Assessing Linkages: Marketing & Management for Sustainability Report

This report provides a critical analysis of sustainability in the context of marketing and management, focusing on the readymade garments (RMG) industry. It begins by defining the circular economy and its importance in minimizing waste and promoting sustainable practices. The report then analyzes six brands (Gap Inc., Burberry, Primark, M&S, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail, and Arvind) examining their resource issues, how they are managed, and their approaches to reuse, reduce, and recycle resources. Table 1 highlights the sustainability issues faced by each brand, such as water usage, ethical concerns like child labor, and lack of product innovation. Table 2 delves into the brands' strategies for slowing, narrowing, and closing resource loops. The report further links marketing and management strategies to sustainability, evaluating the value proposition and creation/delivery of each brand. The analysis highlights the importance of addressing environmental, economic, and social sustainability goals to maintain stakeholder trust and confidence. The report emphasizes the need for companies to reassess their supply chains, eliminate unethical activities, and adopt eco-friendly practices to contribute to a more sustainable future. It references academic sources such as Bocken, de Pauw, Bakker, and Grinten (2016) and Geissdoerfer et al. (2017).

Running head: MANAGEMENT
Sustainable management and marketing
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

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Introduction
Circular economy is being defined as a way of minimizing the wastes in the different
processes through the enumeration of procedures relating to alternative consumption. In this
relation, most of the organizations planned the sustainability measures with the objective of
encouraging the recycling process while designing new and improved set of product offerings
(Geissdoerfer et al. 2017).
The concept of circular economy is developing at a very rapid rate in order to make
sure that the different organizations are trying to take natures their teachers and are
undertaking all their projects in a very sustainable manner (Hong and Chen 2017). They will
be able to ensure that the different kinds of works that are being undertaken by the companies
are not harming the nature in any way (Korhonen, Honkasalo and Seppälä 2018). There are
some very evil aspects taking place in different organization. One of the major polluting
activities is the solid waste that is being dumped on the ground or being accumulated into the
Earth’s atmosphere due to plastic wastes and other such solid pollutants (Agarwal 2016).

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Figure: Circular Economy
(Source: Bek and Lim 2018 )
Table 1
BRAND RESOURCE
ISSUES
HOW USED /MANAGED
BRAND 1(Gap Inc.) Water usage
 The organization aimed at reducing the
rate of emission of the GHG (Green
House gases) by 50% by the year 2020
while already optimizing the operations
of the same in the markets
 The organization designed a Water
strategy with the objective of reducing

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the water use in production departments
by 10 billion litres by the end of 2020
BRAND
2(Burberry)
In a practice
understood to be
common across
the retail
industry, the
luxury brand
burned £28.6m
of products,
including
£10.4m worth of
beauty items,
according to its
annual report.
 However, the wastes that are created by
the brand affected the environmental
sustenance of the same while operating
in the different markets
BRAND
3(PRIMARK)
Child
labour(ethical
issue)
 The organization’s lower control over
the suppliers from India resulted to the
scandal relating to child labour in the
manufacturing departments of the
organization.
 The application of cheap labour and
exploitation of the children while
developing the line of products resulted
to the ethical issue in the organization

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BRAND 4(M& S) Lack of product
innovation and
development
 The lack of product and service
innovations in the organization also
affected the competitive position of the
venture while operating in the different
markets.
BRAND 5(Aditya
birla fashion and
retail)
 The organization aimed at reducing the
dependency on grid electricity by 12%
while increasing their capability of
renewable energy sources by 25% by
2020
 The organization focused on reducing
the rate of wastes to zero by 2020
 25% of the reductions in the GHG
emissions by 2020 is again a strategy
that is being operated on by the
organization with the objective of
upholding the business sustenance
 The different environmental, economic
and social sustenance related goals of the
venture enabled the same in retaining the
trust and confidence of the stakeholders
BRAND 6 (Arvind
(company)
 The organization has already
implemented procedures for reutilizing
water and 65% usage of the operations

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are developed on the basis of recycled
water
 The organization aimed at reducing the
carbon footprint by 25% while
implementing Better Cotton Initiative
(BCI) for improving the rate of organic
cotton farming
 The community developmental programs
that are initiated by the organization
enabled the same in maintaining the
efficiency of the operation sin alignment
with the needs of the customers
 There are some other companies like Gap Inc. that has already tried its level best to
make sure that they are working over the abolition of the waste water usage (Stahel
2016). This shows that a good and useful strategy has been undertaken for the purpose
of the overall welfare of the organization and also the society as well. This will be
helping the company to earn a good will among their customers so that they can
develop some sustainable approaches for the overall welfare of their organization
(Agarwal 2016). PRIMARK has reported to indulge children, mostly as young as 11
years, as labour force for manufacturing their apparels. Burberry is an organization
that destroyed around £28m worth of its fashion and cosmetic products for avoiding
situations related to counterfeiting (Wood and Butler 2019). It helped the organization
in continuing with the social and economic sustenance through empowering the trust
and confidence of the customers.

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 They have also taken some kinds of strategies that will be helping them to reduce the
waste accumulation from their production and manufacturing processes (Jones and
Comfort 2017). Aditya Birla has tried to reduce the 25% of the reductions in the GHG
emissions. Improper usage of electricity consumption has been reduced by Arvind
company. M&S has been able to deal with lack of product innovation and
development affected the capabilities of the organization, Marks and Spencer, in
providing the customers with a variation of offerings as per the changing needs.
Compare and discuss the key analysis from the Table
It is evident from the given table 1 that there are some of the very famous and well
known brands that have been fighting with several sustainability issues over the years
Camiller 2017). However they have to make sure that they are being able to recognize these
issues and the make sure that they are also being able to adopt some safe and sustainable
resources for the purpose of carrying on their business in the long run (Sarkar and Shaw
2017). Though it was seen that the companies were calling back all their faulty products and
practices, this practice cannot be allowed to carry on (Agarwal 2016). For an instance it has
been seen that PRIMARK is one of the major companies that is engaged in the production of
clothes and retail products (Camiller 2017). However it has been seen that one of the
drawback is the child labour that they used for the purpose of maximizing their production.
However after these issues were discovered the company took it on a serious note and made
sure that they are being able to reassess their supply chain and abolish all the unethical
activities that have been taking place (Sarkar and Shaw 2017).
Table 2

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BRAND SLOW(REUSE) NARROW(REDUCE) CLOSE(RECYLE)
BRAND 1(Gap Inc.)  They are
trying to
convert the
retail waste
from landfills
into
something
useful
 Significantly
trying to
reduce the
energy waste
like water
wastage and
use it for some
kinds of
fruitful
purposes.
 Solutions for
polybags is
one of the
recycling
strategies
being used
by them.
BRAND 2(burberry)  They are
trying to
reuse the
plastics and
the other
packaging
materials that
are used for
the purpose
of delivering
their
products
 They are
working for the
reducing of the
maximum
amount of
plastic waste so
that they can
reduce the
plastic waste in
the world.
 Created
paper
packaging
using FSC
certified
virgin pulp
and fiber
from
recycled
coffee cups
in
partnership
with
CupCycling.

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BRAND 3 (M& S)  They have
the approach
of
developing a
circular
economy and
make sure all
wastes gets
reduced
 The company
has eliminated
1,700 tonnes of
black plastic
packaging
because it’s
hard to recycle
and switching
over to other
brands.
 They are also
making
newer
strategies so
that they can
transform the
plastics
BRAND 4(Primark)  They are
trying to
work over
the
production of
renewable
sources of
energy
 They are trying
to look after
the production
of eco friendly
products
 They have
looked after
the reduction
of the landfill
waste and
waste water
BRAND 5(Aditya
birla fashion and
retail)
 Reduction in
petcoke
consumption
by reuse of
petcoke ash
with fresh
petcoke
 Reduction in
the amount of
energy that is
being used by
the company

 Replacement
 Reduction
strategies
have been
undertaken
through the
recycling of
all the waste

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of conventional
tube lights with
LED lights
(1,000 No.s),
saving of
158,400 units
during the
year.
water and
making them
usable in
some other
modern
scientific
technological
means.
BRAND 6 (Arvind
Fashions company)
 They have
taken steps to
reuse the
water
footprint.
This has
helped them
to reduce
their usage of
dependency
on the usage
of water
which is a
natural
resource for
the
operations at
 They have
entered into a
public private
project where
they undertook
some kinds of
recycling
works
Partnership project at
Santej Unit, where the
sewage water is
extracted from the
different processes and
 from nearby
communities
through the
local
 Recycling of
water has
been
undertaken
that is now
being used in
order to meet
about 60%
off their
water
demand

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different
units.
municipality’s
wastewater
network. In
addition to
efficient use of
water
resources, our
aim is to
completely
eliminate the
use of fresh
water.
Compare and discuss the key analysis from the Table
It can be seen from the table that all the different well known brand are being able to
understand about the concept of circular economy and are taking active steps in order to deal
with the same. They have started taking different steps that would be helping them to not
only minimize the amount of waste that is being generated in the atmosphere due to their
production but at the same time the waste materials are being also recycled for something
purposeful and useful. There are several companies that make the promises of maintaining all
the necessary environmental standards. Arvind Fashions Company has worked hard for
looking after the excessive loss of water. Aditya Birla has also worked for the purpose of

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working over the reduction in the waste water usage. PRIMARK has been working over the
reduction of the landfill wastes and the production of the other renewable sources of
packaging materials.
Gap Inc has worked hard for the purpose of making sure that they are able to work
over the extra usage of polybags. Burberry has tried to create paper packaging using FSC
certified virgin pulp. This will help in making sure that the industries are being able to look
after the generation of the wastes into the atmosphere and make sure that they are being able
to take care of their society and their planets by making sure that they are using the eco
friendly products like the environmental friendly packing materials and also pollution free
products.