Question

Below are four organisations that aim to improve sustainability practices. Identify one (1) possible environmental or social impact of the current practice for EACH of the organisations. Suggest an example of a cost reduction initiative that would mitigate each of the above impacts.   

i) A bank mailing monthly account statements to customers

ii) A phone retailer who trashes the old phones in the bin when customers upgrade.

iii) a government department processing unemployment claim application forms and maintaining large paper archive records in its record room.

iv) A supermarket using free plastic bags for sales at its checkouts.

Answer 1

i) Environmental impact. By mailing the Bank statement to customers reduced time in the bank, reduction in the paper usage and bank employee do productive work

ii) Environmental impact.  Phone retailor has to check the condition of old phone and try to make sale of old phone after some repair if possible or to reduce the cost the compnay have to work on researnch and development on phone in new elements to reduce the cost

iii) soical impact. The goverment has to claim the application form through online for easy processing and indentifying the applicant rather than to take physical form and store in record room which can be used for productive works

iv) Environmental impact. free plastic bags impact both Environmental impact and social impact, it is effecting the enviroment and goverment also educated the people to reduce the usage of plastic bags . to reduce the cost the supermarket has to charge for the plastic bags, so the customer shall bring the own bags