Assignment 2: Personal Footprint, Product, and Organisational Analysis

This report presents an analysis of a student's personal ecological footprint, calculated using the WWF footprint calculator. The results are interpreted in terms of land type and consumption categories, highlighting areas of significant environmental impact. The report identifies four major causes of unsustainable aspects of the student's lifestyle, including the use of personal vehicles, a diet reliant on animal products, air travel, and lifestyle choices in cities. For each category (City, Energy, Food, and Population), potential solutions are proposed, such as devolving power to build local economies, choosing renewable energy, adopting a plant-based diet, and limiting reproduction. The report then focuses on Coca-Cola as a product and Coca-Cola Amatil as a company, examining its energy and raw material inputs, and the main causes of unsustainability over the product's lifecycle, such as the environmental pollution with plastic bottles. Recommendations based on the 'waste-food model' and the application of the cradle-to-cradle design protocol are discussed. The report also identifies key stakeholder groups and their expectations, along with a major CSR issue. Finally, a recommendation is made to preserve the cultural differences of customers, and the potential effect of this recommendation is evaluated. The student concludes by stating their intention to reduce their consumption of Coca-Cola to minimize their contribution to disease and environmental pollution.

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PERSONAL FOOTPRINT, PRODUCT AND ORGANIZATIONAL SUSTAINABILITY
ANALYSIS
By
Name
Professor’s Name
Course Number
College/University Name
Street
Date

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1. RESULTS
By Land Type
0.2gha Built-Up Land
0.6gha Forest Products
1.2gha Cropland
0.1gha Grazing Land
0.1gha Fishing Grounds
3.2gha Carbon Footprint
By Consumption Category
1.2gha Food
0.5gha Shelter
1.4gha Mobility
1.2gha Goods
1.1gha Services
5.3 Your Ecological Footprint (global hectares or gha)
9.3 Your Carbon Footprint (CO2 emissions in tonnes per year)
60 Your Carbon Footprint (% of your total Ecological Footprint)

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2. With reference to your results perform the following tasks
a. Explain the meaning of your ecological footprint measured in global hectares
with reference to relevant benchmarks.
Ecological footprint refers to measure of accounting used by businesses or
government to investigate how much biological capacity of planet is needed by
human population or activity in global hectares (Fang, Heijungs, & de Snoo, 2014).
Moreover, the concept of Ecological Footprint helps to account for flows of energy
and matter in economy and converts them into land / water area to support these
flows as required by nature. Thus a person with 5.3 global hectares Ecological
Footprint requires 5.3 global hectares of area at any period.
b. Carbon footprint and sequestration
Carbon Footprint refers to total amount of greenhouse gases that are directly or
indirectly produced to support human activities and is expressed in tons (tons per
year) of carbon dioxide. Carbon sequestration is the process by which carbon
dioxide (CO2) is absorbed through photosynthesis from the atmosphere and then
stored in soils and biomass (Mancini et al., 2016). Therefore, Carbon Footprint
enhances human life through forest carbon sequestration that leaves the
atmosphere free from carbon emissions.

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c. Interpret your key results by Land Type and Consumption Category.
By land Type
It shows that one person requires 0.2gha of land at any time, and forest areas
globally demand 0.6gha of land. Additionally, demand for grazing land and
fishing grounds are equal per individual (0.1gha each). Moreover, every
individual globally demands 1.2gha of land for crop cultivation. Finally,
carbon footprint has the largest demand of global land (3.2gha).
By Consumption Category
Averagely, every individual globally needs 1.4 ha of land for mobility. Also, it
is noteworthy that every individual globally needs 1.2ha for both goods and
food. Moreover, every person demands 1.1gha for services while shelter
records the least in demand (0.5gha).
3. Four major causes of the unsustainable aspects of personal lifestyle.
Firstly, luxurious lifestyle of using a personal vehicle causes unsustainability since poisonous
gases such as carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide are emitted from combustion of fossil fuels
like gasoline used in vehicles. These poisonous gases causes air pollution and once inhaled may
prevent oxygen from brain and also corrode lungs thus increasing chances of death (Abson et al.,
2017). Secondly, feeding lifestyle that is depended on animal products including dairy and meat
which have potential to cause diseases and conditions such as; allergic disorders, cancer and
diabetes.
Thirdly, the lifestyle of using air travel is rather very expensive to maintain and aircrafts

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consume a lot of energy thus depleting the source. Also aircrafts burn some fossil fuels thus
emitting greenhouse gases that later leave contrails in the atmosphere especially at higher
altitude. In addition, airports as well as aircrafts have high level Carbon Footprints.
4. Identify one potential solution to your unsustainable lifestyle in each of the categories of
‘City’, ‘Energy’, ‘Food’ and ‘Population’.
Lifestyles in cities attract more citizens from rural regions seeking for jobs and refreshments,
thereby creating congestion leading to pressure in resources, jobs, health facilities and food
hence leading to un-sustainability in the cities. To offer solution to these challenges, there should
be devolution of power and wealth to aid in building healthy local economies and communities.
On the other hand, on Energy, choosing renewable energy instead of fossil fuels is a better way
of stopping climate change. Renewable sources do not emit greenhouse gases hence are
environmentally free. In addition, solar panels should be installed for cooking as well as heating
water. Thus clean power is added to the grid in order to offset carbon footprint.
Furthermore, on aspect of food, to limit the ecological impact, plant - based diet should be
embraced and perhaps if animals, the small ones reproducing in big numbers such as birds, to
avoid infections like acne, obesity and erectile dysfunction (Van den Bergh & Grazi, 2014)..
Finally, on aspect of population, human beings need to limit on reproduction in order to have
small families leading to global small population. Moreover, mall population would lead to
sustainable economy thus reducing land and food pressure.
5. Product and company selection
The product that I majorly consume is a soft drink of type – Coca cola. On the other hand, the
organization that manufactures it is known as Coca – Cola Amatil in Australia.

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6. Main Energy and Raw Material Inputs
The first component in National Information Panels (NIP) refer to energy found in the product
and is given both in Calories (Cal) and kilojoules (kJ). Moreover, the raw materials inputs that
are required for the manufacturing include carbon dioxide which adds special bite and sparkle to
the beverage as well as being preservative since it is inert. Another raw material is sugar to add
taste. Furthermore, the stages of manufacturing process include clarifying the water, where
impurities such as organic matter and suspended particles are removed through coagulation.
Secondly, filtering, sterilizing and dechlorinating the water. Thirdly, followed by mixing of raw
materials where dissolved sugars as well as flavor concentrates get pumped to the dosing station
(Kopnina, 2016). Finally, carbonation of the beverage is done, where little of carbon dioxide is
added that gives the product its effervescence characteristics for preservation, hence it is
packaged.
7. Main causes of un-sustainability over the product’s lifecycle
It is worth noting that consumption of coca cola daily may lead to prevalence of kidney failures
due to consumption of artificial sweeteners in coca cola soft drink. In addition, consumption of
coca cola soft drink may lower metabolism level in the body hence destroys enzymes for burning
fat at a very short time. Also, consumption of coca cola on a daily basis may lead to emergence
of obesity and diabetes. Finally, coca cola has led to environmental pollution through deposition
of plastic bottles which have overwhelmed the ocean and thus have affected aquatic life.
8. Recommendations based on the ‘waste-food model’

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The new technology supporting circular plastic economy by promoting packages like colored
PET bottles, that may have been not included in recycling process should be recycled into quality
food grade packaging (Jurgilevich et al., 2016). I addition, chemical recycling should be used
since it provides an inventive means of reutilizing unrecyclable waste of plastic , thus the
problem of environmental pollution with plastic based products will reduce.
9. Application of the principle of cradle to cradle design protocol.
Coca Cola Amatil has been faced by circular economic challenges such as climatic changes
which have affected supply and cost of aluminum, steel and plastics with problem of disposal,
even though packaging is necessary for safeguarding product delivery to customers.
Furthermore, to offer solution to these challenges, the company has resorted on high quality
plastics that are recyclable (Powell, & Gard, 2015). In addition, the Coca Cola Amatil Company
is concerned with removal of materials from the goods, for instance, cardboard trays removal
from 450 ml to 45μl shrink – wrap. Also, to reduce light weighing of secondary packaging like
shrink – wrap and primary packaging for bottles. Additionally, the company is focused with
ensuring that 100% of cans and bottles used for packaging are purely recyclable to prevent
environmental pollution with cans and plastic disposal.
10. Identify this organization’s key stakeholder groups and their specific expectations of
the organization
Key stakeholders include customers, employees, consumers, government and regulatory
authorities, suppliers, trade groups and bottling partners. All these stakeholders have
expectations from the company in order for smooth running of the company. Firstly,
transparency is needed meaning that stakeholders need open environment with flow of

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information and meaningful decision making (Rodriguez-Fernandez, 2016). Secondly,
stakeholders need inclusivity especially the marginalized ones (Mialon, Swinburn, Allender, &
Sacks, 2016). Also, stakeholders expect consistency in communication for continuity. Finally,
stakeholders expect accountability in order to know how their feedback affect and influence the
outcome of business from the company.
11. Describe one major CSR issue which confronts this organization
Coca cola Amatil has offered employment opportunities and ha to have a better working
environment for workers that has shown its sustainable potential. In addition, it has expanded
availability of food that relate to health in Australia (Richards, Thomas, Randle, & Pettigrew,
2015). Also, it has ensured production of non alcoholic beverages to non alcoholic customers.
12. Select one stakeholder group and make a recommendation
Customers- the organization should preserve the cultural differences of customers such as
language barrier, religion and lifestyle.
13. Effect of Recommendation
If the company observes the recommendation above, the customers would feel safe, l included
and valued thus this would improve the business.
14. Decision over Consumption of the Product
I should reduce the consumption rate of coca cola in order to avoid contacting diseases and
contribution to environmental pollution.

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References
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