Description
Book SynopsisThis study focuses in detail on the environmental compliance/competitiveness relationship with respect to the regulation of packaging waste. An important and innovative feature of the study is its emphasis on backward and forward linkages. An entire supply chain is considered: packaging manufacturers and suppliers, food processors and the food retail sector, to study the competitive effects of environmental standards on manufacturing companies and the vertical links and supply responses. A variety of regulatory regimes is represented by including within the study companies from Germany, Italy, the Republic of Ireland and the United Kingdom. While it is of note that the relatively strong regulation in Germany has indeed had effects on company behaviour, there is no evidence that environmental regulations hindered companies from achieving competitive performance.
Analyses consider: the response of individual firms to different levels of regulation; the cost of compliance; impact on employment; the influence of the supply chain on environmental and competitive performance; the importance of firm size and ownership; and the impact of regulation on competitiveness, and firm competitiveness on the efficiency of adjustment to regulation.
Table of ContentsContents: 1. Introduction 2. The Relationship Between Environmental Performance and Company Competitiveness 3. Environmental Regulations Relevant to the Sample Sectors 4. The Supply Chain 5. Hypotheses, Research Method, Measurement of Variables and Sample Selection 6. Solid and Liquid Waste and Other Environmental Initiatives Undertaken by Sample Firms 7. Number of Initiatives, Firm and Plant Characteristics 8. Environmental Initiatives, their Drivers and Firm Performance 9. The Resource and Performance Effects of Regulation and External Pressures on Solid Waste Initiatives 10. Waste Costs 11. Waste Costs, Initiatives and Firm and Plant Performance 12. Environmental Regulation, Costs and Company Competitiveness 13. Conclusions Appendices A. Environmental Regulations in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Germany and Italy B. Description of Environmental Initiatives C. Description and Examples of Effects References Index
