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Essay Instructions: Packaging Materials comparison - Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of a paper- based shipping container, a wood-based shipping container and a plastic-based shipping container for use as a distribution package (a non-retail shipping package). You must consider the entire supply chain in your response.

Essay Instructions: Packaging Materials comparison - Compare and contrast the advantages and disadvantages of a paper- based shipping container, a wood-based shipping container and a plastic-based shipping container for use as a distribution package (a non-retail shipping package). You must consider the entire supply chain in your response.
Assignment must be submitted in APA format and must include a properly formatted reference list.
Paper must be 600-1200 words, excluding title page and reference page. Post assignment as an attachment.

Essay Instructions: Technical Paper Scope, Format, and Suggested Topics
Introduction to Environmental Engineering

Objective and Scope of the Technical Paper:
Objective of the technical paper to be submitted as part of course work is to demonstrate student’s knowledge and understanding of (1) sustainability and (2) the contemporary topics that are highly related to sustainability. In the first part of the paper, each student is expected to define/explain what are “sustainability” and “sustainable societies” with respect to human consumption (resources, energy, food, manufactured goods, and more), multimedia waste generation, economics, and the society. Second part of the paper should discuss (1) student selected topic, (2) its relationship to sustainability, (3) student’s perception of problems, (4) and possible solutions to keep the future generations sustainable.

Students are expected to do independent reading/research of the open literature and develop a good understanding on sustainability and their selected topics. Topics learnt in the classroom (water resources management, water treatment, water quality management, wastewater treatment, solid wastes, hazardous wastes, and air pollution) and the sustainability discussions held should give students a jump start on topic selection.

Format:
The technical paper to be submitted should be five pages in length (8.5” x 11”), single spaced, Times New Roman font of size 12 with 1” margin on all sides. Any literature sited should be referenced in the text and should be listed at the end of the paper. Any Websites visited should be referenced with the appropriate URLs and the dates visited.

Technical papers will be graded as follows:

Title (should be provocative and create interest among the readers): 5 points
Student understanding/description of sustainability and sustainable society 10 points
Relevance of the selected topic to sustainability: 5 points

Main body of the topic (background, current/future problems,
new trends, possible solutions as seen by others) 30 points

Summary and conclusions (does student agree/disagree with the solutions
offered in the literature; what is the opinion of the student if the
identified problems have to be solved? Evaluation of various solutions
based on the three pillars of sustainability (a) environment,
(b) economics, and (c) society 30 points

References 10 points
Overall appeal (figures, charts, creativity, articulation) 10 points
Total 100 points

Suggested Areas for Technical Paper:
Consumption in Developed Nations (Disproportionate consumption leads to unsustainable societies and unfairness)

Public Education and Awareness (Often public awareness can prevent misuse of resources)

Urban Transportation and Air Pollution (Many urban areas in the world are faced with transportation-induced air pollution and congestion problems; Smart planning can avoid these problems)

Alternative Modes of Transportation (Mass transit and intelligent transportation systems can reduce the current urban transportation problems)

Planning to Reduce Transportation Burden and Social Context (More detailed planning alternatives being considered around the world and their influence on reduced transportation burden on the society)

Growing Energy Demand (Many parts of the world (e.g., China and India) are going the economic boom thus their energy demands are increasing. What it means to the world energy scenario and how we may solve these problems?

Alternative Energy Sources (Renewable versus non-renewable sources? Alternatives within the same category with some having higher sustainable characteristics?)

Life Cycle Costing and Life Cycle Assessment (What is LCC and LCA and how we can use them in addressing sustainable goals? Case studies where they have been employed successfully?)

Clean / Green / Intelligent Materials [e.g., for housing, manufacturing, textiles] (What emerging new materials such as nano materials are of interest? Materials that comply with sustainability metrics?)

Global Warming / Climate Change and Increased Human Activity (Increased manmade emissions and their impact on global climate change and how it relates sustainability?)


Wetlands and Benefits (Case study of Louisiana and the Gulf Coast; How are the connected to sustainability?)

Green Housing (Energy consumption in making of construction materials as well as the energy consumption during the life of homes is of significant quantity. What materials and methods can reduce energy consumption thus comply with sustainability laws)

Urbanization and Solid Wastes (Solid wastes, population growth, and increased human consumption; how are we going to solve solid waste problems around the world?)

Industrialization and Hazardous Wastes (Increased industrialization and dependence of the public on new goods result in increased hazardous wastes; what are the trends around the world and how we are and we may complying/comply)

Landfill Vs. Incineration

Clean Technologies in Manufacturing Sector (Pick one: Oil Refining; Cement; Steel; Chemicals; Textiles; Pharmaceuticals; Others)

Ship Recycling / Scrapping in Asia (Ships at the end-of-life have to be dismantled and often are sent to developing nations to reduce the cost burden. Greenpeace and other World agencies oppose the idea of scrapping ships in developing nations with limited resources and training to protect the environment, workers, and the public. Are there solutions to these problems?)

Impact of Mega Corporations on Small Vendors and their Business Practices (e.g., WalMart; McDonald’s)

Packaging and Packaging Materials (e.g., concentrated vs. diluted to reduce transportation burden)

Paper vs. Plastics (e.g., grocery bags; plastic/paper glasses)

Bottled Water and Plastic Burden (Is it trendy to drink bottled water? Does our tap waters do not comply with the water quality standards? Who is responsible for this phenomenon? What are the solutions?)

Essay Instructions: Management Skills Development

Assignment 2 ? Academic Report

The assignment must be completed individually. You are required to produce an academic report with appropriate referencing, based on the case study below.

Case Study
A Northampton based organisation wishes to expand its market internationally.

Creative Fudge is a Northampton based business which manufactures and sells high quality fudge. The organisation has one store in central Northampton as well as an online web shop. The business has a high turnover of sales from customers in the UK. Over the last year the business owners have noticed that sales have become saturated from the UK market. As a result, the owners wish to explore the idea of trading internationally. The owners acknowledge this is complex, significant and high risk. Therefore, they have decided to concentrate on trading in one country at a time, commencing with Austria.

The organisation currently purchases the ingredients to make the fudge from a supplier in Northampton (sugar, butter, condensed milk, vanilla extract). The basic fudge mixture is produced in 5kg batches. The fudge mixture is divided into smaller batches and different flavours are added to the fudge to produce different varieties e.g. Chocolate, Caramel, Maple, Banana. One of the most popular choices is the Clotted Cream Fudge, which is made with Clotted cream sourced from Devon. The additional flavours and the packaging materials are also sourced from suppliers in Northampton. The owners believe the ingredients should be sourced as locally as possible. The business makes several batches of fudge a day, dependent upon demand.

The organisation manufactures the fudge, in the small kitchen, at the back of the shop. The fudge is packaged in the shop and sold to customers; instore and online. The fudge has to be stored in a cool area and consumed with two weeks (after manufacture).

Online sales are received via the off-the-shelf online webshop which was purchased from 1&1. The orders are taken to the post office and distributed by Royal Mail, each day.

Creative Fudge is owned by two Business Partners, who share their passion for high quality Fudge . The business was established 5 years ago. The owners felt their was a gap in the confectionary market for high quality fudge. The business partners have won several local and national awards for the quality of their product, including a UK Great Taste Award. The business has also received several positive reviews in the national newspapers, Good Housekeeping magazine and the Good Food Magazine.

The two business partners make all of the decisions within the business. The business employs two full time assistants and two part time assistants, who work at the weekends. At present the business partners produce the fudge, as it is a secret receipe. The other members of staff assist in packing, serving and distrubuting the fudge products.

The business started by the business partners making the fudge in their kitchen at home and selling their produce at farmers markets and craft fairs.
Prince Charles tasted their fudge at one of the Craft Fairs and declared it was ?most superb?. Prince Charles and the business partners were photographed in a national newpaper. Demand grew as a result of the publicity. Six months later the business opened their shop and online webshop to cope with the increased demand. In 2011, Creative Fudge commended selling their product to wholesalers; namely, farm shops, Deli?s and cafes in the UK.
A new batch of fudge is made everyday and every member of staff must stir the fudge, to encourage good luck. The staff have a morning meeting to discuss which flavours are selling the most effectively. The Business Partners try out new fudge flavours, every four months. They ask customers in the store, to taste the flavours, to obtain feedback about the potential new products. If the customers do not like the new products, they are not launched. The business partners travel around the UK to collect ideas for new fudge flavours.
The business donates 5% of its profit to a local charity.
The organisations relies on the publicity

The business trades Monday ? Saturday 9.00am -6.00pm.

The fudge sells at ?4.00 per 0.20kg. ?
Task
Write a report which outlines:
? The strategy the organisation will need to employ to trade internationally, in Austria. You must include justification and evidence to support your decisions.

? Identify three changes which will need to be made to the current process (production, distrubution, marketing and sales process) to enable the business to trade in Austria.

? A process map of the new production, distrubution and sales process to be undertaken to trade internationally, in Austria.

? Identify the current organisational culture of the business (using appropriate models/theories). Identify the areas of the organisational culture which will need to change as a result of the business trading in Austria. Identify the role of individuals within the culture change.

? Explain why managing people is important to the success of the business, drawing on relevant theory.

? Identify effective people management practices which you will employ and the practical aspects involved, to ensure the success of trading in Austria.

? Identify the specific actions you will employ to create change to enable the organisation to change its culture and processes to be able to trade internationally (using relevant theory).

? You must include justification and evidence to support your decisions, throughout the report.

? A conclusion of whether it is feasible for the business to trade in Austria

Within your report, you must ensure you sell your new ideas and make coherent arguments for your recommendations, with supporting referencing, to enable the business to trade internationally.

You must complete all the tasks

? An academic business report of 2,800 word limit, with referencing
? You must produce your assignment in an academic report format
? 1 ? line spacing ? minimum font 12
? Referenced appropriately using the Harvard referencing method.
? Word Count 2800 (-/+ 10%)