Why is sustainability in business so important? A Q&A with our winner from Sustainability Awareness Week 2024 at Essex Business School

Essex Business School Southend took part in sustainability awareness week by running a competition led by the Southend EBS Student Engagement Team. Students were asked to think about ‘how can local organisations reduce the use of plastic packaging for consumer products’ and to post their ideas via the EBS Instagram and Facebook accounts.

This year we had two joint winners; Shikhar Tyagi, MSc Global Project Management student and also our Student Engagement Co-ordinator, and Olena Martynyshyn, BSc International Business and Finance student who is also a course representative and our Undergraduate Student Engagement Co-ordinator.

Here's what Shikhar had to share about sustainability in business:

1. Why do you think sustainability is important in business

Global warming is affecting each one of us all over the world, rising temperatures and heatwaves are leading to health risks and agricultural challenges in the UK and all over the world. Every company is targeting to move towards zero carbon footprints and using more sustainable energy for everyday life. Governments around the world are focusing on strategies to become more sustainable by using solar energy and electric vehicles for their countries to take a step towards green energy.

2. How did you come up with the question regarding local businesses and plastic usage

During my visits in coffee shops and retail shops around the city, I've noticed that plastic cups and bags are often used, which produces a lot of garbage every day. I thus wanted to think of a way to lessen the amount of plastic that is used in Southend stores. 

3. What can businesses do to raise awareness in the local community

My suggestions center on two things: using reusable coffee cups and reducing the amount of plastic bags used in supermarkets and retail establishments. Hundreds of plastic shopping bags are used every day, and many of them end up in homes or in the trash. If only the retailers could devise some kind of return policy wherein customers would receive a percentage of the cost for the bags they paid for back to their mode of payment then it will encourage more customers to take that initiative - theoretically those bags will be taken on a rent basis, but if you offer a way of payment, more clients will be encouraged to take that action. In the event that a customer pays thirty pence for a plastic bag at a retail or grocery store, that customer should be able to return the bag for fifteen or twenty pence. By doing this, people will simply lend plastic bags rather than throwing them away or treating them like trash. However, for this to happen, the plastic bags must be universal in order for any brand in the city to accept them, meaning that customers won't always need to return to the store where they started. 

My second concept was the "bring your own cup" campaign, in which customers bring their reusable cups to their preferred coffee shops every day in exchange for a 10 or 20-pence discount, which is meant to encourage customers to develop this habit. The National Coffee Association (NCA) states that an independent coffee business has a daily sales volume of 200 to 300 cups. An impressive 700 cups of coffee may be sold daily by a major chain coffee shop. Big chains like Starbucks consistently carry out this type of work Starbucks recently gave away free iced beverages to anyone who purchased recyclable cups. When my friends and I went there, practically every cup was sold, proving the effectiveness of these initiatives. However, in order to raise awareness and encourage people to make using reusable cups a habit, coffee shops will first need to provide a small incentive, like a free cookie, and discounts on their drinks to customers who bring in their reusable cups. It's only a tiny step toward sustainability, but every little move in that direction will help ensure a brighter future for ourselves and the next generation.

4. Your experience as a Student Engagement Co-ordinator

I have had the opportunity to work as a Student Experience Co-ordinator as part of the Student Engagement Team for Essex Business School since January this year, where I experienced the initiation, organization, and facilitation of an array of social and cultural events tailored specifically for Essex Business School (EBS) students. Working in tandem with peer mentors, course representatives and assisting EBS faculty members with the first Successful Futures employability event for Southend campus where over 100 participants attended the event connecting with multiple employers offering a range of exciting opportunities, including graduate roles, internships, and part-time positions. The overall event was a huge success encouraging students with some help for their career direction. After this great start we are hopeful that this event will grow year on year at Southend Campus. We are working with some exciting events and workshops in summer for Business school students and it will be a good refreshing experience for all of us.

Any last thoughts

The UK government has committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050 in legislation, through the Climate Change Act 2008 (2050 Target Amendment) Order 201915.

Let's dive into some compelling facts about sustainability that can truly make a difference in our everyday lives. Trust me, these insights are not just informative, but they're practical and can help us make more environmentally conscious decisions day by day.

• 1 kwh of electricity from a UK plug socket takes almost 3 kwh of energy to produce.
• Switching from the font ‘Arial’ to ‘Century Gothic’ saves 30% ink on printing.
• Recycling a single 330 ml aluminum drink can save enough energy to power a TV for over 3 hours.
• Disposable batteries produce 50 times less energy than the embodied energy of production
• According to 'recyclingbins.co.uk', it takes 10 litres of water to produce one piece of paper.