@Ariella: I agree. I believe that the more recent developments in sustainability are more tangible than the feel-good efforts of the past. My first-hand experience is with Avnet that has developed a significant after-market repair, reuse and disposal business. Rather than counting carbon credits, compnaies are actually taking old products and equipment and disposing of them responsibly. I also find such efforts to be more easily understood than the carbon credit system. Not that the credit system is bad, it's just hard to follow for a casual observer (such as myself.)
I wonder what motivates companies to do this: profit, altruism, fear of punitive measures? Can companies really turn unnilateral "green-ness" in to bottom line dollars?
It is a welcome move that the companies are now treating - the taking back their old products and recycling them - not as a liability pushed onto them by regulations but as a part of their social responsibility.
Can some of this responsibility be transferred to the end customers by making them obligatory to return their old products to the original company and not dump them alongwith other waste.
I don't think it is because of the stick. It is probably because firms realize that the consumers are getting more educated these days. They will stand up for issues like pollution, conflict minerals being used in production etc. Therefore, it seems to me as a logical option to adopt greener business practices. It will ensure that the consumers will be satisfied with the ethical responsibilities of the company. Plus, with effective CSR and marketing they can also charge a bit more claiming that the green process does not come in cheap.
@prabhakar_deosthali I think it is possible to get the cooperation of the end customer, though they may need an incentive -- like a credit toward the next purchase when returning the piece for recycling.
Hopefully consumers take their cue from industry leaders when products are made that leave the minimum carbon footprint and consume a maximum of reusable materials. The LA Times reported about a month ago about the whirling mass of plastic in the Pacific ocean estimated to be about the size of Texas, and there are a few others like it around the world. We all can do more to transform our disposable society.
Anyway, sustainability is a virtue that can only benefit companies in the long run. Companies that are in for the long haul--most likely companies angling for blue chip status--seem to embrace greener methodologies more.
COmpanies with long term vision should embed the initiative of enviromental friendly products. As more customers should be made aware of these practices and I believe educated customers and those who has sound understanding of nature could definitely buy only these products in the future. Please pass on the safe earth to our next generations.
EBN Dialogue enables and encourages you to participate in live chats with notable leaders and luminaries. Not only editors and journalists, but the entire EBN community is able to comment and ask questions. Listed below are upcoming and archived chats.
Archived Dialogues
Thailand Stages a Comeback Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Euro-Crisis: What It Means for High-Tech Firms Join EBN Editor in Chief Bolaji Ojo and Contributing Editor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday, July 12, at 10:00 a.m. EDT for a Live Chat on high-tech and Europe's economic difficulties.
Microsoft Surface: Potential Winners & Losers What are the implications for the electronics industry supply chain of Microsoft Corp.'s decision to launch its own tablet PC? Join industry veteran and EE Times' systems and OEM expert Rick Merritt on Tuesday, July 3, at 12:00 pm EDT for a Live Chat on this subject.
Join EBN contributor Jennifer Baljko on Thursday August 23, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. EST for a live chat on how electronic manufacturers in Thailand have shored up their supply chain to reduce the impact of future natural disasters.
Peter Drucker famously said "Trying to predict the future is like trying to drive down a country road at night with no lights while looking out the back window." Yet in the razor's-edge world of electronics—with a lean supply chain and just-in-time demands—the need to know the future is vital.
You've heard the saying "the No. 1 supply chain risk is your people." That hasn't always been the case. But today's complex global supply chain requires a new type of multitalented employee. It's one who understands, finance, marketing, economics, is savvy with technology, graceful with relationships and can think analytically.
Where are these people? Are universities properly preparing the next generation supply chain professionals? How do train your existing workforce for these new, demanding positions?
Brian Fuller, editor-in-chief of EBN, will lead a 60-minute Avnet Velocity panel discussion that will ask and answer these and other questions swirling around today's supply-chain talent challenges.
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