Case Study Examples

Practical examples of companies addressing the sustainability agenda are important in terms of providing evidence of the potential benefits that can accrue from developing more sustainable strategies, and to provide examples of good practice that others can follow.

A selection of on-line case studies are listed in the links below, if you have a further example of a case study that you believe should be included in this collection, please send details including a link to BRASS@cf.ac.uk

http://www.greenmarketing.com
A wide selection of cases linked to the online edition of Jacquelyn Ottman’s online book ‘Green Marketing: Opportunity for Innovation’.

http://www.fujixerox.co.jp/eng/ecology/index.html
Gives information on Fuji Xerox’s environmental management programmes.

http://www.patagonia.com/
Provides information on Patagonia – environmentally conscious makers of quality outdoor clothing.

http://www.bitc.org.uk/resources/case_studies/index.html
This links to Business in the Community’s extensive bank of case studies.

http://www.wbcsd.org
The homepage of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development provides a link to a diverse range of case studies. Interesting examples include:

http://www.projectsigma.co.uk/PracticalExperience/CaseStudies.asp
The Sigma Project provides case studies of partner organisations incorporating the principles of sustainable development into their business operations, including:

http://www.article13.com/static/A13_rp_CBIStudyPage.asp
The CBI and Article 13 have come together to profile companies who are doing innovative work in terms of corporate social responsibility. Case study material is downloadable in PDF format for 3M, Marks and Spencer, Smiths Aerospace, and Unilever. Links are also available to other organizations featured previously on this page, including Sainbury’s, Kingfisher PLC, Anglo American and Sky.

http://www.bized.ac.uk/compfact/kettleby/ket16.htm
A case study of Kettleby Foods and their environmental policy.

http://www.bized.ac.uk/compfact/daychocolate/choc7.htm
A case study of the Day Chocolate Company.

http://www.gossypium.co.uk
Provides information on Gossypium a retailer of organic and fairly traded clothing.

http://www.cafedirect.co.uk
Provides information on Cafedirect, the UK’s largest Fair Trade hot drinks company.

http://www.greenproductsalliance.com
Green Products Alliance is a consortium of manufacturers and marketers who make and sell natural personal care products.

http://www.suma.co.uk
Provides information on Suma Wholefoods, the UK’s largest independent wholesaler and distributor of quality vegetarian, fairly traded, organic and natural foods.

http://www.sustainability.dpc.wa.gov.au/docs/CaseStudies.htm
The Case Studies listed on this page are largely symbolic. They are intended to stimulate discussion on Sustainability in Western Australia. The Case Studies provide a simple outline of activities that are bringing Western Australia closer to sustainability. Western Australian University students, engaged in sustainability studies, have prepared the Case Studies. This has provided an opportunity for cooperation between government and higher education to achieve a common goal. The case tudy index icludes the main headings of government, mining, agriculture and conservation, education, community,energy, housing and construction and industry and technology.

http://www.sustainability.com/developing-value/search.asp
Case study search from the Business Case Matrix contains several hundred case studies from emerging markets around the world. The database describes companies of different sizes and from different industry, outlining the sustainability actions (environmental, social and governance) they have undertaken and the business benefits they have experienced as a result. The Matrix summarises the results from across these different companies.

http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/countrylanes/news/2003/11/seeda_entry.pdf
Sustainable Business Awards for the South East 2003 Case Study - Country Lanes Company Background Established in 1993, Country Lanes is a small, rural enterprise with an innovative approach to tourism.

http://www3.iclei.org/iclei/casestud.htm
These case studies use successful examples of local environmental and development management to present key concepts for implementing sustainable development at the local level. Examples are from all over the globe. Key replication aspects are abstracted and contacts are provided, as well as a short bibliography for further research.

http://www.envirowise.gov.uk/envirowisev3.nsf/key/CaseStudies
Envirowise Case studies are produced to show waste management in action within an organisation. Each case study gives savings generated, which are independently audited, useful tips and pointers to further help. Use the options below to open the full list or filtered by industry, topic or local area.

http://www.aquinas.edu/sb/case.htmlS
Slected Case Studies in Sustainable Business feature Steelcase, Designtex, and Röhmer Companies. Designtex, a subsidiary of Grand Rapids based office furniture manufacturer Steelcase Inc., made a decision to produce a different kind of upholstery fabric. The Swiss textile firm Röhmer, which had been supplying Designtex with a traditional upholstery material, was spending considerable money shipping their textile scraps to Spain for landfill as well as using expensive water pollution equipment to release their effluent back into a nearby Swiss river. Production of the new fabric required only 38 benign chemicals rather than hundreds of compounds with a variety of toxicity that had been used to make the original fabric.

http://www.ethicalcorp.com/content_list.asp?m=ct&ct=4
21 Full story Case Studies: Making the business case for going green icluding Nike, adidas, and the Pentland Group that aims to improve worker conditions, Marks & Spencer corporate responsibility performance and the sustainable re-design of Ford's River Rouge Factory in the US, and the cost savings to be made from sustainable manufacturing.

http://www.apc.org/english/capacity/business/buscase/summary3.shtml
Case studies from the Association for Progressive Communications (APC). written by Mark Surman and focussing on Building Sustainable Electronic Networks.

http://www.sustainableoregon.net/business/general_business.cfm
Business Case Studies and individuals who are committed to work toward a more sustainable future including An Oregon Perspective on Business & Sustainability by Sarah Severn, Director of Corporate Sustainable Development for Nike and a piece about Tree of Life Nursery started by June Davis to provide an adequate supply of native vegetation for restoring riparian areas in Oregon and the Northwest.

http://www.sustreport.org/business/intro.html
This section looks at the special issues facing business on the road to sustainability. Tools and techniques are presented along with examples of leadership and case studies featuring Examples of companies that have accepted the challenge to operate more sustainably - with welcome results for the bottom line such as the Rocky Mountain Innitative.

http://www.foe.co.uk/campaigns/corporates/case_studies/
Friends of the Earth corporate case studies featuring a piece on mining company Anglo American who has worked hard to create an image of a responsible corporation but in case study 1 of the UKplc in Latin America (PDF†) a different image is portrayed. Also includes pieces on Cadbury, BH Billiton, Barclays and BP.

http://www.gemi.org/water/casestudies.htm
This site looks at Water Use, Impact, and Source Assessment, Business Risk Assessment and Business Opportunity Assessment with case studies of the companies Coca Cola, Kodak, Proctor and Gamble and Dupont.

http://www.gvrd.bc.ca/sustainability/casestudies.htm
The Case Studies project is part of the GVRD Sustainable Region Initiative (SRI). The purpose of the case studies project is to provide "made in the region" examples of projects that are helping to advance sustainability. The site has documented over 50 exciting projects. Together they cover a range of social development, community building, and environmental restoration and enhancement activities.

http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/environmental_management/sustainability/industry/case_studies/#case Case studies include an eco-efficiency assessment of Rocky Point prawn farm, Coles Supermarkets on-factory environmental management system to ISO 14001 standards and the partnership between the Cairns Crocodile Farm and Mulgrave Central Mill demonstrating how industries can work together to create solutions that provide both economic and environmental benefits.

http://www.envolve.co.uk/business/cases.htm
Envolve presents case studies of businesses who have completed projects using sustainable practice icluding Case Study from BMT Defence Services Ltd reducing the impact of office waste and staff commuting, Horstman Defence Systems Ltd reducing the costs of compressed air delivery, John Wainwright & Co. Ltd. energy efficiency programme, environmental management and Severnprint Limited combining the best in printing and environmental measures.

http://www.imperial-tobacco.com/index.asp?pageid=119
The Imperial Tobacco of today is an international, multicultural business with products sold in over 130 countries. These case studies feature challenges of behaving responsibly and growing sustainably in Madagascar and the Ukraine.

http://www.fivewinds.com/services/services_SustainabilityCSR.cfm
Five Winds International help clients manage the risks and capitalize on the opportunities created by sustainable development. They give acess to a number of case studies icluding CSR: Lessons Learned Case Study, DuPont Canada Case Study, The Home Depot Case Study, Husky Injection Molding Case Study, Marine Harvest Canada Case Study, Syncrude Canada Ltd. Case Study, Teck Cominco Case Study, TELUS Case Study, VanCity Case Study and Weyerhaeuser Case Study.

http://www.aceee.org/p2/p2cases.htm
The following case studies show how a range of industries have implemented projects or overall corporate strategies that profit from the synergies of energy efficiency, pollution prevention, process efficiency, and increased productivity. Includes companies using aluminium recycling, scrap metal recycling, re-engineered fertilizer production, water use and dyebath reuse.

http://www.nycwasteless.org/bus/casestudies/cs-energy.html
The following case studies describe how businesses have employed various technologies to reduce energy costs. Featur ing ford, Stanten Island University Hospital and the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

http://www.countryenergy.com.au/internet/cewebpub.nsf/Content/ea_case_studies Country Energy have an increasing portfolio of success stories and have helped customers solve problems, better manager their energy usage and improve their bottom line. Their case studies include Rockdale Beef – Yanco NSW, Tamworth City Council – NSW and St Andrews War Memorial Hospital – Brisbane QLD.

http://nzbcsd.org.nz/energyefficiency/content.asp?id=215
This section provides case studies on people that have taken a comprehensive approach to make their companies more energy efficiency. These case studies on Hot Pyjama Productions, Interface Agencies and Products from New Zealand demonstrate a broad range of actions and creativity you can put into reducing your companies energy impact.

http://www.bpf.co.uk/bsn/reduce_waste_increase_energy_efficiency_case_studies.cfm These Studies have been prepared by recognised industry experts in plastics processing, and are designed to offer practical advice on the best and most cost-effective approaches. The publications fit together with materials from the sister Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme to give a complete cost cutting guide to plastics processing.

http://www.coloradoefficiencyguide.com/casestudies/default.htm
These case study links from the Colorada Energy Efficiency Guide will walk you through a series of projects from various business sectors. They will provide you with details on what efficiency measures the companies implemented, how much they cost, how much money and energy the project is saving, and payback periods. The case studies describe the context and goals for the project, and will give you a sense for what is possible and achievable.

http://www.fypower.com/ind/case/
A selection of case studies with an in-depth look at how companies planned, financed and implemented its energy conservation and efficiency programs including Allergen Inc and Roche Bio Science.

http://www.trane.com/commercial/library/case.asp
Case studies cover most building types on such subjects as efficiency upgrades, indoor air quality, refrigerant conversions, hybrid chiller systems, thermal storage and interoperability.

http://www.nationalgridus.com/narragansett/business/energyeff/3_small.asp
Case studies on reducing company's energy costs by installing energy efficient equipment including City of Melfod and Delops, Brockton MA.


« Back to Information page