies should have cistern water systems to take advantage of the rain to store water that can be used when the water utility companies are not able to provide service or during emergencies. Companies in the 21st century have adapted well to the changes that sustainability brings. “Social and political pressures aiming for long term sustainability have, and will continue to alter the ways in which businesses design and carry out their operations” (Biddle, 2011). The use of sustainability can be used as a long term strategy that can bring great benefits to an organization. Sustainability must be incorporated into the marketing operation strategy of a business. Companies that are fully committed to protecting the environment should prepare a yearly sustainability report and should keep its stakeholders updated of sustainability news and initiatives through its corporate website. Many companies utilize its sustainability strategy in order to build the brand value of the company. Branding and sustainability have the common feature of being strategies that grow in value through the passage of time. Sustainability can be applied to different facets of a business operation. Companies can apply sustainability in their office work by turning an operation paperless. Some of the benefits of a paperless organization are reduced costs, quicker access to information, more space, and greater document security (Dannenfeldt, 2012). Companies can set long term goals to become paperless, but in the transitional period firms can use only recycled paper. Using recycle paper is an environmentally safe practice. Paper reduction can occur by implementing an intranet to communicate with employees. Banks can reduce its postage costs and lower its use of paper by sending its customers electronic monthly account statements. The industrial activity of the past century caused major damage to the earth’s environment. Businesses overused natural resources in an effort to turn a profit disregarding the effect that depletion of resources may have on the planet. Today people are paying for the mistakes of their ancestors. Gas prices and energy prices are skyrocketing which is increasing production costs and raising prices. A way that businesses are starting to positively contribute towards protecting the environment is through sustainability. Some sustainability applications that companies can implement are renewable energy, green packaging, waste management, paperless office, and recycling. Proper advertising of sustainability to the public can be used to increase the sales and brand equity of a company. Today’s customers prefer to purchase products and services from companies that are socially responsible and protect the environment. References Apple, M. (2010). “Our Future is at the Intersect of Science, Economics and Politics.” National Economics Club. Retrieved April 24, 2012 from http://www.national-economists.org/gov/apple10.html Biddle, I. (2011). Operations Management for a Sustainable Future. BusiDate, 19(1). p2-5. Retrieved April 24, 2012 from EBSCOhost database. Colgate.com (2011). Colgate Sustainability Report 2011. Retrieved April 24, 2012 from http://www.colgate.com/Colgate/US/Corp_v2/LivingOurValues/Sustainability_v2/Sustainability_Report_2011.pdf#page=30 Curtismoore.com (2008). Reducing Industrial Pollution. Retrieved April 24, 2012 from http://curtismoore.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/12-industry.pdf Dannenfeldt, D. (2012). How Paperless Offices Work. Retrieved April 24, 2012 from http://money.howstuffworks.com/how-paperless-offices-work1.htm Strom, S. (2012). Companies Pick Up Use Packaging, and Recycling Cost’s. New York Times. Retrieved April 24, 2012 from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/24/business/companies-pick-up-used-packaging-and-recyclings-cost.html?pagewanted=all Read More