THE CUTTING ZONE
Environmental and Sustainability Responsibility
Prepared for Diana and Bob Holland, Founders and Owners
The Cutting Zone
By Angela Rush
19 November 2018
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Angela Rush, Customer
505 Uluhala Street
Kailua, Hawaii 96734
rusha@hawaii.edu
808-345-876
Thursday, November 8, 2019
Diana and Bob Holland, Founders and Owners
The Cutting Zone
332 Uluniu St # 1
Kailua, HI 96734
Dear Diana and Bob;
Attached is a report requested by your office in response to our interview last month. It outlines
the ways and means by which your company can become environmentally and sustainably
responsible. I believe that the results of my research and recommendations for your company are
a feasible option for you.
The research objective was to analyze how other companies have successfully become
environmentally responsible and how their methods can be applied to your company in an
achievable manner. Focus areas of this analysis for this project include:
• Better understanding of the effects of your company’s carbon foot-print.
• Benefits of proper ways of disposing chemicals.
• Reasons to consider turning off all electricity when closing.
• Promotion and selling of environmentally friendly hair products.
Initial research involved an interview with Diana Holland. She is the proprietor of the Cutting
Zone and manages all the daily activity within the salon and can provide insight to a feasible way
of implementing any proposed changes. Secondary research is comprised but not limited to,
articles from a sustainable salon, government issued documents about the effects of companies
becoming environmentally responsible, and data charts from Carbon Trust and Global Foot-print
Network.
I appreciate your time and consideration to the recommendations that research has yielded. If
you have any questions, feel free to contact me by the information provided above.
Sincerely,
Angela Rush
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary ………… 4
The Problems ………………. 5
Background …………………. 6
What is Carbon Foot-printing? …………….. 7
Disposing of Chemicals ………………10
Electricity …………………… 15
Eco Hair and Beauty ……………. 20
Recommendations ………………. 24
Works Cited …………………… 25
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Executive Summary
The Cutting Zone will greatly benefit from implementing a plan for environmental
responsibility and sustainability. With an increasing demand for natural resources within big and
small companies, it would be valuable to adopt certain methods to become environmentally
friendly. By adopting these methods, it will reduce carbon and waste emissions. At your request,
research was conducted to determine if investing in sustainability will profit your company.
Research revealed that implementing plans for environmental responsibility and
sustainability will not only save your company money but will allow your company to aid in
taking better care of our environment.
The following are the highlights of my research:
• Education on the impacts of carbon-foot printing will allow your company to flourish by
becoming environmentally aware of the impacts from your industry products.
• Proper bins for disposal of chemicals and the key beneficial factors of recycling.
• How to calculate watts to better understand the impact on energy on our environment.
• Why you should promote and sell Eco Hair and Beauty products.
Based on my research, I recommend that The Cutting Zone implement all four of my
research highlights.
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The Problems
The purpose of my research was to find a local small business within Kailua, Hawaii and
determine how they can improve their company by taking environmental and sustainable
responsibility.
The company I chose to interview was the Cutting Zone located in Kailua, Hawaii. Diana
Holland is the proprietor of the salon. During the interview, it came to my attention that Diana
was unaware of carbon foot-printing and its effects on the environment. The Cutting Zone has
three problems that were presented during the interview. Each problem can be easily fixed by a
simple few changes to how they operate within the salon.
Chemical disposal is a problem within the Cutting Zone. When asked how Diana Holland
throws away used chemicals and their bottles, she stated that they just throw them away in an
ordinary trash can or dump the used chemicals in the sink and hope everything drains away.
Recycling is also a key factor in the Cutting Zone’s lack of environmental and sustainable
responsibility. They offer free water with Styrofoam and plastic cups. They do not provide a
recycle can anywhere within their salon.
Electricity is a cost-effective aspect in their salon as well as a huge impact on our
environment. They keep everything plugged in during the day and overnight. Diana addressed
the issue of only having two energy-saving light bulbs but also mentioned that she didn’t think
she would exchange any of her other light bulbs to the same two energy-saving bulbs.
Each one of these three problems can be fixed. By doing further research into other
environmentally responsible salons and reading government-issued environmental articles, I
have devised a plan for the Cutting Zone to take into consideration.
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Background
According to a report based on the new Office Depot Small Business Index, it finds that
61 percent of small businesses are actively trying to go greener and 70 percent anticipate
becoming more environmentally conscious in the next two years (Cheema). Running an
environmentally responsible business helps you reduce your impact on the environment and
preserves natural resources. Your business can help the environment in many ways; not to
mention that reducing the environmental impact of your business will improve the sustainability
of your business. If you are less dependent on natural resources than your competitors and have
ways to deal with rising costs due to climate change, your business will have a greater chance of
long-term success (Queensland).
An interview with Diana Holland allowed me to realize that Diana is uninformed about
carbon foot-printing. Her lack of proper knowledge to the topic is what causes her business to be
non-environmentally responsible. The Cutting Zone, is a [ ] type of business. Diana claims that
she is not in charge of her employees and how they handle their customers, chemicals, and
equipment. However, with better understanding of the effects of carbon foot-printing and how
her business can help reduce her own foot-print, she should have a better understanding of why it
is important to be aware of her influence and responsibility to the environment.
The resulting recommendations of the following report will show that becoming
environmentally responsible is not only an affordable option but can promote the growth of the
company.
What is Carbon Foot-printing?
The term carbon footprint is commonly used to describe the total amount of carbon
dioxide (CO2) and other greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for which an individual or
organization is responsible. Footprints can also be calculated for events or products (Carbon
Trust). This includes activities of individuals, populations, governments, companies,
organizations, and industry sectors. Products include goods and services. All direct (on-site and
internal) and indirect emissions (off-site, external, up-stream and down-stream) need to be taken
into account.
