Waste Management in a Company in an Era of Sustainable Development – A Case Study of the Komandor Group Company

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to show the benefits of managing waste in accordance with the idea of sustainable development in line with the principles of building a closed model. The authors presented the importance of the concept of sustainability in relation to waste management, pointing out its positive impact on the environment and value for stakeholders, as well as changes in business models. In order to illustrate the potential resulting from skilful waste management in a company, the case study method was used, which, according to J.K. Yin (2009), is suitable for understanding the development of phenomena in a certain context. On the basis of the case study analysed, the authors illustrated how an appropriately adopted change not only improved the position of the enterprise, but also reduced costs resulting from the need to dispose of waste earlier. The case study showed how cooperation with a specialised company improves environmental and resource savings and has a positive impact on the company’s financial performance, resulting in annual savings of PLN 77,000 net. The conclusion emphasises the need for companies to adapt to sustainable development paradigms. Companies that are characterised by responsibility (both social and environmental) are better perceived by customers as well as business partners. Such an attitude positively influences the value they create, thus giving them a better chance of defending themselves against the coming economic crisis, which may be the subject of further research and discussion.