The environmental impact of business activity

1. Traffic congestion: deliveries, staff driving to work and customers arriving by car all add vehicles to local roads, so journeys take longer for everyone in the area.
   1. A large distribution centre can generate hundreds of lorry and van movements a day, which is why councils often refuse or restrict planning permission near housing.
2. Disposing of waste: packaging, offcuts, unsold stock and food that has passed its date have to go somewhere, and landfill takes up land and leaks liquid and gas as the waste rots.
   1. Businesses pay for commercial waste collection and landfill tax, so waste is a direct cost as well as an environmental problem.
3. Noise pollution: machinery, deliveries and building work disturb people living nearby, especially early in the morning and late at night.
4. Air pollution: burning fuel in factories, boilers and delivery vehicles releases fumes that worsen air quality and affect the health of people in the surrounding streets.

Recycling and reducing waste

1. Sorting waste at source: separate bins for card, glass and plastic mean less goes into general waste, which cuts the collection charges the business pays.
2. Redesigning packaging: removing plastic film from a multipack, or switching a tray from black plastic to cardboard, makes the packaging recyclable and uses less material in the first place.
3. Reusing and reselling: pallets and crates can be returned and used again, and offcuts such as scrap metal or sawdust can be sold to another business rather than thrown away.
4. Redistributing unsold stock: Tesco passes surplus food to charities through its Community Food Connection scheme, which keeps edible food out of landfill.

How businesses accept greater environmental responsibility

1. It is a choice, not a legal duty. The law sets limits on emissions and waste disposal, and accepting environmental responsibility means going further than those limits because stakeholders expect it.
2. Changing the vehicles: DPD and Royal Mail are replacing diesel vans with electric ones and planning routes to cut mileage, which reduces both fumes and fuel spending.
3. Changing the premises: fitting insulation, LED lighting and quieter machinery, and limiting deliveries to daytime hours, reduces energy use and noise for the neighbours at the same time.
4. Changing where it buys from: choosing a UK supplier instead of one overseas shortens the journey the materials make, which cuts transport emissions and congestion on long routes.

How consumers accept greater environmental responsibility

1. They change what they buy. Shoppers choosing refills, loose vegetables or a product with less packaging shift demand towards firms that offer those options.
2. They change how they buy. Taking a reusable cup to a coffee shop, or grouping orders into one delivery instead of three, reduces the waste and mileage the business creates on their behalf.
3. They put pressure on firms directly. Customers who complain about excess packaging, boycott a polluter or support a campaign group make the issue expensive enough for the business to act on.

Costs and benefits of accepting responsibility

1. The costs arrive first. Electric vans, cleaner machinery and recyclable materials all have to be paid for before any saving appears, which squeezes the profit margin or forces prices up.
2. Some choices lose sales or convenience. Banning night deliveries to protect neighbours means lorries queue in daytime traffic, and a dearer green product can be undercut by a rival that changes nothing.
3. Using less of something saves money. Less packaging, less energy and less waste sent to landfill all reduce running costs permanently once the initial spending has been recovered.
4. Reputation and fewer penalties: a firm known for acting responsibly wins customers who care, keeps the local community and council on side, and is less likely to face fines or tighter restrictions.