Environmental Audit: Elements, Execution, and Impacts

This study explores the elements and execution of an environmental management system (EMS) through an environmental audit. It discusses the impacts of environmental aspects and includes a risk assessment table. The case study focuses on Starbucks and their efforts towards environmental sustainability. The study also includes a policy statement and an EMS outline table with action, timeline, and responsibility.

ENVIRONMENTAL
AUDIT

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
Elements and execution of EMS............................................................................................4
Organisation's Background.....................................................................................................5
Environmental aspects with their impacts..............................................................................6
Risk assessment for the environmental aspects......................................................................8
EMS outline table with action, timeline and responsibility...................................................9
Interview...............................................................................................................................11
Policy Statement...................................................................................................................11
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................12
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
Environmental Audit can be defined as a type of evaluation which is being intended to
identify compliance to environment and implementations gap in a management system as well as
related corrective actions. Present study is based on Starbucks which is a coffee-house chain that
operates at more than 30,000 locations worldwide (Schaltegger and Burritt, 2017). This study
consists an outline of environmental aspects with their impacts. This study also comprises Risk
assessment table for the discussed aspects. Lastly, this study includes an outline table of
environmental management system (EMS) which involves action, timeline and responsibility.

Elements and execution of EMS
EMS can be referred as a framework which helps an organization in achieving its
environmental goals by consistently reviewing, evaluating, and improving its environmental
performance (Prajogo and et.al., 2016). Elements which are involved in EMS of Starbucks are
discussed as follows:
 Reviewing environmental goals of an organization
 Evaluation of legal requirements with environmental impacts
 Objectives and targets regarding environmental aspects are being set by the organization
 Establishments of different programs for meetings these targets and objectives
 Monitoring the programs for achieving targets more effectively
 Ensuring environmental awareness of employees
 Making improvements by reviewing progress of EMS

Organisation's Background
Starbucks is a coffee house chain which is operating in more than 30,000 locations
worldwide. The company specialises in coffees which are being offered globally with their
stores. Company majorly offers hot and cold drinks, micro-ground instant coffee, espresso, and
many other products related to these categories. Company is involved in several environmental
activities which makes their business environmentally friendlier (Costantino, Di Gravio and
Tronci, 2018).

Environmental aspects with their impacts
The company is majorly involved in executing several environmental aspects which helps
in being friendlier to the environment. Starbucks in using recycling as an aspect of environment
saving, where they use those cutleries and disposables that are recyclable and don't harm
environment by not getting recycled. Another environmental aspect undertook by the company is
its water use. The company uses water according to their needs by saving it In the most effective
manner. They are involved in providing an ethos range of water to the children which is healthy
for them. This helps in providing safe water to the children and saving water by utilizing it in the
most effective manner (Meng and et.al., 2016).
Starbucks is also involved in several donations by food bank donations. Company
donated its left over products which are edible to the food banks at the local regions which helps
in utilization of food without any wastage. This makes them more connected socially and
increases the reputation for the organization by the people. Further, company is involved in
usage of heating and cooling appliances in the most effective manner which helps in saving
several resources that also significantly saves the expenses of the organization.
Th aspects where company is failing to achieve and harming the environment includes
waste, water, product origins and food waste.
Aspects Impacts
Waste  There is no separate bins for rubbish
waste and recycling waste which is
effecting the recycling of the recyclable
waste.
 Company is not involved in an effective
composting system which is preventing
use of recyclable waste significantly.
Water  Starbucks is using a regular cycling in
dish washer rather than an eco cycling
dish washer which is harmful for the
environment
 Toilets in the outlets of the company

are not having duel flush toilet which
increases wastage of water.
Food waste  Foods are being made in excess which
results in over usage of resources
 Most of the food is wasted because of
being unhygienic
Product origins  The products which are being offered
are health friendly or not is being
prevented in the company which can
lead to food poisoning to the customers
 There are no such specific guidelines
on the packaging about the
consumption of food, that who all can
consume these and any side effects of
consumption (Welford, 2016)

Risk assessment for the environmental aspects
Particulars Food waste Water usage Product
origins
Waste usage
inefficiencies
Probability of occurrence 3 4 2 4
Legal and regulatory
consequences
4 4 3 2
Seriousness of the impact 4 2 1 3
Remediation Cost 2 3 3 1
Impact on public image 2 3 2 3
Severity 12 12 9 9
Probability x Severity 36 48 18 36

EMS outline table with action, timeline and responsibility
Objective Target Key action Timeline Employee
responsible
Recycling the
packaging waste
100% of
recycling the
waste of
packaging that are
being produced
with recyclable
material
 Making
essential
changes for
separating
normal waste
and recyclable
waste
 Marking
essential
guidelines for
disposing the
recyclable
waste and
normal waste
specifically
ONGOING
Beginning
from 30 may
2017 and
expected
completion
till may
2020
Employees
responsible for
performing this
task includes
Cleaning staff,
cleaning
managers and
supervisors for
production of
recyclable
packagings
(Kibwage, Othoo
and Ndungu,
2019).
Using the best
alternatives for
saving water
90% of wastage is
to be prevented
till the given time
period.
 Using eco
friendly dish
washers for
washing of
dishes
 Closing taps on
significant
intervals when
not required by
the workers.
ONGOING
Started from
January
2010
implemented
till 2019
December
Workers involved
in washing of
dishes are
responsible for
execution of these
activities in order
to save water.
Significant
production of
50% of wasted
food to be
 Necessary team
is being allotted
ONGOING A special team for
monitoring of

products for
preventing food
waste and
allocating wasted
food to needy
people
delivered to
needy people at
food banks and
preventing 95%
of excess food
production
for distribution
of food which
is being
handled by
respective
outlets.
 The same team
members are
involved in
monitoring the
quantity of
food produced.
Begins from
April 2019
and expected
successful
execution till
may 2022.
food production is
being appointed
who is
responsible for
positioning of
excess food to
food banks and
limiting the
excess of food
production
Providing several
benefits and
disadvantages of
consumption of
company's
products
35% of labelled
packaging to be
used at possible
number of stores
 Manufacturing
of labelled
packaging with
environment
friendly
material which
is recyclable
 Labelling
essential harms
and benefits of
the products to
consumers and
environment.
ONGOING
Started from
November
2018 and
expected
execution till
2021 July.
Supervisors
involved in
manufacturing of
packaging
products at the
manufacturing
units of these
products.

Interview
Ques 1: How do you manage your waste?
Answer Interviewee: I generally separate organic, recyclable and landfill waste in separate bin in
my kitchen and also provide more bins to store waste for the customers. Not only this, I also
purchase the product in bulk and try to investigate options to compost food scraps as well.
Ques 2: How do you manage your water waste?
Answer Interviewee: We actually recycle some of our water in order to reduce the wastage of
water. Further, whenever I see running tap, I immediately call plumber to repair so that water
waste is minimizes. I also suggest my family to not use excessive water especially for cleaning
purpose. That's it.
Ques 3: Do you adhere with any law and policy?
Answer Interviewee: yes I adhere all the policy and laws related to environment protection such
that I deliver the good quality of goods which are environmental sustainable so that it did not
cause any harm to our environment. Further, I also make sure that I use sustainable strategies and
also make rainwater harvesting system so that it will help to restore the rain water. Even I did not
use polythene which cause negative impact upon environment.
Ques 4: Do you create awareness among people related to environment policy?
Answer Interviewee: Yes, I definitely do this. I even warn many of the people not to pollute our
environment and suggest people to use eco cycling in dish washer so that it will not create any
harm to our environment. I make sticky notes no duel flush in toilets because it waste our much
water. In this way, I continuously make awareness among people to clean our environment and
make them responsible as well.
Policy Statement
Environmental Policy Statement
As a topmost coffee chain in the world we assure everyone to produce the best possible
products with considering that no harm is being prevented to the environment while production
of our products and services.
We are committed to relevant policy for being environment friendly by executing all
those procedures which do not harm environment in any manner. Our major policy for
preventing harms to environment consist of production of recyclable packaging products which

helps in reducing the non recyclable waste and decomposing the waste more effectively by usage
of recyclable packaging. We are also trying to prevent wastage of foods with providing the
excess food to food banks for the consumption of food by the needy people (Henderson and
et.al., 2015).
We assure our consumers to deliver quality goods the environmental sustainable way by
using natural and organic products for the production of foods and beverages at the outlets which
keeps the health safe and fit of the consumers. We are always involved in making the quality of
products better by not focusing more on profits but also for delivering a happy experience to our
customers by providing our best services for an ever lasting experience of the consumers.
Our human resource department is involved in training and development of our
employees for being more environment friendly while the production of goods and services. We
are also involved in following all the rules and regulations formed by the government for
protection of environment while delivery of goods and services to the customers.
We are also executing practices of training and developing our employees for taking a
cause to save environment at their own level. These training includes saving of several types of
energies, saving water and effective utilization of resources in order to prevent any harm to the
environment.
We are developing a special packaging which will reflects pros and cons of consumption
of the products offered by us with their effect to environment and health of the consumers.
Lastly, we are having our best research and development team which tries to improve our
delivery of goods and services by not harming nature in any manner (Milliman and Clair, 2017).
CONCLUSION
From the present study, it can be concluded that environmental audit play a significant
role in achievement of goals and targets that are being set by an organization for achieving the
tasks for being more environment friendly. Further this study concludes that a risk assessment
table is being used for assessing the risks in an environmental audit which reflects the aspects
from which environment can be harmed by the company. Lastly, this study concludes that an
EMS outline table significantly helps an organization in achieving its goals and objectives that
are being determined in their environmental policy statement.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Costantino, F., Di Gravio, G. and Tronci, M., 2018. Environmental Audit improvements in
industrial systems through FRAM. IFAC-PapersOnLine. 51(11). pp.1155-1161.
Henderson, K.E. and et.al., 2015. Environmental factors associated with physical activity in
childcare centers. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical
Activity. 12(1). p.43.
Kibwage, J.K., Othoo, C.O. and Ndungu, C., 2019. Environmental Audit and Policy Compliance
of Tobacco Farming Practices in Migori County, Western Kenya. Journal of
UOEH. 41(3). pp.259-269.
Meng, X.H. and et.al., 2016, November. Towards Third-Party Audit of Corporate Social
Responsibility Report: A Survey in China. In 2016 5th International Conference on
Energy and Environmental Protection (ICEEP 2016). Atlantis Press.
Milliman, J. and Clair, J., 2017. Best environmental HRM practices in the US. In Greening
People (pp. 49-73). Routledge.
Prajogo, D. and et.al., 2016. Environmental audits and third party certification of management
practices: Firms’ motives, audit orientations, and satisfaction with
certification. International Journal of Auditing. 20(2). pp.202-210.
Schaltegger, S. and Burritt, R., 2017. Contemporary environmental accounting: issues, concepts
and practice. Routledge.
Welford, R., 2016. Corporate environmental management 1: systems and strategies. Routledge.