SME’s Environmental Legacy
by Arlene Eleanor E. Liberal
Alfred Nobel was a Swedish Chemist who made his fortune by inventing powerful explosives and licensing the formula to governments to make weapons. One day, Nobel’s brother died from an accident that occurred in his laboratory. A newspaper mistakenly thought it was Alfred who died and not his brother. Alfred had the unique opportunity to see his own obituary. It identified him as the inventor of dynamite who became rich by enabling armies to achieve new levels of mass destruction. He was shocked to think that this was what his life would add up to: he would be remembered as a merchant of death and destruction.
So he took his fortune and used it to establish the Nobel awards for accomplishment contributing to life rather than death. Thus did Alfred achieve what he wanted: to be remembered for his contribution to peace and human achievement – and not the dynamite.
All of us, I believe, have that desire to leave a legacy to our family, friends and society. Owners of small and medium enterprises (SMEs), I am sure, are no exception. There is one legacy which SMEs are now being urged to consider -- and that is to contribute towards a clean environment.
A popular misconception among owners and managers of SMEs is that running an environment-friendly business implies expenses they can ill afford. In reality, it can minimize expenses, increase savings, and sustain business development – as long as proper procedures are followed. No pain no gain. But as many entrepreneurs will attest, taking care of the environment requires not so much painful efforts as common sense.
For SMEs who are looking into the environmental factors in their firm for the first time, here are some simple steps to follow to start taking care of the environment at the firm level:
- Form an “environment team” within the firm from among key people in the organization who will prepare the policies related to the environment, and who will also be responsible for having these policies implemented.
The resulting policies should provide a framework for action, give a sense of direction, and form a reference for preparing plans, strategies and action.
Here’s an example of such a policy that you can formulate: “It shall be our policy give benefit to society by ensuring that all activities are done in such as way as to minimize, if not eliminate, any adverse effects on the environment.”
Having such a policy will lead you to classify waste into bio-degradable and non-biodegradable and further sort out the non-biodegradable into plastic, paper, glass, aluminum, hazardous waste, and others. This way, you earn extra income from selling recyclable waste products. On the other hand, you may dispose of biodegradable waste with the help of experts.
Guided by such a policy, you will take care to use materials and produce products that are gentle to the environment. For example, if you use wood as raw material, you undertake a tree replanting project If you have non-biodegradable products, you make up for it by making these, as well as the packaging, recyclable.
This will also lead you to choose processes and equipment carefully so that they will not emit smoke, odor or harmful chemicals into the air, land and water. This way, you keep your workers and yourself and the community healthy and avoid unnecessary expenses hospital and legal expenses.
- Designate a “point person” in each department who will see to it that the environmental factors are taken care of.
- Establish standards and targets. In all activities and processes there must standards of performance including those that affect utilization of resources that affect the environment. For example, check for possible leakage and wastage in the use of water, electricity or gas. Check if machines are efficient in utilizing these resources. Efficient utilization of resources contributes to cost reduction in the factory.
- Schedule regular meetings of the “environmental task forces” (once a month) and monitor compliance to standards set.
- Establish procedures to follow in case the standards are not met in order to correct the situation.
- Communicate all these policies and procedures to all concerned and train people if necessary.
- Prepare a manual to serve as guide for everyone to implement the program properly.
- Record the actual performance and compare with the standards.
- Conduct environmental audits and review at least once a year.
- Get professional expert assistance, if necessary, from agencies like the Bureau of Product Standards of DTI or the Environmental Management Bureau, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, or other consulting firms.
It is not that difficult to include the environmental concerns in one’s business; but it takes effort and commitment to carry it out.
There are business bonuses too. Foreign buyers prefer to buy from environment-friendly firms.
More importantly, your company will be making a lasting legacy to your children and your children’s children – a clean and healthful environment. This legacy may not be as grand as the Nobel Prize but it is just as important -- it can contribute to the survival of the human race.
(For inquiries, please e-mail info.issi@up.edu.ph.)
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