MNO3602
ASSIGNMENT 1 2025
DUE: 10 SEPT 2025 (MEMO)
, MNO3602
ASSIGNMENT 1 2025
DUE 10 SEPT 2025
QUESTION
You are the operations manager of a retail company (e.g. Shoprite) in South Africa
and must address the environmental issues of your organisation. Think of all the
internal drivers of DfE (relating to environmental issues at your organisation)
and provide an example of each.
In my role as operations manager at Shoprite South Africa, it is crucial to ensure that
our organisation adopts Design for the Environment (DfE) principles in order to reduce
our environmental footprint. DfE encourages us to consider environmental concerns
throughout the product lifecycle from sourcing materials, to packaging, logistics,
consumer use, and recovery. Internal drivers of DfE are particularly important because
they are factors over which our organisation has direct control. Below, I discuss each
internal driver and provide a relevant example that reflects Shoprite’s retail operations.
Product Quality
One of the key internal drivers of DfE is product quality, which refers to the reliability,
durability, and repairability of goods. If products are of poor quality, they are more likely
to be discarded quickly, resulting in waste. At Shoprite, we can address this by working
with suppliers to ensure longer-lasting, higher-quality reusable shopping bags. For
example, instead of offering only thin plastic bags, Shoprite could introduce durable
fabric bags that last for years. This ensures customers do not constantly purchase
single-use plastics, thereby reducing plastic waste in landfills.
ASSIGNMENT 1 2025
DUE: 10 SEPT 2025 (MEMO)
, MNO3602
ASSIGNMENT 1 2025
DUE 10 SEPT 2025
QUESTION
You are the operations manager of a retail company (e.g. Shoprite) in South Africa
and must address the environmental issues of your organisation. Think of all the
internal drivers of DfE (relating to environmental issues at your organisation)
and provide an example of each.
In my role as operations manager at Shoprite South Africa, it is crucial to ensure that
our organisation adopts Design for the Environment (DfE) principles in order to reduce
our environmental footprint. DfE encourages us to consider environmental concerns
throughout the product lifecycle from sourcing materials, to packaging, logistics,
consumer use, and recovery. Internal drivers of DfE are particularly important because
they are factors over which our organisation has direct control. Below, I discuss each
internal driver and provide a relevant example that reflects Shoprite’s retail operations.
Product Quality
One of the key internal drivers of DfE is product quality, which refers to the reliability,
durability, and repairability of goods. If products are of poor quality, they are more likely
to be discarded quickly, resulting in waste. At Shoprite, we can address this by working
with suppliers to ensure longer-lasting, higher-quality reusable shopping bags. For
example, instead of offering only thin plastic bags, Shoprite could introduce durable
fabric bags that last for years. This ensures customers do not constantly purchase
single-use plastics, thereby reducing plastic waste in landfills.
