Page 157 - Shaping A Sustainable Future

Environmental Review

Three students were assigned to the drink stall for two • The non-commercially packed (self-made) drinks
weeks, 23rd March 2020 to 3rd April 2020, to conduct were already dispensed into the disposable cups
an environmental review based on company operations. and stored in the refrigerator. Most consumers
The team focused on the following three aspects of the purchase this drink to consume outside rather than
business: inside the food court.

• Raw materials, • It will increase operating costs, as there will be an
• Processes, additional cost involved in washing cups.
• Waste & Discharge.
• Re-usable cups are not feasible for the “take-and-
To help focus the study and investigation, the team came go” business model.
up with a series of questions in a checklist guide. Please
refer to Annex A for a sample of the checklist. • The consumers may experience a longer waiting
time if the drinks are served in different cup
Environmental Aspects options. This could pose a business delay, especially
during peak hours.
After the two-week assignment and environmental
review of the company’s operations, a brief meeting • Lastly, Mr Koh was worried about any possible
was arranged with the ITE Café, Mr Koh. The team hygiene issue.
proposed the following two Eco-Solutions for further
consideration: Thus, the direction that the team would adopt would
be the second idea. The benefits of reducing ice
• Replace all disposable plastic cups with reusable consumption are:
cups, as currently, only hot drinks are served in a
mug for dining-in. (Recycling & Waste Management). • It will save not only the water used but also the
electricity used to make ice cubes. This will be a
• Reduce electricity and water consumption, double environmental green saving for the SME’s
for example, by cutting down on the ice given to operation.
consumers. (Utilities & Waste Management).
• It will work for both the “eat-in” and “take-and-go”
Following this meeting, the team scheduled a second business models.
meeting with Mr Koh. During the discussion, the team
proposed to implement either of the two ideas. Mr Koh • This will help to educate the public on using fewer
pointed out several concerns in the first proposal of resources and to protect the environment.
replacing the cups with reusable ones. He pointed out
the following:

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