Carlsberg Breweries A/S, a global brewing leader based in Denmark, aimed to reduce the environmental impact of traditional draught beer systems, which contributed to carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions through the use of CO2 tanks and the transportation of heavy steel kegs. Carlsberg developed the DraughtMaster system, which replaced CO2 tanks with recyclable plastic kegs, reducing emissions but raising concerns about plastic waste. In late 2021, Carlsberg’s efforts to expand the deployment of this eco-innovation to North America sparked questions about how the company should manage reputational and environmental risks. Should Carlsberg continue expanding or take a stronger stance on plastic reduction—or can it avoid framing this dilemma as an either/or choice?
In a letter to its members in September 2022, London Food Co-op (the Co-op) in London, Ontario, shared that it was struggling with a number of challenges. The pandemic had taken a toll on the Co-op’s financial position, to the extent that its viability was at risk. The main challenges it faced were decreasing sales, low membership, and a lack of awareness of the Co-op among Londoners. One of the managers of the Co-op needed to find solutions to help increase its sales and membership. The unique elements of the Co-op included its core values of sustainability and supporting a local food system, its co-operative business model, and its strong connection to the community.
Circulr was a start-up that provided a solution for consumer waste by collecting used packaging, washing it, and selling it back to the original brand and product manufacturer so that the packaging could be reused. Instead of building its own washing facility, Circulr rented spare washing capacity from industrial kitchens. The company’s co-founders had ambitious goals for Circulr, but in order to achieve them, there were two essential issues that needed to be resolved. The first issue was that of incentivizing brands, manufacturers, and end-users to reuse their packaging. Disposable packaging remained extremely convenient for consumers, and Circulr needed to develop a collection system that made it easy and rewarding for consumers to place their used packaging in Circulr’s collection bins instead of in the garbage can. The second issue was that of operational scale and configuration. If Circulr were to successfully grow demand and supply over time, how would its operational system evolve to achieve the necessary capacity and capabilities? Could the use of third-party washing facilities continue to be sustainable at scale? How would processes and policies evolve to gain competitiveness?
In November 2020, A&W Food Services of Canada Inc. (A&W Canada) had a difficult decision to make. As a fast-food chain with a track record on advancing sustainability issues, the company could not ignore the mounting public concern about plastic and packaging waste or the continuously evolving regulatory environment regarding waste in Canada. The company had already taken steps in this direction by introducing paper straws and compostable burger bags, for example. However, it was the large number of beverage cups that stood out as generating the largest amount of disposable waste. Regulations on extended producer responsibility were being introduced across Canada, although the details in each province varied. New materials were constantly being developed, which provided various potential alternatives. A&W Canada had to make a decision but was unsure what criteria to apply. How would this decision affect key stakeholders? How could the company make a more informed decision?
It was June 2020, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Frances Edmonds, head of sustainable impact at HP Canada Co., the Canadian subsidiary of HP Inc. (HP), was continuing HP’s decades-long pursuit of sustainable impact. HP had worked nearly two decades with strategic partners like Lavergne Groupe to redesign its products and make plastic circular. HP was now committed to using 30 per cent post-consumer recycled plastic across its personal systems and printers by 2025. However, decreasing commodity prices during the COVID-19 pandemic, global supply challenges, and lowered global collection of recycled content could potentially undermine HP’s recycling efforts and goals. Edmonds was considering possible strategic, tactical, and operational actions to cope with the situation and sustain HP’s aspirations. Would HP’s circular supply chain remain viable and competitive?
From 2000 to 2019, the department of corporate social responsibility and global supplier management at Huawei Technologies Company Limited had been trying to engage hundreds of Chinese suppliers on sustainability. The department’s effort included orchestrating multiple, diverse, sustainability initiatives, from auditing to contributing to the rollout of a self-assessment tool launched in 2012 by the British Telecom Group (BT). However, the auditing, even when delivered through a joint initiative established by international communications tech companies in 2013, seemed unlikely to cause pathbreaking development in Huawei’s large and fragmented supply network. Initial experiences with the self-assessment tool were proving equally unsuccessful in introducing suppliers to more sustainable products and operations and stimulating engagement among them. Why were these initiatives failing to produce improvement? What else could be done to effectively and efficiently engage hundreds of Chinese suppliers on sustainability?
In September 2014, a real estate and procurement expert was preparing his notes for an upcoming strategic meeting with the management team of the Regional Council of Lombardy (RCL), the governing body of one of the 20 regions in Italy. The RCL wanted to analyze the procurement process for two of its most important projects: the construction of Ospedale Papa Giovanni XXIII, a new cutting-edge, high-technology public hospital; and the construction of the hospital’s surrounding parking area. During the construction of the hospital, a number of scope changes had been introduced and a major issue emerged. Construction had concluded at the end of 2012—€156 million over budget. The surrounding parking area was also subject to some issues, but with relatively minor economic and reputational impacts. Two years after the end of construction, the RCL was performing post-project reviews with the intent of improving future project procurement performance.