Environmental Sustainability For Realistic Measurements

Realistic Measurements of Resources used in the Workplace

Discuss about the Environmental Sustainability for Realistic Measurements.

The business world is changing, and for a firm to remain competitive in the market, it has to adhere to the set rules by the government on environmental pollution. Businesses are set-up with the aim of making profits while using minimum resources. Environmental impacts can affect the firm’s operation depending on how best the workers use the available resources such as papers, water, and electricity. This report will analyze the realistic measurements of the resources employed by the organization and the environmental hazards that it causes. The paper will focus on details of the environmental impact identified and how the current purchasing strategies affect the environment. This essay will also identify consideration for the current firm’s processes undertaken.

The environmental impact caused by the work environment varies depending on how responsible the employees are and also the rule that is set by the management. Workers use products such as electricity as the primary tools while carrying out their tasks (Fien, et al. 2009). Power is necessary for lighting the machines in the office, cooling, and lighting up the entire room. Most companies provide materials needed by the staff, and therefore, they end up sourcing the inputs from different suppliers and can affect the environment if not used well. Irresponsible workers tend to waste the energy by not turning off the power when not in use, and this is a waste of resource for the firm because it ends up paying more for the electricity, and the power supplier has to supply more causing significant harm to the environment and the business.

The organization requires water all the time; employees need to have access to clean water for consumption, cleaning, sanitation and other related tasks. The way the staff uses the water is important because it can affect the environment positively or negatively, and therefore, there is a need to offer training in the best way possible to minimize wastage of the resource. The company can analyze and identify the required amount of water and set out strategies that can help conserve water through the use of utility record and the historical consumption.

Firms use papers as the training tool where participant gets notebooks and sheets to write on and also for printing purpose. Most organization tend to print training materials and other relevant documents which cause the firm to order more resource to meet the rising need, and therefore, this is a challenge to the environment because the more raw material is required to manufacture papers in large volumes. By proper planning and analysis, the firm can make the measurement of the resources needed on a particular day.

Environmental Hazards and their Impacts

Water pollution can cause severe infection to workers which will affect the productivity of the company due to low turn-up of the employees who may fall sick. Water contamination can be as results of sewage leakage and chemicals spillage. The organization needs to identify systems that are not working accordingly to avoid polluting the environment. Electricity can also be hazardous to the environment. Poor electrical cabling can injure workers who will cost the company a lot of money in paying the healthcare bills and also tarnishes the reputation of the firm, therefore, affecting its market performance.  

Noise as the environmental hazard can hinder the proper functioning of the company. A lot of noise affects the community around the area and the workers which is as a result of the machines used within the firm. Much noise can cause the loss of hearing, and therefore, the organization needs to provide gears that employees can wear to protect them or offer friendly machines that produce less noise. Lighting also is important for any firm. The company needs to provide quality lighting to all rooms such as offices and toilets failure to which employees can be injured, face mood swings and learning disorders if the fluorescent light is the one in use, the firm can be sued for failing to adhere to the set rules and states laws.

Subjecting employees to work in a dusty and cold place can be dangerous because they will fall sick and fail to deliver as required. The management can offer a friendly working environment that is free from dust and cold by regularly cleaning the rooms. Uneven space can lead to the death of the workers; the staff working in such condition may fail to offer their best in fear of injury. It is the duty of the organization to provide safe working conditions as required by the employment act. Electrical wireline can also be dangerous if they are using high voltage and there is a need for the firm to provide telephone lines that use low voltage to avoid environmental hazards.

The method of purchasing that a business uses important because it can affect the environment positively or negative. The consumers are aware of the impact that the organization causes to the air, water, and soil and this causes many companies to adopt an environmental friendly procurement strategy. Green purchasing is necessary to the business because they can recycle the waste products and reuse it which is an advantage to the firm. Green purchasing plan ensures that the suppliers supply user-friendly raw materials; packaged in reusable products which help in reduction of waste products that affects the environment (Woods, 2010). If the procurement department source inputs from vendors who are not concerned about the environment then pollution will be high and this will affect the society negatively due to high usage of non-recyclables items such as cans, paper bags that end up contaminating the environment. Waste elimination is crucial in the procurement process because it saves time and money that the firm and the government use to conserve and clean the environment.

Environmental Impacts of the Company’s Purchasing Strategies

Organization processes require the management to set out clear plans that help the business make profits. The managers in the training institution can offer guidelines on the objective of the firm and the best way of achieving the set goals. The executives need to point out clearly the role of each employee and delegate the tasks to the right people. The workers can follow the set rules that contributes to environmental conservation by not printing the documents unless they are necessary and printing them in the duplex. The staffs will feel appreciated and therefore offer their best resulting to increased sales. Continuous review of the policies can help the organization to set goals that are environmentally friendly which will be a competitive advantage to the company.

It is necessary for the training institution to have environmental sustainability goals, the firm can achieve this through following the guidelines that are set by the state. It is essential for the managers to train their employees on the new environmental laws and help them work accordingly to avoid penalties by the state, and also it helps the business acquire more customers while reducing the operating costs. The company can also focus on renewable energy such as the solar system that will reduce consumption of electric power. Renewable power is achievable by installing affordable solar gadgets and train staffs on the importance of turning off power when not in use and applying sleep on mode on all electricity systems, therefore, reducing the consumption of energy.

The goal of a firm in reducing water consumption is important because it will contribute to environmental conservation. The firm can minimize water usage by installing water saving pipes, reusing the water for cleaning and ensuring a proper record of the utility maintained and the company can monitor the previous consumption of the resource (Vezzoli & Manzini, 2008). Firms can incorporate measures that help suggest best ways that employees can save water by involving them in a survey and entrusting them with the responsibility that will make them feel as a team, therefore, reducing the cost of operation. Use of new technology can help save the resources and adapt to the new techniques available in the market.

The firm can emphasize the need for recycling used papers for writing notes, printing documents only when they are needed is important because it saves on power, ink, and papers which will help protect the environment. The cost incurred in the re-use of the products is less as compared to buying new materials that will cost the business more money. The use green purchasing strategy helps the firm buy re-usable materials at an affordable price, and they can convince their suppliers to supply high-quality products that are environmental friendly(Weele, 2010). Businesses need to set up a certain amount of money for environmental clean-up as required by the law, and this acts as a competitive advantage to the firm. Considering the cost of environmental sustainability by a company is essential because it helps the management set goals which are achievable using the available resources, the machines used can be cheap and reliable which will help them achieve a positive outcome.

The goal of the firm is to develop regulations that adhere to the set rule by the government. The management of the company can create plans through the company statement that shows they support the law of the state and they are ready to provide services and products to the customers that are ethical. The executives can communicate to the stakeholders on the changes and how they plan to achieve it (Booth, 2010). The company needs to provide in writing its need to continuously review the objectives to meet the government changing laws and regulations. The firm needs to make sure that the staffs understand the importance of the new environmental policy which will help them act according to the organizational law.

In conclusion, the environmental law varies, and therefore, management needs to work on the state sets rules and regulations. Use of recyclable materials helps in saving time and resources and lowers the production costs. Water and energy conservation helps in the reduction of environmental pollution. Green purchasing helps in reducing wastage, and if applied well a firm can gain competitive advantage.

References

Booth, C. (2010). Strategic procurement: Organizing suppliers and supply chains for competitive advantage. London: Kogan Page.

Brocke, J. ., Seidel, S., & Recker, J. (2012). Green business process management: Towards the sustainable enterprise. Heidelberg: Springer.

Esty, D. C., & Simmons, P. J. (2011). The green to gold business playbook: How to implement sustainability practices for bottom-line results in every business function. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley.

Fien, J., Maclean, R., & Park, M.-G. (2009). Work, learning, and sustainable development: Opportunities and challenges. Dordrecht?: Springer.

Li, L. (2007). Supply chain management: Concepts, techniques, and practices enhancing the value through collaboration. Hackensack, NJ: World Scientific.

Moser, R. (2006). Strategic purchasing and supply management: A strategy-based selection of suppliers. Wiesbaden: Dt. Univ.-Verl.

Paul, B. K. (2011). Environmental hazards and disasters: Contexts, perspectives, and management. Chichester, West Sussex: Wiley-Blackwell.

Perritano, J., Golden, R. N., & Peterson, F. L. (2010). The truth about environmental hazards. New York: Facts On File.

Sarkis, J. (2006). Greening the supply chain. (Greening the supply chain.) London: Springer.

Vezzoli, C., & Manzini, E. (2008). Design for environmental sustainability. Berlin: Springer.

Weele, A. J. (2010). Purchasing & Supply chain management: Analysis, strategy, planning and practice. Andover: Cengage Learning.

Woods, K. (2010). Human rights and environmental sustainability. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.