A2 Environmental issues
Carbon and pollution reducing techniques. Carbon and pollution produced in production is having a detrimental impact on the global environment. A CSR policy would normally include plans to reduce a carbon footprint and pollution of the environment. Firms may look for less damaging sources of energy, buy materials locally to reduce environmental impact of transport, use more efficient equipment and machinery, use suppliers with a strong environmental focus and train staff to be more efficient in their use of energy, e.g. turn off lights when not using.
Waste reduction and recycling. A by-product of producing a goods or service is waste. This may be pollution, unsold products, faulty products, packaging or off cuts. It is the responsibility of a business to dispose of this waste. Proper waste disposal can increase costs. A CSR policy would normally include plans to deal with waste and recycling. This may include reducing the amount of waste produced, using materials that can be recycled, environmentally friendly packaging and using materials that can be disposed of safely by consumers when they have finished using the product.
The UK government sets out laws, regulations and guidelines related to disposal of waste and recycling here http://www.environmentlaw.org.uk/rte.asp?id=82
Sustainability refers to the impact that a business has on all stakeholders. A completely sustainable organisation has no negative impact on stakeholders. A CSR policy would normally include plans to reduce the impact of business operations on a range of stakeholders.
Sustainability of resources. Use of resources in production depletes their availability for use by future generations. If they are depleted at a faster rate than they can be replaced, it is unsustainable and eventually they will run out. A CSR policy would normally include plans to make the use of resources more sustainable. This may include using renewable energy sources, tree replanting schemes and using recycled materials.
