M5 (KJ) Response

NEED FOLLOW-UP RESPONSE 2 – 3 PARAGRAPHS ONLY WITH AT LEAST 1 REFERENCE:

ORIGINAL TOPIC:

 
Assignment 1: Discussion—Waste Reduction
Industries adopt waste minimization techniques that lead to significant resource savings and cost reductions.
This assignment emphasizes the basic concept of sustainability within business.
Tasks:
Research the topic of waste reduction and identify a company that has proactively reduced the waste associated with its products. You can take examples from your own work experiences or from other real-life market situations. You can also consult sources such as the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Bloomberg Markets, the Economist, US News and World Report, and the Argosy University online library resources.
Respond to the following:

Analyze the sustainable approach to waste reduction developed by the company you selected. Include the following:

Its products
Previous methods of production
The way it implemented sustainable methods
Diversification, if any, into new products
Your rationale for how this company still made profits

Evaluate other businesses that might benefit from the waste reduction measures of this company.

STUDENT RESPONSE:

 
The threat of waste to the environment, health and safety is huge and is becoming a major problem for us and the environment. “Disposing of waste has huge environmental impacts and can cause serious problems” (Green Choices, 2018). Patagonia is a clothing company that takes zero waste seriously and actively leads a waste reduction program through an innovative approach to reduce our environmental footprint. Patagonia products consist of fishing, hiking, skiing, snowboarding, surfing and trail running sportswear.
Patagonia, an outdoor retailer and leader in the green apparel market, is committed to achieving the triple bottom line: being profitable as well as environmentally and socially responsible in its business practices. Patagonia uses organic cotton and recycled material such as plastic soda bottles, unusable manufacturing waste and worn-out garments to transform trash into fleece to manufacture other synthetic fabrics. Patagonia methods of production have always been committed to reducing harm to the environment and have never strayed away from this production process. “First of all, in the production process Patagonia applies a system of transparency and traceability that takes into account social and environmental justice and as such works with organic cotton and wool and recycled PET bottles to produce the polyester and fleeces. In fact it has been using recycled materials since the 90s” (Simon, 2018). The company offers a lifetime guarantee on all clothing and also repairs any Patagonia items almost free of charge if needed. This method prevents garments from filling landfills. In addition to these services, Patagonia offers a take back program to discourage waste generation and uses all items donated to create (recycle) clothing into new ones.
In these days of persistent corporate green washing; Patagonia is a good example of how a company takes full responsibility for the products that it puts in the market. This approach not only helps to maintain sustainability in operations and an environmental balance, but also helps those who are in need. Through Patagonia’s positive brand name reputation and the value that it emphasizes on reducing our environmental footprint, the company generates profit uniquely on their dedication and customer loyalty of high performance products. Patagonia’s mission builds confidence in their customers that they are contributing to the community and environment by buying products from Patagonia in which in return creates revenue for the company.
I believe that another business that might benefit from the waste reduction measures of Patagonia is North Face, another similar sportswear retailer in the same industry. Recycle programs that are offered by Patagonia will encourage North Face customers to donate their used clothing to become more Eco-friendly.
References:
Green Choice. (2018). Waste Recycling. Environmental Impacts. Retrieved from, https://www.greenchoices.org/green-living/waste-recycling/environmental-impacts
Simon, J. (2018). A Zero Waste Program by Patagonia: The Common Threads Initiative. Zero Waste, Retrieved from, https://zerowasteeurope.eu/2012/11/a-zero-waste-program-by-patagonia-the-common-threads-initiative/

NEED FOLLOW-UP RESPONSE 2 – 3 PARAGRAPHS ONLY WITH AT LEAST 1 REFERENCE: