Running head: MEASURES BUSINESSES USE TO HELP ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Measures put in place by Businesses to help control their Environmental Impact

Helen Michelle Winton
International College of the Cayman Islands
BE/SO- 425: Seminar on Business and Society
Dr. David Marshall

MEASURES BUSINESSES USE TO HELP ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Abstract

Recycling has become the number one concern for many countries worldwide, the pollution
which stems from not recycling is related to many health issues and the detrition of the earths
core. However, with the implementation of strict laws and policies worldwide, we can make a
change in the physical state of our environment. A review of available information online
indicates how recycling can help with deforestation, energy-efficiency, and environmental issues
from various dumping grounds. The long term effects on the environment will prove to be
beneficial to not only the earths core but our physical health. The research conducted indicates
ways in which some of these issues can be rectified. The conclusion defines measures
businesses can use to implement change within the environment, by the use of some smart
devices, environmentally friendly items and awareness to individuals whether it is at home or in
a place of business.

MEASURES BUSINESSES USE TO HELP ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Introduction

On May 17th 22 May 2016 a group of Undergraduate and Graduate students from the
International College of the Cayman Islands travelled to Chicago to further expand their
knowledge and understanding on the topic of Business and Society. These students were
given a variety of topics to choose from and conduct the necessary research on their topic of
choice. For the purpose of this assignment, my preferred topic of choice was Business impacts
on the environment . However, as several students chose this topic, we then had to come up
with a subtopic. Therefore, I decided to write my research paper on the measures put in places by
businesses to help control their environmental impact, as businesses are also major contributors
on the damage of the environment.
This research paper will be broken down into four different sections and subtitles which
will outline the various areas of my paper. This section the research paper is called Business
and Society Topic Explorations. This research paper will focus on the main areas of issue
within the institutions, such as energy-efficient equipment, over usage of paper, recycling of
toner cartridges and how businesses can further educate staff on the importance of recycling. It
will also offer solutions or measures which businesses can implement to reduce the impact they
have on the environment.
This section will focus on areas of my Chicago experience which all tie into our visit to
Chicago. The Chicago Experience section focuses on some of the key areas we visited in
Chicago. In this section of the research paper, it will outline how the Chicago experience relates
to the textbook used Business and Society. The area of my paper which touches on

MEASURES BUSINESSES USE TO HELP ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Application of Learning will speak on the information obtained from the seminar and how I
applied this learning to my professional and school life. I will speak on the area of self-doubt
and procrastination as well as how this seminar helped with overcoming them. The final section
of my research paper will speak to Limitation within this section of the paper, I will express
my thoughts and views on the areas which I was not able to accomplish during my trip to
Chicago and how I will go about accomplishing these unfulfilled goals here in Cayman. The
research methods used in this assignment will be scholarly used articles, newspaper and
magazine articles, Business and Society and Business Essentials textbooks.
Business and Society Topic Exploration
Businesses play a huge role in the environment due to the day to day activities of each
business and the number of employees each institution has employed. According to Lawrence
and Weber (2014) how to build offices and houses that are more energy-efficient, produce
energy without altering the climate, or device system to recycle and reuse obsolete electronics,
can both help in society and enjoy great commercial success. (p.214)
The fuel cost to generate power to each major institution on a monthly basis is enormous.
This use of energy-efficient products would help with the volume of energy and electricity each
institution uses on a monthly basis. Some ways in which businesses can go about but this is
utilizing energy-efficient products, such as smart devices and smart lighting. For smart devices,
businesses can have photocopier devices and computer systems configured to hibernate or power
down at specified off hours and powered back up within regular office hours. Sensory lighting

MEASURES BUSINESSES USE TO HELP ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

within the institution can save on energy if the rooms within the business are not in use, there
would a be timer set for the lights in this particular area to shut off at a certain time.
The air conditioner also known as A/C systems can also play a major role in the energy
consumption of a business. Businesses that have older A/C systems can incur massive electricity
bills as the older model of A/C system seems to feed on a large volume of energy for the cooling
process. Automated A/C systems can be programmed to run during office hours and implement
an automatic shut off during off hours when the business is closed. The excessive use of fuel can
damage the environment with the burning of this fuel item such coal, oil and natural gas into the
earths atmosphere.
By introducing sound environmental management practices and reducing your environmental
impact overall, your business can profit from cost savings through efficiency or productivity
gains. (Government, 2016 )
Businesses can also help alleviate their impact on the environment, with the volume of
paper used in the institution. The demand for paper by institutions use in the conduct of business
globally plays a huge role with the issue of deforestation. According to Lawrence and Weber
(2014) cutting down and not replacing trees thus contributes to higher levels of carbon
dioxide. Scientists have estimated that about half of all original forests have already been cut.
Burning forest to clear land for grazing or agriculture will also release carbon directly into the
atmosphere as a component of smoke.(p.223)
Trees produce carbon dioxide which in turn produces rain and without the rain, there
would a drought on earths atmosphere. This is also the potential harm businesses can cause on

MEASURES BUSINESSES USE TO HELP ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

the environment with the excessive use of paper. Businesses can help alleviate the amount of
paper used within their institution with the implementation of double- sided printing, as well as
insisting on PDF copies of documents, instead of providing clients with hard copies of i.e.
financial statements or annual reports.
It is noted that American businesses use tons of paper each year; little of it ends up in the
recycling bin. Paper and paperboard make up about one-third (32.7%) of material solid
waste in the United States. When finished with these documents, they should make sure
to recycle them instead of throwing them in the trash. If the documents do not contain
sensitive information, consider recycling them in house by shredding and using them for
packing material. (Foundation, 2009-2015) .
This is another option which businesses can use to help with their impact on the environment and
save the rain forest from catastrophic damage.
Businesses purchase office equipment such as photocopiers and printers for their offices,
and with the purchase of these types of equipment come the purchase of toner cartridges. Toner
cartridges serve the purpose of the business for which they were created to do. However, if these
cartridges are not properly disposed of, this could result in damage to the environment.
Recycling your office waste will stop toxins entering our environment, facilitate the
reuse of elaborate components (i.e. printer cartridges and toners), reduce the amount of land
dedicated to landfills and move us toward a closed loop where all waste is recycled. (Guide,
2016 ) . Businesses can have specific areas within the office to place toner recycling bins, which
members of staff can place these cartridges in to be properly disposed of and recycled.

MEASURES BUSINESSES USE TO HELP ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Businesses can continue to play their part on the impact of the environment by
implementing an in-house recycling team to spread the awareness of the erosion of the
environment due the garbage dumped and the toxin which is released in the air and also seeping
into the ground of the landfill.
New Jersey Passaic County, in order to meet the state's 60 percent recycling goal, Passaic
County is adding a host of other materials which will be phased in at the municipal level
starting in mid-1993. These include steel cans, high-grade and mixed paper, plastic
containers and film wrap (HDPE, PET, PVC), scrap metals, construction and demolition
debris (asphalt, shingles, stumps, concrete blocks, etc.), tires, motor oil, auto batteries,
leaves, and brush. Restaurants will be required to recycle food waste. (Steuteville, 1993).
The recycling process in Passaic County may not be where we are at with our recycling
process on the island. However, businesses can make a start by first electing a committee within
the company, individuals who are passionate about saving the environment. The committee can
put together a quarterly newsletter on new ways employees can help protect the environment.
The committee can also volunteer their time by organizing community clean up (such as earth
day clean up), planting a tree in parks and using environmentally friendly items in parks and
community centers.
The community volunteering will also create awareness within the community, and the
public can also be informed of the dangers of not recycling, Business can also place recycling
bins inside and outside each office building, this will remind employees of what they need to do
to help with this process of recycling. Another method of awareness would be placing flyers on

MEASURES BUSINESSES USE TO HELP ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

recycling in every lunch room and bulletin board, with information on the dangers which can
impact the environment if we do not recycle this will be sure to catch their eye and interest of the
employees.
I have learnt from the information gathered a few key things which businesses can do to
help with their impact on the environment. Business can invest in resources such as energyefficient items like A/C systems, photocopier, printers and computers which will help conserve
the use of energy; this will save the business from the financial burden of high electricity bill and
high fuel cost.
Businesses should also utilize the process of shredding documents as this is an essential
easy method/ form recycling paper. If double sided printed is enforced this will also help with
the volume of paper used and the issues of deforestation. These are some of the key factors for
that any business can implement to help mitigate the impact they can cause on the environment.
The Chicago Experience
My Chicago experience was a phenomenal experience. The Business and Society
Seminar was a life changing and also an eye opener to our areas of exposure. During my time
in Chicago, I learnt how the Mayor of Chicago is a very down to earth individual who loves to
dance. It was confirmed the Mayor once danced in a ballet. The Mayor creates a budget of over
10 million dollars to invest in small business in Chicago; these small businesses create jobs
within Chicago. This relates to the topic in my textbook, on corporate power on page 47. This
describes the government influence on the economy and society.

MEASURES BUSINESSES USE TO HELP ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

When attending National Louis University, I learnt how Uber car drivers are now taking
over and taxi drivers are now competing with the Uber service for business. The network of Uber
has now grown to 60 billion dollars in the United States and the Uber market has now focused
their vision on the market in China. This topic relates to my textbook on the topic of social
network on page 271. This site is created for businesses to strategically market their business on
the network.
When visiting the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME), I learnt this was the only floor
open for trading in Chicago, as all the other trading floors have now closed. CME opened new
offices in Hong Kong, Bangalore, and Beijing. They have now expanded their offices across the
globe. This topic relates to my textbook on the subject of insider trading on page 326. These
particular scenarios are possible and can happen in this area of business, staff awareness is
necessary.
During our visit to DePaul University, I learnt about the topic of Whistle-Blowing and
how your actions of doing right can backfire, as most individuals who whistle-blow on a major
corporation, either ends up getting fired or harassed until they decide to resign. The topic this
relates to in my textbook is Whistle-Blowing on page 370. This section of the book also
indicates whistle blowing as the ethical thing to do. However, the outcome for the individuals
who are whistle-blowing is not always positive.
Our visit to Young Mens Christian Association (YMCA), I learnt how heavily involved
Allstate is in community work. Allstate is heavily involved in Purple Purse an organization
which helps women and children of Domestic Violence; they are also involved in Youth

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Empowerment as a charity which helps students academically achieve the knowledge the need
to succeed in school. There are over 800,000 students enrolled in this particular program and
Allstate provides assistance for them all.
The area in my textbook that is related to this topic would be page 49 on Corporate
Social Responsibility. According to Ebert & Griffin (2015), Social responsibility is a related
concept that addresses the overall way in which a business attempts to balance its commitments
to relevant groups and individuals in its social environment. (p.45) Therefore, the action that
was taken by Allstate is in the best interest of social society and the CSR. Allstate actions will
affect all of those associated with these community-related affairs.
During our final visit to Cornerstone Community Outreach a homeless shelter in
Chicago. While at the shelter, I learnt how grateful we should be everything we have, as there is
always someone out there who is less fortunate and does not have the options we have. We
should never take anything for granted or feel we are too good to help.
The appreciation in the eyes of the men, women and children touched my heart in many
ways and I will never forget this experience. The section of the textbook which refers to this
would be page 407 Community Relations. This section refers to assistance the community can
play to provide the help and assistance needed.
The thing which surprised me the most about this trip was the experience at DePaul
University, taking the go-green initiative and enforcing the awareness within the university.
Throughout the university, there are recycling bins located throughout the building, flyers were
posted on the wall to spread the awareness and a green space for students to relax, within the

MEASURES BUSINESSES USE TO HELP ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

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green space, there are solar panels used to run the lights and several plants in the space. This is a
good example of a business putting measures in place to help control their environmental impact.
Application of Learning
The Chicago experience and the lectures we attended all focused on different areas of
Business and Society, the areas were Diversity, Corporate Social Responsibility, Stock
Exchange, Day of Service which focuses on our volunteer work, City Hall which informed the
group on how to go about opening a small business, The Plant (lecture on the topic of
Aquaponics), DePaul University (which lectured on Business Ethics and Whistle-Blowing) and
National Louis University ( Technology).
This seminar was for five days and within this five-day span, we had to complete eight
reflective paper and five discussion which was quite challenging as the days always consisted of
an excursion. This all seemed impossible to complete and the time frame given was very
limited. However, despite this limited time frame, I was able to complete all my reflective papers
and discussions on time. I am always one to underestimate myself and procrastinate on my
written assignments, after completing this seminar I am now very confident and proactive with
my school assignments . Therefore, this seminar has built my confidence and productivity with
my school work and as a student, I can now see my true potential.
This experience has changed me for the better and I am able to apply the knowledge
gained from this experience to my school work and even my personal life. The word
procrastination is no longer in my vocabulary. The tools I never knew I had until this experience
was the effective tool of speed and efficiency, as these tools were needed complete the tasks

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issued in Chicago. I can now apply the tools learned from the Business and Society seminar to
my class work at the International College of the Cayman Islands (also knows as ICCI) .
Limitations
During my Chicago experience, I would have loved to have been able to spend more time
on each lecture attended. Each day there were at least two lectures planned and this somehow
made the trip quite overwhelming , as this always made the lectures feel too rushed. I strongly
believe more information could have come from the lectures if the time slot was longer. To add
the feeling of overwhelming, some days after our two lectures were completed there would a
group excursion planned on the same day. I do feel the things you really wanted to enjoy you
could not as you were too exhausted to enjoy those special moments.
My unfulfilled goals would have to be not able to get the quality time needed on my topic
of choice. I feel if there was a panel for us to interview on our topic of choice, we would have
obtained the quality information needed for our paper. However, I feel I can accomplish these
unfulfilled goals here in Cayman by interviewing some of the prominent businesses in Cayman
and find out how they go about implementing measures to help control their impact on the
environment.

MEASURES BUSINESSES USE TO HELP ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

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Summary and Conclusion

Based on my findings, it was concluded that some of the challenge businesses are facing
is the constant creation of new non-environmental products worldwide. Businesses will have to
focus on the volume of these products and how they will go bout mitigating the risk or the
potential harm these products can do to the environment. Therefore, businesses will have to find
a way to re-use the non-environmental products within the business. This will help alleviate the
unnecessary increase of products to our landfill.

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References
Ebert, R.,&Griffin, R. (2015). Business essentials (10th ed.) New York: Pearson.

Foundation, T. R. (2009-2015). Environmentally-Friendly Printing . Green Plus , 1.

Government, A. (2016 , May 08 ). Business.gov.au . Retrieved from
www.business.gov.au/info/run/environmental-management

Guide, S. L. (2016 ). Recycle office waste. National Strategies Group , 1.

Lawrence, A. & Weber, J., (2014). Business and society: Stakeholders, ethics, public policy
(14th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill
Steuteville, R. (1993). Targeting commercial recycling goals. Targeting commercial recycling
goals, p. 32.