The management of CSR within the plastic industry

A study of plastic producing companies within the Gnosjö region in Sweden

Master’s degree project

Thesis within: Business Management

Numbers of credits: 30 ETCS

Programme of study: Civilekonom

Authors: Sara Avramidou & Maria Tellstedt

Jönköping: May 2020

Tutor: Elvira Ruiz Kaneberg

Acknowledgement

Master Thesis in Business Management Title: The management of CSR within the plastic industry Authors: Sara Avramidou & Maria Tellstedt Tutor: Elvira Ruiz Kaneberg Date: May 2020 Key terms: Sustainable production, Corporate Social Responsibility, Plastic industry, and

Plastic waste management

Abstract Background: The matter of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has more and more become a

topic of interest today. As the concept has gained attention, the emphasis on its different concepts

has shifted from the focus lying on the social responsibilities, to being more about the

environmental responsibilities and impact of companies. Although the attention put on CSR and

the environment has increased, an increase in the amount of plastic waste is still seen in the world.

In Sweden, corporations accounts for as much as 50% of the total amount of plastic waste every

year.

Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to analyse the management of environmental Corporate

Social Responsibility in plastic producing companies, specifically the management of CSR within

the Gnosjö region in Sweden

Method: This qualitative study involves multiple case studies primarily based on semi-structured

interviews with managers of plastic producing companies in the Gnosjö region of Sweden.

Findings: The study showed that plastic companies are challenged in several ways, like re-using

their production waste, caring for their employees, switching to more sustainable energy sources,

and adhering to sustainable standards. Thus, companies’ goals are required to satisfy environmental

demands by positioning their CSR-work towards customers’ environmental needs.

Conclusion: This thesis conclude that companies’ have different views on the meaning of CSR. It

was found that sales and profit were the main motivators of adopting CSR practices, followed by

some ethical aspects. Companies will continue to experience an increased demand for recycled

plastics and that the importance of CSR will persistently grow. New knowledge demands the

development of new materials and better strategies for recycling.

Table of contents

1. Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 7

1.1 Background ........................................................................................................................7

1.2 Problem ..............................................................................................................................8 1.3 Purpose...............................................................................................................................9

1.4 Research questions .............................................................................................................9 1.5 Keywords ......................................................................................................................... 10

1.6 Delimitations .................................................................................................................... 11 1.7 Perspective ....................................................................................................................... 12

2. Literature review ........................................................................................................... 13

2.1 The management of Corporate Social Responsibility ........................................................ 13 2.2 The plastic industry .......................................................................................................... 16

2.3 Carroll’s Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility ....................................................... 16 2.4 The Triple Bottom Line of Sustainability .......................................................................... 18

2.5 Legislations of Corporate Social Responsibility ................................................................ 19

3. Methodology.................................................................................................................... 22

3.1 Research philosophy ......................................................................................................... 22

3.2 Research design ................................................................................................................ 23 3.2.1 Qualitative research .................................................................................................... 24

3.3 Research method .............................................................................................................. 25 3.4 Sampling strategy ............................................................................................................. 25

3.4.1 Sample size ................................................................................................................ 26 3.5 Data collection.................................................................................................................. 27

3.5.1 Primary and Secondary data ....................................................................................... 27 3.5.2 Search process............................................................................................................ 28 3.5.3 Outline of interviews .................................................................................................. 28

3.6 Data Analysis ................................................................................................................... 29

3.7 Trustworthiness & Limitations ......................................................................................... 30

3.8 Ethical considerations ...................................................................................................... 32

4. Findings ............................................................................................................................. 34

4.1 Plastic use in Sweden ....................................................................................................... 34 4.2 Plastic waste streams in Sweden ....................................................................................... 35 4.3 Legislation of sustainable reporting in Sweden ................................................................. 36

4.4 Miljöbalken ...................................................................................................................... 37

4.5 Interview Findings ............................................................................................................ 37 4.5.1 Case 1 ........................................................................................................................ 38 4.5.2 Case 2 ........................................................................................................................ 40 4.5.3 Case 3 ........................................................................................................................ 42 4.5.4 Case 4 ........................................................................................................................ 45 4.5.5 Case 5 ........................................................................................................................ 47 4.5.6 Case 6 ........................................................................................................................ 49 4.5.7 Case 7 ........................................................................................................................ 52 4.5.8 Case 8 ........................................................................................................................ 54 4.5.9 Case 9 ........................................................................................................................ 56

5. Analysis............................................................................................................................. 58

5.1 Management ..................................................................................................................... 59

5.2 Actions ............................................................................................................................. 61 5.3 Future ............................................................................................................................... 68

6. Conclusion & Discussion ............................................................................................. 72

6.1 Implications ...................................................................................................................... 73 6.1.1 Managerial Implications ............................................................................................. 73 6.1.2 Theoretical Implications ............................................................................................. 74 6.1.3 Ethical Implications ................................................................................................... 74

6.2 Limitations & Future research .......................................................................................... 75

References ............................................................................................................................ 76

List of figures Figure 2.1 - Carroll’s Pyramid…………………………………………………………………...17

Figure 5.1 - Linking of findings and theory……………………………………………………...58

List of tables Table 3.1 - Summary of primary data…………………………………………………………….26

Table 3.2 - Coding scheme……………………………………………………………………….30

Table 4.1 - Case information……………………………………………………………..............37

Appendices Appendix 1 - Consent form……………………………………………………………………....82

Appendix 2 - Interview questions………………………………………………………...............83

Abbreviations

CSR Corporate Social Responsibility

ISO International Organization for Standardization

SIS Swedish Institute for Standards

UNGC United Nations Global Compact

UN United Nations

SMED Svenska MiljöEmissionsData

TBL Triple Bottom Line

CEO Chief Executive Officer

RQ Research Question

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1. Introduction

In this chapter, the background of the thesis is first presented followed by the problem statement,

purpose, and research questions. After that, the parts including keywords, delimitations, and

perspective is presented.

1.1 Background Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is today a widely discussed and current topic of concern in

the globalized world. However, it wasn’t until the first contribution of the publication Social

Responsibilities of the Businessman, that the modern era of discussion around CSR was

acknowledged (Ahmad, 2016). The book was published back in 1953 and discussed how

companies needed to take more responsibility for their social impact. This was one of the reasons

behind the upcoming debate about CSR during the last couple of decades (Garriga & Melé, 2004).

Whereas there is still not a known definition of CSR (Dahlsrud, 2008), there are several

interpretations behind the concept. According to the European Commission’s official website, CSR

is defined as “The responsibility of enterprises for their impact on society” which includes the

impact that corporations hold responsibility for in regard to the environmental, social, and

economic factors (European Commission, n.d., para. 5). According to the CSR framework

developed by Carroll (1991), CSR consists of four different dimensions of responsibilities that

companies should strive to fulfil in order to become successful. These four dimensions are

economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities which all argue for why companies

should fulfil their responsibilities in order to stay in production.

The difference of CSR today compared to before was that the original purpose behind CSR was

mainly focusing on the social responsibility of companies. In comparison to today’s development

of CSR where the focus has shifted and corporations have become more aware of their

environmental responsibility and impact as well (Flammer, 2013). Furthermore, CSR holds an

important role in today’s corporations, both in performance as well as in reputation. The ratings of

CSR in different companies of today can affect the popularity among their stakeholders in several

ways which is why CSR has started to become such an important role in companies’ decision

making. As a result of this, companies have now also become more aware of their responsibilities

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towards their impact on the environment and how to sustain sustainability. The discussion of CSR

has therefore affected how corporations aim to respond to their responsibilities in order to become

more inclusive and aware of the transparency as well as the accountability in their decision making

in regard to these perspectives (Ahmad, 2016).

The use of plastic products is an increased convenience in many parts of the world, nonetheless in

Sweden. A statistical comparison conducted for Naturvårdsverket, the Swedish Environmental

Protection Agency, shows that the use of plastic products has increased by almost 300 000 tons per

year between 2010 and 2017. This number is equivalent to an almost 30 kg increase in plastic use

per Swedish citizen. Along with the use of plastic products, there is naturally also an increase in

plastic waste, which was also investigated in the previously mentioned study. The results showed

that the plastic waste in Sweden amounts to 1,6 million tons which is also a tremendous increase

compared to previously conducted studies. The largest contributor to this huge amount of plastic

waste was identified to be corporations that accounted for approximately 791 000 tons of the total

number. Hence, almost 50% of the plastic waste in Sweden comes from corporations

(Naturvårdsverket, 2019a). Based on the previous steady increase in the use of plastic products and

plastic waste every year, it is justified to assume that the above-presented numbers will continue to

increase in the future. This, in combination with the large impact of corporations, makes this topic

of interest to investigate.

1.2 Problem The problem addressed in this thesis is the increased debate about the impact of plastic materials

on the environment. The topic of CSR implementation within companies and their handling of

waste management is a widely discussed topic that has gained a lot of attention in recent years. A

lot of information exists from external parties about the impact and worldviews on plastic products

and production. However, a gap was found in the previous literature about the views and thoughts

of the people that are actually operating in this business on a daily basis. Namely, leading people

within the companies that produce these types of products.

The concept of CSR is a wide subject that most likely exists in some form in most companies. It

has gained importance due to its performance-related benefits within companies, but also due to

the heavy load of information about how much damage people and organisations are causing to our

environment. Many people have now understood the message that everyone needs to contribute to

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the restoration of our environment, not the least from the company side. Since companies and the

production industry are a large contributor to environmental harm, they face great expectations and

responsibility.

A report made by Naturvårdsverket with the aim to summarize the 2019 progress of the

environmental goals of Sweden, states that the overall temperature has increased by one-degree

Celsius since the beginning of the industrial era. The report concludes that Swedish companies

need to reduce their emissions by 85% from the emission level reported in 1990 if the goal of

having zero net greenhouse gas emissions before the year 2045 is to be reached (Naturvårdsverket,

2019b). Small progress on the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions has been identified. However,

the desired levels of where the progress should be in the year 2020 will not be reached and it is

clear that more actions have to be taken for the possibility of reaching the long-term goal (Sveriges

Miljömål, 2019).

With information like the above stated taken into consideration, uncertainties still exist among the

authors of this thesis about the bigger picture of plastic products and production. Since a large

amount of critique has been directed towards the plastic industry and its producers, it is of great

interest to generate insights of the leaders within this industry and enlighten this topic from a

holistic perspective.

1.3 Purpose The purpose of this thesis is to analyse the management of environmental corporate social

responsibility in plastic producing companies, specifically the CSR management within the Gnosjö

region in Sweden.

1.4 Research questions RQ1. What is the management’s view of CSR in the plastic industry?

RQ2. To what extent do companies in the Gnosjö region implement CSR practices

within their businesses?

RQ3. What are the companies view on future sustainable developments within the plastic

industry?

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1.5 Keywords Sustainable production

In this thesis, sustainable production will imply the directions and actions that companies take to

develop products with an overall less environmental impact (Vergragt, Akenji & Dewick, 2014).

Therefore, the focus will be on whether companies’ waste management adopt new practices in

order to become more sustainable within their production.

Corporate Social Responsibility

In regard to this thesis, the concept of CSR will be defined as the responsibility that companies

hold for in regard to meet the concerns from an environmental, economic, and social perspective

(European Commission, 2011). This is due to the number of definitions that appear in literature as

well as the several different interpretations there are of CSR (Dahlsrud, 2008). Moreover, the main

theory about CSR that will be applied throughout the research is Carroll’s Pyramid which covers

the areas of economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities (Carroll, 2016).

Plastic industry

In this thesis, the definition of the plastic industry is companies who either develop own products

or work as subcontractors. Also, the definition covers the area which solely focuses on plastic

producers who are developing their own plastic material from scratch into new products

(Gourmelon, 2015).

Plastic waste management

The definition of plastic waste management within this thesis will mainly embrace the

responsibilities and environmental impact that plastic producers have (Gupt & Sahay, 2019). In

addition to this, the actions taken by the plastic producers concerning the disposal of solid waste

within their production will also be embraced. Furthermore, the term waste manager is defined as

the person responsible for a business’ prevention of waste, reuse of waste material, and recycling

(Zacho & Mosgaard, 2016).

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1.6 Delimitations Several delimitations were identified throughout the research. In order to narrow down the amount

of literature and results that were of concern in relation to the research questions (RQ), there is an

importance of reaching certain delimitations of the thesis.

Research topic delimitations

Due to the recent questioning of the production of plastic products as well as the plastic industries’

operations and environmental impact, there is an interest in investigating the possible CSR

practices within the plastic industry. In concern of this thesis, the aim is, therefore, to solely

investigate to what extent and concern that plastic producers’ take in order to follow sustainable

practices. Further research of the plastic waste outside the producer’s operations is therefore not of

interest due to the lack of relation to the thesis purpose as well as the topic.

Sample delimitations

The sample size of the thesis was nine managers from different companies within the plastic

industry in the Gnosjö Region and the interviews were held separately at different times and

locations. Thus, in order to narrow down the primary data and get a more in-depth analysis, the

sample size of nine cases was chosen due to its feasibility. The chosen managers were all

responsible for the companies’ waste management and were therefore most suitable interviewees

in accordance to the purpose of the thesis.

Waste management delimitations

The waste management’s perspective is the main view of this thesis, hence only the managers’

perspective will be presented and not consumers. Moreover, this is due to that the sample of the

thesis is managers and the purpose is to gain insights from their view of the plastic industry’s

environmental impact. Thus, only the waste managers are of interest to interview since they work

within this area of occupation.

Geographical area delimitations

The delimitation of the chosen area to be the Gnosjö region is due to that the purpose of the thesis

is to investigate the waste management of plastic companies within this area and not all of Sweden.

Since the Gnosjö region is a well-known area of plastic producers, there is a big interest in

investigating the management’s operations within this specific region as well as identifying the

similarities and differences of behaviours.

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Theory delimitations

Due to the purpose and direction of the research, one of the several definitions of CSR was chosen

in order to fit in with the purpose. Hence, due to the issue of the great degree of literature within

the field of CSR, only the most relatable and applicable literature to the research problem was

included in the literature review. This was done in order to narrow down the amount of literature

found within this field of research and CSR.

1.7 Perspective The main perspective throughout the conducted research is based on the interviewees’ managerial

perspective. Moreover, the interpretation of the plastic producers’ perspective is of interest to

investigate in this thesis. Hence, only their view of possible issues and opinions in regards to the

topic is therefore presented.

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2. Literature review

The aim of this chapter is to give a better understanding of the research topic and provide

additional literature that stands for the theoretical background of the research. Moreover, the

literature of this chapter generates a base for the final analysis of the thesis, especially the

responsibilities of Carroll’s Pyramid which will serve as a tool for analysing the findings.

2.1 The management of Corporate Social Responsibility There are many definitions of CSR, however, there is no officially confirmed definition which is

why the concept has repeatedly been interpreted by different authorities and organizations

(Dahlsrud, 2008). The European Commission has explained CSR as a way for companies to express

concerns related to the social and environmental issues within the businesses’ operations. In other

words, the responsibility that companies hold for these concerns and how they are working to meet

the social, economic, and environmental responsibilities. Furthermore, the concerns are reported

and interacted with the companies’ stakeholders (European Commission, 2011).

CSR is not only a positive concept of establishing concerns within the company but also a great

opportunity to form a strategic approach to help the companies’ competitiveness in their respective

industry (European Commission, 2011). Therefore, by including CSR as an independent part of

the companies’ business plans with future and original goals of the business included, but not

naturally as an independent part of the plan, could benefit the performance of corporations (Farcane

& Bureana, 2015). Primarily, CSR can benefit several aspects of business competitiveness

including the savings of costs, relationships to customers, human resource management, risk

management, innovation, and capital access (European Commission, 2011).

Adopting CSR practices within companies has become more important in the modern business

world. When operating within an industry that has a high environmental impact, the expectations

are higher, and the matter of CSR is even more important (Cederholm & Svensson, 2009). Even

within a specific industry, companies face different expectations depending on several factors such

as size and geographic operation. However, Borglund (2008) argue that it is not a matter of if a

company should adopt CSR practices, but rather how they should do it, independent of size, etc.

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CSR also includes other matters than the environmental aspect. The expectations set on companies

requires them to work productively, create new job opportunities, as well as yield financial return

for their shareholders. However, the environmental aspect receives the most attention nowadays

and has forced companies to see the bigger picture and realize their role within the society at large

(Borglund, 2008). Wilson (2000) argues that the market is constantly changing and that companies

have to keep themselves updated and adjust to current rules and norms. Further, he argues that

these types of changes emerge from several different factors. These factors can be changes within

markets both nationally and internationally, changes within the competition, and changes in

society’s expectations about the company’s behaviour and practices. Wilson (2000) also declares

that the effect of society’s expectations is a fact due to the existing trend of companies more often

being held responsible for their actions and the damage to people and the environment caused by

their products. However, this increased awareness has caused companies to be cautious about how

they communicate their CSR practices with the fear of being part of a scandal. Unfortunately, this

cautiousness collides with the continuous importance of displaying goodwill as argued by Borglund

(2008). Practicing goodwill is important for companies to create trustworthiness which then

strengthens the company’s assets and position in the market.

Along with higher expectations of companies, the incentives for sustainable reporting has

increased. Although it is not obligated by law for most companies, a large portion of companies

still chooses to conduct it of varying scope. Since it is not directly specified by law what such

reports should contain, many companies adhere to different non-governmental organisations and

directives for recommendations (Russo-Spena, Tregua, & De Chiara, 2018). As an effect of

increased expectations from society, both customers and investors have started to put pressure on

companies to act responsibly. This also acts as an incentive for companies to conduct sustainable

reporting as a way to show their CSR goals and achievements (James, 2014). These reports

generally show what companies do to benefit social, economic, and environmental conditions.

However, as most companies conduct these types of reports as a way of showing concrete results

of their CSR practices, some companies take advantage of the power of the concept of CSR and

are only doing it to be perceived in a positive way (Onkila, Joensuu & Koskela, 2014). These

companies often state several goals or actions that they take in favour of sustainability. However,

they seem to never really report the outcome or progress of these claimed actions (Hummel &

Schlick, 2016).

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The recycling of plastic products and waste is essential for the benefit of both people and the

environment. This increases the importance of raising awareness among companies and promoting

initiatives for acting by the principles of CSR. Some factors contribute to the initiatives of

companies for applying CSR practices. These factors affect both incentives for, and against, the

use of CSR. Important factors are regulations and industry-specific norms which can limit the use

of recycled plastics. This results in that recycled plastic may not be used in the same new products.

Instead, it is only used for the production of lower-standard products. Another factor that does not

favour sustainable behaviour is the financial factor. An example is the high volume of plastic waste

that was sent to the cement industry to be used as fuel as well as a replacement for coal and oil,

instead of being recycled. This behaviour is probably initiated by the willingness of the cement

industry to pay more than the financial benefits gained by recycling (Fråne, Stenmarck, Sörme,

Carlsson & Jensen, 2012).

A recently acknowledged issue that negatively affects companies’ incentives for CSR is the rising

price of recycled plastics. Skagerström Lindau (2019) reports about the highest price levels of

recycled PET-plastics in over ten years, which now makes the recycled plastic more expensive than

newly produced ones. This shift in price might lead to those companies, especially smaller ones,

choosing to abandon the recycled alternative due to cost matters. If this trend continues it might

lead to huge negative consequences for the development of, as well as incentives for, CSR practices

among companies.

A factor that strongly benefits the incentives for CSR practices is the fact that both the demands

and the expectations of companies to act sustainably or to carry some type of CSR-related work

has increased. However, although it might affect incentives positively, the underlying motivation

for adopting CSR practices might not be ethically right. Trollestad & De Geer (2009) states that

some companies outing their interest in CSR are looking for a competitive advantage, financial

benefits and to promote their brand. They also state that CSR practices should not solely be based

on desiring these types of benefits. Rather benefitting people and the society at large should act as

motivators for adopting such practices. Wilson (2000) also states that acting ethically and

sustainably is just as important as financial performance. The difference nowadays is that adopting

sustainable practices within a business is not taken for granted the same way as performing

financially. Therefore, the subject has gained increased importance.

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On another note, the increased attention directed at the subject of CSR, although it has brought

many positive outcomes, has to lead to some negative incentives as well. Borglund (2008) stated

that Swedish companies, in particular, could avoid promoting their CSR work because of the fear

of being part of any scandals. However, he also states that the concept will continue to gain

importance and be a vital part of a company’s trustworthiness.

2.2 The plastic industry There has been a reported steady increase in the production of plastics in the last half-century. Due

to the versatility of the material and its facilitation of business due to its durability, light-weight,

and low cost, it is also expected to double in about 20 years (World Economic Forum, Ellen

MacArthur Foundation & McKinsey and Company, 2016). Plastics Europe (2018) reported an

increase in plastic production in the world and Europe from 322 million tonnes and 58 million

tonnes in 2015 to 335 million tonnes and 60 million tonnes in 2016 respectively. The sector that

demands the largest share of plastic in Europe is the packaging industry which accounts for 39,9%

of the total plastic production. Other industries that account for large numbers of the plastic that is

produced are the building and construction sector as well as the automotive sector. Although plastic

production and use are on a steady increase, Europe stands out with 63% of plastic waste in 2016

being recycled, compared to only 37% in the rest of the world. However, between 2006 and 2016,

the overall total amount of plastic waste that was collected in Europe for recycling increased with

79%. Not to be neglected is that on a country-specific level, the numbers of plastic recycling is still

very uneven (Plastics Europe, 2018).

2.3 Carroll’s Pyramid of Corporate Social Responsibility Carroll’s Pyramid of CSR includes four different obligations and responsibilities. These are

economic, legal, ethical, and philanthropic responsibilities. Overall, the theory explains how

companies emphasize ethical responsibility while also making a profit. It, therefore, explains the

responsibility companies take on towards the welfare of the community while also making profits.

By fulfilling each step of responsibility at a time, you simply move on to the next obligation in the

ranking of the responsibilities. In regard to waste management, CSR can help to create even more

opportunities within businesses. Yet, it can also help to review the actions that are already taken

by firms within the plastic industry (Carroll, 1999).

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Figure 2.1 - Carroll’s Pyramid

Source: (Carroll, 2016)

Economic responsibilities

The economic responsibility that businesses hold for is the first and most fundamental condition to

be met for the company to even exist. For businesses to continue their operations, it is required for

them to also be profitable as a business which is the main expectation from a societal point of view.

As of an origin, the societal expectation of businesses is seen as the institutions who produced and

fulfilled the need for different products or services that were requested of them. Therefore, it is of

great importance to encourage various shareholders or owners to continue their investment in the

business for them to proceed with their operations and fulfil this responsibility (Carroll, 2016).

Legal responsibilities

The legal responsibilities include the minimal amount of ground rules and laws that businesses are

expected, as well as required, to be following to proceed with their operations. These regulations

are based upon the laws that each country, state, or domestic area has where the businesses hold

their operations. Furthermore, from a societal perspective, it is therefore expected that companies

follow the rules and laws that their businesses are affected by for them to continue their operations

(Carroll, 2016).

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Ethical responsibilities

The ethical responsibilities represent the expectations of businesses to not only follow the

regulations such as laws and rules but also the ethical actions during their operations. Whereas laws

cannot assign the guidance needed, the ethical expectation is therefore considered to be the main

aspect when conducting the work in businesses in consideration of a societal perspective. Overall,

the ethical responsibilities cover what is not included in the law, which is the standards, activities,

practices, and policies in society (Carroll, 2016).

Philanthropic responsibilities

The philanthropic responsibilities are neither required or expected by society, but instead, it could

be considered as a desired responsibility that businesses undertake due to the expectations from the

public sector. Philanthropy explains the behaviour and actions that businesses do to be considered

as a good corporate citizen as a business in society. These actions or behaviours are often

considered as giving back to society in various forms of donations, volunteerism, gifts, community

contributions, etc. Furthermore, philanthropic responsibility has historically been considered the

most influential and important element of CSR (Carroll, 2016).

2.4 The Triple Bottom Line of Sustainability The Triple Bottom Line (TBL) theory explains the three pillars of sustainability which are

economic, social, and environmental. It helps companies to measure the commitment in the three

different pillars as well as incorporate the values of each category. The measurement, therefore,

helps companies to discover gaps where they need to put more focus on the values within the

economic, social, and environmental factors. Furthermore, the three pillars can be categorized in

to three different sectors where profit equals the economic pillar, people explain the social pillar

and lastly, the planet stands for the environmental pillar. The idea was to seek sustainable

development when combining and fulfilling these three categories (Shnayder, van Rijnsoever &

Hekkert, 2015).

The people category which stands for the social pillar of the TBL theory, explains the importance

of preserving the relationship with people affected by the business. These relationships include all

the parts who are affected by the operations of a business, both internally and externally. The

internal stakeholders in the case of businesses are the employees working for the firm as well as

the consumers buying the products and services of the company. Furthermore, the external category

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includes everything from shareholders and stakeholders to the members of the community. The

environmental pillar explains the planet category which includes information regarding the

sustainable actions firms are expected to take on to protect the planet and sustain sustainability.

Waste management, water reduction, saving of energy, and developing renewable energy are only

a few examples of ways businesses can contribute to fulfilling this category of the TBL. The last

category, which is profit, stands for the economic pillar where the economic health of businesses

is explained. The profit that businesses make contributes to the total net worth that is presented

which can be fulfilled and improved by example introducing new market entries or cost reduction

in production (Shnayder et al., 2015).

2.5 Legislations of Corporate Social Responsibility As of today, there exist several different guidelines, principles, and standards to follow in regard

to the work of CSR in different industries as well as regulations covered by the law, which are then

mandatory to follow. These legislations, as well as directions, are based upon the expectations that

the society and consumers have on plastic producers. Furthermore, this comprehends the overall

impact that companies have on the environment and society, both from a positive and negative

perspective. The legislations are therefore created as a tool for companies to follow so that one may

reduce and prevent the risks of the negative sustainable impact of our environment (European

Commission, n.d.). Regarding this thesis, the legislations and standards that were of interest were

the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), and

International Organization of Standardization (ISO), which will be further explained in this chapter.

Through corporate sustainability reports, the stakeholders and the public can follow businesses’

sustainability performances. However, over the years due to the voluntary sustainability reporting,

the possibility of interpreting and focusing on the main positive aspects of the performances,

businesses can manipulate reports to be interpreted as far more positive than they are. In some

cases, greenwashing as a tendency of reporting can occur (Hahn & Lülfs, 2013). The concept of

greenwashing is a repeatedly used term for negative purposes as it refers to the misleading

information that is given to consumers regarding companies’ sustainable impact. Furthermore,

greenwashing helps to distract consumers’ attention from the less environmentally friendly impact

that companies have by instead conducting greenwashing and showing off what they are doing for

the environment (Parguel, Benoît-Moreau & Larceneux, 2011).

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Back in 1999 at the World Economic Forum, UNGC was initiated by the United Nations’ (UN)

secretary-general of the time. The initiative was first put in motion by the 26th of July in 2000 and

was then officially launched at UN’s headquarters in New York. The aim of the initiative and the

official compact was to create universal principles and guidelines regarding labour law issues,

human rights, corruption directed to companies, and environmental issues. Furthermore, the

purpose of the initiative was to bring the UN and businesses together to work against these global

issues and together create a global movement to develop a sustainable future (Global Compact

Network Sweden, n.d.).

Today, UNGC has reportedly more than 10 000 companies registered in 173 countries with more

than 77 000 public reports (United Nations Global Compact, n.d.). By becoming a member of the

UNGC, companies accept the rules and conditions of the organization as well as commits to work

with the principles of the compact. These are based upon 10 principles which include the earlier

mentioned human rights, labour law issues, anti-corruption, and environmental issues.

Furthermore, since 2015, members of UNGC are also expected to work with the 17 UN sustainable

development goals. Also, the companies are expected to report about the work and progress made

within these principles and goals annually to the UN (Global Compact Network Sweden, n.d.).

In 2015, the united nations general assembly adopted what is called “Transforming our world: the

2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development”. This project includes the 17 sustainable development

goals that are aimed to be reached before the year 2030. These goals are embraced by all the united

nation member countries and the aim is for all countries to work together to reach the goals (United

Nations, n.d.).

Furthermore, ISO was founded in 1946, became operational in 1947, by a group mainly consisting

of engineers who were concerned about the national standard settings in the various industries

(Murphy & Yates, 2009). ISO is today the largest non-governmental institutional developer of

voluntary international standards in the world and has its Central Secretariat based in Geneva

(International Organization for Standardization, 2018). The Swedish Institute for Standards (SIS)

is the Swedish organization that works with the development of standards and is therefore also a

member of the international institute of standards (Svenska Institutet för Standarder, n.d.).

ISO has developed more than 22 000 published international standards which are including various

sectors of industries as of today and has 164 member countries within their organization

21

(International Organization for Standardization, 2018). Furthermore, the work of ISO has had an

important and considerable impact on the procedures of operations within the different sectors of

industries and businesses which has formed the way corporations conduct their operations today

(Murphy & Yates, 2009). In line with the purpose of this thesis, the ISO standards that are of

interest are 9001 and 140001. ISO 9001 stands for quality management within an organization’s

production of goods (International Organization for Standardization, 2015a) and ISO 14001

specifies the environmental management requirements that companies can care for to proceed with

their sustainability work and performances (International Organization for Standardization,

2015b).

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3. Methodology

In this chapter, the overall philosophical view of the research is established and presented, as well

as the method of the conducted study. Furthermore, each step of the sampling strategy will be

introduced in more detail which is the overall purpose of this chapter. The trustworthiness,

limitations, and ethical considerations will also be further discussed.

3.1 Research philosophy According to Easterby-Smith, Thorpe & Jackson (2015), it exists several reasons and motives as

to why authors should explain the philosophical issues behind their research. To give readers an

understanding of how authors have reached the outcome of their research, it is of great importance

to explain the philosophical factors behind the study. Within the field of philosophical research, it

exists two different views that can be interpreted while conducting new research which is ontology

and epistemology (Easterby-Smith et al., 2015).

As for the ontology, it is of great importance to argue for what ontological perspective that the

thesis is based on since it explains the philosophical assumptions that the authors have taken while

conducting their research. Concerning this thesis, relativism has been the chosen ontology where

its meaning is based on the perspective of several different realities depending on the observer’s

viewpoint. Also, the chosen ontology is supported by the choice of conducting a qualitative study

with cases and interviews which are repeatedly connected to the perspective of relativism.

However, it could be argued to be a combination of the ontological perspectives of relativism and

internal realism, due to the perspectives’ relation to conducting multiple-case studies. Yet, the

philosophical perspective as internal realism is supported by a larger sample of cases and surveys

for research where the truth is already set and existing, however not visible. Thus, since the

collection of primary data will be based on a smaller sample size of 9 individual cases’ views, the

truth will be following relativism due to the several perspectives of different companies (Easterby-

Smith et al., 2015). Moreover, the choice of relativism is, therefore, the most suitable approach for

this thesis.

Furthermore, epistemology is explained by the authors Easterby-Smith et al. (2015) as “...the

theory of knowledge and helps researchers understand best ways of enquiring into the nature of

the world.” (Easterby-Smith et al., 2015, p. 134). It exists two different perspectives in

23

epistemology of how researchers should conduct their social science research which is positivism

and constructionism. The perspective of positivism argues that with the help of objective methods,

the existence of the social world is mainly externally perceived through these methods. This

perspective is in strong contrast to the perspective of constructionism where the main assumption

is based on that there is no pre-existing reality which is the case of this thesis. Therefore, the work

of a researcher is based on the encouragement to observe and understand how people are perceiving

their reality (Easterby-Smith et al., 2015).

In addition to the previously mentioned arguments, there is an intermediate chance of a

combination of epistemologies when conducting both a within- and cross-case analysis (Easterby-

Smith et al., 2015). As for this thesis, there is a need for combining both approaches due to the RQs

as well as the purpose of the thesis. As in RQ2, the purpose is to investigate the individual cases’

implementation of CSR practices where a within-case analysis is the most appropriate method.

Moreover, as for RQ1, the purpose is to investigate the management’s view of CSR in the plastic

industry, and it is therefore of interest to conduct a cross-case analysis to compare the different

answers from the interviewees. Therefore, the most suitable approach is a combination of

positivism and constructionism due to the necessity of including the two different types of analysis

in this thesis.

3.2 Research design The research design for this thesis is of an exploratory nature that is highly compatible when

conducting a qualitative multiple-case study. As the aim of the thesis is to gain a holistic perspective

of managers’ views of CSR within the plastic industry, the exploratory method served as a natural

choice.

Apart from an exploratory research design, there is an explanatory method that is also used when

conducting a multiple-case study. The difference between these designs is that an explanatory

design builds on the purpose of affirming an existing theory in literature, while an exploratory

design allows the researchers to build a new theory (Yin, 2018). Furthermore, Yin (2018) explains

that the purpose of conducting a study with multiple cases strengthens the argument of theory

building due to the several different perspectives that allow being compared. Additionally, an

exploratory research design is most often connected to research questions that begin with a “what”,

“to what extent”, “how many” or “how much”. Hence, in regard to the research questions of this

24

thesis which begins with a “what” and “to what extent”, the choice of an exploratory method is

therefore favoured and also serves as the most applicable method

(Yin, 2018).

3.2.1 Qualitative research Qualitative data represent non-numeric sources of information. The collection of qualitative data

most often occurs in conjunction with other people, either directly or indirectly. Common methods

through which researchers collect qualitative data are interviews and their transcripts, other written

information collected through observations of different kinds, and information gathered from

documents such as different company reports and meeting documentation. In other words,

qualitative data includes recordings or written documentation of what has been said or done by

people that are of interest to the research. However, what is important to acknowledge about

qualitative data is that it often does not exist beforehand. For example, when choosing to do

interviews, potential interviewees must be contacted, and the interviews must be prepared for. After

that, the interviews must be conducted and later transcribed. Hence, it is the researcher that must

create and set the conditions for what the outcome of the interview is going to be. The individual

differences and presumptions can create unique outcomes and will result in data that did not exist

before (Easterby-Smith et al., 2015)

In contrast with quantitative research, qualitative data is a lot less standardized and structured.

When conducting qualitative research, open-ended questions are the favoured structure of

interviews which opts for a more explorative nature. This makes it of great importance to document

the collection of qualitative data since the answers may vary and go beyond what the researchers

had planned. This diversity usually limits the number of people or companies that a researcher has

the resources to work with as well as the analysis between the data and statistical resources

(Easterby-Smith et al., 2015)

As for this thesis, the most appropriate method is to conduct qualitative research due to that it fits

well with the purpose of investigating the management of CSR within the plastic industry as well

as conducting a case study. Further, qualitative research is applicable when managing and

transcribing recorded data from interviews into words whereas the quantitative research focus is

more on numeric data. Thus, since the concept of CSR is still an undefined and discussed topic of

25

concern, there is difficulty in explaining and comparing this concept in numeric data as for the

quantitative research which argues for applying a qualitative research method.

3.3 Research method For the research method of this thesis, we decided to use the case study method. Yin (2018)

describes the use of case study method as a way to understand complex social phenomena. He

suggests this specific method when investigating organisational and managerial processes, amongst

others, which is best suitable for this thesis. While the method gives a holistic and real-world

perspective, it also enables the researchers to go more in-depth with a case. There are two different

methods to choose from within case study research. These are either single or multiple-case study

methods. For this thesis, we decided to conduct a multiple-case study of nine companies and hence

view each participating company within our thesis as an individual case. We chose the multiple-

case study method as it aims to exploit differences and similarities between each case which is in

line with the intent of this thesis. However, the method still allows one to perform analysis within

each case as well as across them. This is in contrast to the single-case study method which is best

suited when the aim is to explore and relate to theory (Yin, 2018).

3.4 Sampling strategy We chose to conduct our research in Sweden to narrow down the information search as well as for

accessibility reasons and to be able to utilize our national contacts and native language. To further

narrow down our research we chose the Gnosjö region as our sample. The Gnosjö region is a region

in the southwest of Sweden that consists of the four Swedish municipalities Gislaved, Gnosjö,

Värnamo, and Vaggeryd. The region is known for its many, and often successful, industries where

plastic production is a very common focus. Due to the accessibility and the relevance of the Gnosjö

region for this research and the pre-existing connections between the authors and the region,

selecting this region as the area of research was a justified choice.

With plastic producing companies within the Gnosjö region as our identified population, we first

decided to use non-probability sampling, or more specifically purposive sampling, which is a form

of non-probability sampling. Purposive sampling is explained by Easterby-Smith et al. (2015) as a

method where specific criteria for the sample are pre-defined. Hence, before selecting subjects to

be included in the project, they are first examined to determine their fit for inclusion. When

selecting companies to include in our thesis, we had pre-defined criteria of the companies having

26

at least 20 employees for them to be of interest. However, after reaching out to all companies we

could find within our criteria of size and location, which ended up to be 21 companies, and not

receiving enough approvals, we decided to make a change. To expand the number of possible

companies to target, we decided to remove the criteria of at least 20 employees completely. This

resulted in that our new sampling strategy became a form of probability sampling since all plastic

producing companies within the Gnosjö region now had an equal chance of being selected

(Easterby-Smith et al., 2015). Thus, with regards to the changes in our sampling strategy criteria,

we ended up contacting a total of 24 plastic producing companies whereas nine of these agreed to

participate in an interview.

Overall, we will compare companies of different sizes that are operating in the same region, and

that are all working with injection moulding, which is a method of injecting molten plastic into a

mould. This will be done to investigate why they are working with CSR and what the drivers are

in general to gain a holistic understanding of the general view of waste management within the

local plastic industry. Also, we will investigate to what extent the concept is implemented within

the companies and what effect it has on their daily operations as well as possible changes that have

been done in regard to the subject of CSR during the last decades.

3.4.1 Sample size

Table 3.1 - Summary of primary data

Source: Avramidou & Tellstedt, 2020

27

After defining our sample and reaching out to a total of 24 companies, we ended up with a sample

of nine companies of varying sizes. The chosen interviewees from the different plastic producing

companies were both CEOs and sustainability managers. Out of the nine interviewees, three were

women in leading positions and six were men. The ages of the participants were between 28-53

years old.

3.5 Data collection

3.5.1 Primary and Secondary data To construct this thesis, both primary and secondary data were used to gather a sufficient amount

of valuable information. Qualitative interviews were chosen as the method for collection of primary

data which is suitable for an exploratory method where the aim is to generate in-depth information

(Charmaz, 2014). The outline of the interviews was semi-structured which allowed both the

interviewers and the interviewees to be more flexible. This, in contrast with a structured or

unstructured interview approach where there is no room for further discussion or no clear path of

direction and possibility for preparation respectively (Easterby-Smith et al., 2015). It is argued that

the use of qualitative interviews should be done with the desire to create a discussion to gain the

insights and worldviews of the interviewees about the chosen topic or phenomena. This view of

qualitative interviews puts pressure on the interviewers to construct the interviews in a way that

enables this type of information to be collected (Kvale & Brinkmann, 2009). Hence, the use of

semi-structured interviews is a suitable choice to promote the intent of qualitative interviews (For

specification of interview questions see Appendix 2).

Secondary data refers to previously published information that is gathered by the researcher. This

type of data often consists of electronic sources such as publications but can also include books

and other printed sources (Easterby-Smith et al., 2015). Secondary data was used in this thesis to

provide background information on the different parts included. It was also used as a source of

complementary information which is suitable according to Easterby-Smith et al. (2015) when

having primary data in the form of interviews. Secondary data is an effective source of information

due to its accessibility which serves as a time-saving option for the researcher. However, it also

puts pressure on the researcher to continuously assure the credibility of the sources used (Easterby-

Smith et al., 2015). This has been done for this thesis by using trusted search engines and making

sure that the majority of articles used were peer-reviewed.

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3.5.2 Search process To gather information for this report, several search engines were used. The most frequently used

was the university library search engine Primo, the university database DiVA, and Uppsatser.se.

These gave us the primary material for this report. While searching for literature we used several

keywords to receive the most relevant academic articles for our work. Our main keywords were

“corporate social responsibility”, “CSR” and “plastic industry”. We used these keywords in

different constellations and combinations with other words to create a diversified portfolio of

information. To further narrow down our search we used different functions provided by the search

engines such as choosing to only view articles, peer-reviewed journals, and data published in recent

years. These functions were used as frequently as possible, however, exceptions were made when

an insufficient amount of data were presented. To gather sources for complementary information

such as newspaper articles we also used the same key words for the regular google search engine.

3.5.3 Outline of interviews To get in contact with companies for potential interviews we used both a personal connection as

well as the company websites for contact information on environmental managers, CEOs or the

company in general. We managed to get interviews approved with nine different companies within

the Gnosjö region. The interviewees turned out to be mostly CEO’s and the interviews lasted

around 20-60 minutes. Furthermore, a total of 23 interview questions were asked which in turn

were categorized into different themes. During the interviews, questions regarding the evolvement

of CSR, the company’s sustainable practices, and the interviewee’s view on the company’s

responsibility were brought up, among other questions (see Appendix 2). The interviews were then

transcribed and analysed to eventually result in the findings of the thesis.

Conducting the interviews face to face at the companies’ facilities was the favoured method for

this thesis. However, due to difficulties in coordinating the schedules of the interviewees, two of

the interviews were planned to be conducted via Skype. Also, because of the unfortunate

development of COVID-19 (World Health Organization, 2020), only three physical interviews

were conducted at the producers’ offices. The other six interviews had to be rescheduled and

conducted as phone interviews instead of face-to-face meetings. This was done concerning the

safety reasons for COVID-19 and the advice from the government to avoid unnecessary physical

meetings.

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3.6 Data Analysis For the data analysis of the research findings, the authors adopted an inductive way of analysing

the data. This approach enhanced the possibility for the authors to keep an open mind and have

fewer preconceptions that allow new theory to be developed through the collected data (O’Reilly,

2009). Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, the authors used a combination of within- and cross-case

analysis to identify possible differences and similarities of the collected data which was encouraged

in a multiple-case study (Yin, 2018). Through a within-case analysis, the authors had the possibility

of analysing the results within each case in more depth which helped to gain a bigger understanding

of the case’s answers as well as answer RQ2. After this, a cross-case analysis was implemented to

find the differences between the cases which helped to answer RQ1.

Based on the findings and collection of data, a coding scheme was invented (see Table 2) to

facilitate the analysis of the thesis. For coding techniques, the authors used both open-coding, axial

coding as well as data coding. An open-coding approach helps to understand raw data from

interviews which therefore was applied to interpret the primary data findings. Later, axial coding

was used where one easier can see the connections of codes and similarities, and lastly, data coding

was established to withdraw codes from the interviews (Easterby-Smith et al., 2015). Furthermore,

the theoretical data findings were repeatedly used as a basis throughout the analysis to see possible

connections to the empirical data.

The coding scheme was further categorized based on codes that were repeatedly mentioned and

acknowledged in the interviews by the authors. Moreover, when the codes were established, seven

categories were settled to categorize the codes which lastly ended up in three themes with an overall

overview of the primary data. The themes facilitated the approach of analysing the data with

connection to the appropriate theories which were applicable for the thesis research.

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Table 3.2 - Coding Scheme

Source: Avramidou & Tellstedt, 2020

The coding scheme was further used for the chapter of the analysis where the presented evidence

favoured a more in-depth analysis. Moreover, the three themes represent the structure of the

analysis where each code was analysed and compared with the chosen theories of the thesis and

discussed within the related theme.

3.7 Trustworthiness & Limitations To provide trustworthiness for the readers of this thesis, the trustworthiness criteria of Guba (1981)

was followed. The criteria are based on four terms of research that authors are encouraged to follow

while conducting research. Lincoln & Guba (1985) explain these four terms of the criteria to be

credibility, transferability, confirmability, and dependability. All of these areas will be further

explained in detail and applied to the thesis research.

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The credibility of research is about whether the authors of the conducted research are presenting

truthful data (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). In consideration of this thesis, the authors have contemplated

several approaches to data collection to maintain high credibility. First, several methods of data

collection have been used throughout the research. Primary and secondary data has been collected

from face-to-face interviews, phone/skype interviews, articles, and other publications.

Furthermore, for this thesis, several methods of triangulation have been applied throughout the

research. Investigator triangulation is applied when there is more than one researcher involved

which is the case of this thesis. Therefore, it was emphasised both in the study and during the

interviews, to include different aspects and observations of the interviews. Data source

triangulation is exercised when a study uses different samples for primary data collection which is

in line with this thesis where interviews with different companies were conducted and several

perspectives were analysed. Lastly, theory triangulation is needed in research where several

theories are emphasised. Due to the implication of the two theories TBL and Carroll’s Pyramid,

data triangulation was used since it enhances the interpretation of different ways to analyse the data

collected (Carter, Bryant-Lukosius, Dicenso, Blythe & Neville, 2014).

Due to these methods, the authors have maintained high credibility by increasing the usage of

triangulation of data when applying several triangulation methods. Also, the interviewees that were

chosen are experts within their field of work which increases the credibility of presenting the rights

facts behind each company (Easterby-Smith et al., 2015)

As for the dependability of this research, the authors can assure high trustworthiness. The

dependability builds on the tactics of replicating the conducted study and coming up with similar

results by applying the same research methods (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). Due to a clear structure of

the research findings, there is a simplicity of tracing the results back to the Gnosjö region as well

as replicating the interview structure by following the interview questions (see Appendix 2).

Requirements as the ones mentioned indicate high dependability of the research (Tobin & Begley,

2004).

To provide a high transferability of research, one must present a well-informed description of the

context and situation. The authors have therefore presented a detailed view of the interviews,

participants, and other contexts in different tables (see Table 3.1, 3.2 & 4.1) as well as appendices

(see Appendix 2). This is of great importance when replicating the research method in future

32

research. External and internal validity are described as a parallel explanation of transferability

(Lincoln & Guba 1985). The context of the interviews is easily followed in Appendix 2 as well as

in the sampling strategy, which indicates a strong external validity and a high transferability.

Furthermore, due to that the purpose of the thesis is to investigate the management of CSR within

the plastic industry, the possibility of replicating the interviews in other areas of Sweden and the

world is highly achievable. Additionally, the research is highly applicable in other contexts of

production as well, as a cause of CSR being a topic of interest in several other industries, not only

in plastic.

The trustworthiness of confirmability in research is first reached when credibility, transferability,

and dependability are fulfilled (Lincoln & Lincoln, 1985). According to Tobin & Begley (2004),

achieving confirmability is interpreted as the stage where authors can assure the trustworthiness of

the data and findings collected to be true regarding the actual results of the research. Hence, due to

the choice of applying a semi-structured interview approach and recording the interviews, the risk

of bias is minimised as well as the possibility of influencing the results. Also, while compiling the

findings of the primary and secondary data, the assumptions that have been made and presented is

solely based on the information presented in this thesis. Based on the arguments mentioned, high

trustworthiness of confirmability has been taken into consideration while conducting this research.

The sample size of nine different interviewees could be questioned to be a reasonable sample size

for this type of research. However, there is an important aspect to take into consideration which is

that the research has its main focus on the Gnosjö region, which causes the tight scope of contacts

and the range of plastic producing companies within this region to be fairly limited. Also needed

to be taken into consideration is the situation of COVID-19 which has restricted the number of

volunteers for interviews even further. Therefore, considering the mentioned arguments, nine

participants are considered to be a reasonable sample size for this thesis. However, a larger sample

size might have provided more accurate answers from a broader perspective. Due to COVID-19,

the majority of the interviews were not able to be conducted physically which would perhaps have

provided more thorough answers from the interviewees and hence enriched the results of this thesis.

33

3.8 Ethical considerations

The interest in considering ethical reviews and issues while conducting research is of great concern

for authors. Not only to create trustworthiness for the reader but also a direction to take to reflect

on the issues that could or have arisen during the research process (Easterby-Smith et al., 2015).

To conduct as ethical research as possible in this thesis, the ten key principles and standards of

research ethics were followed throughout the research process (Bell & Bryman, 2007).

To create trust and respect the participants, the interviewees were assured anonymity to protect

their identity and participation. Likewise, a consent form (see Appendix 1) was given to each of

the interviewees beforehand. Further, the companies’ names were also made sure to be anonymous

and were not mentioned by name in the thesis. The implication of honesty and assuring truthful

answers throughout the interviews, a centrality measurement was followed. The centrality

measurement is a principle that supports truthful findings through interviews by only choosing

participants who are considered most experienced within their field of work (Esaiasson, Gilljam,

Oscarsson & Wängnerud, 2007). In line with this thesis and the sample of interviewees chosen for

the research, the principle is followed whereas all the participants’ field of work includes the

environmental responsibility within the companies.

Other ethical considerations that were taken into consideration were the risk of bias due to that one

of the authors’ personal contact was chosen as an interviewee. However, due to the purpose of

investigating possible CSR practices by different plastic producing companies, there was no

favoured outcome of the interview and a personal bias was not considered an issue. Instead, due to

the earlier personal connection, an open dialogue and trust were established throughout the

interview. Also, as previously mentioned in the thesis, the risk of greenwashing is a well-known

ethical issue in regard to this industry. Thus, since the interviewees that participated in this research

were assured anonymity throughout the process, the risk of conducting greenwashing was also

minimised. This was due to the assurance that no names of the companies or interviewees would

be published and therefore their participation would not favour the company’s reputation due to

anonymity.

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4. Findings

The findings of the thesis are presented in the order of secondary data findings and then followed

by the primary data findings. The secondary data findings are primarily based upon previously

published information about plastic use and its industry in Sweden while the primary data findings

are based on the interview findings. Furthermore, the primary data findings are presented

following the structure of the interviews, hence the titles represent the main areas of discussion.

4.1 Plastic use in Sweden Plastic is a heavily used material in a lot of different aspects of our everyday life. Although there

is an ongoing trend in society, especially in Sweden, to reduce the use of plastic, a study by

Naturvårdsverket showed the opposite result. The study showed that the supply of plastics increases

every year both nationally as well as internationally and that every citizen in Sweden uses about

130kg plastic per year (Naturvårdsverket, 2019a). In an article written by Hambraeus (2019), Petra

Selander, who is responsible for issues regarding plastic at Naturvårdsverket, argues that the reason

for the heavy increase in the use of plastics is due to the overall increase in consumption. This,

along with that more of the products that we buy on a daily or weekly basis, is wrapped in or

packaged in plastic.

Even though people use more plastic than ever, the recycling of plastics in Sweden is less than half

of the volume that we use. This might be due to the number of different kinds of plastic that are

hard to recycle, but also that people and companies do not take full responsibility for the recycling

of their products and waste. To increase the opportunities for recycling, those who produce and sell

plastic products need to make sure that their packages are recyclable (Hambraeus, 2019). On Avfall

Sverige’s (2019) website, Wiqvist states that targeting plastic products directly when they are put

on the market is necessary. He argues that there should be an increase in price for companies who

produce plastic products that are put on the market without any strategy for how they are going to

be re-collected or recycled. On the contrary, he also argues that companies who provide recyclable

products or who put in work to recollect their used products should be rewarded and encouraged

to continue with their work.

The Swedish government has issued the law of producer responsibility which includes regulations

in favour of sustainability. Its purpose is to reduce the amount of plastic waste, among other

35

materials, by regulating packages to not exceed the volume and weight of what is necessary for

safety and hygiene matters. Also, by restricting the use of packaging to only be used if necessary

as well as regulate the number of harmful materials and substances that are allowed in packaging.

Lastly, the law states that producers are to be connected to a recycling system and the waste caused

by their products should be taken care of by following the sustainable guidelines (SFS 2019:151).

4.2 Plastic waste streams in Sweden The increase in the use of plastics in Sweden has naturally increased plastic waste. The different

kinds and variations of plastic and its complexity have affected the plastic waste streams more or

less severely. As a result of the wide usage of plastic, it can end up in a variety of different waste

streams where the possibilities for recycling varies. Plastic is often part of products that are

included under the law of producer responsibility. The law obligates the producers of such products

to collect and recycle the used products. The most common products in Swedish plastic waste

streams that are bound under producer responsibility are packages, electric and electronic products,

and lastly vehicles. However, these types of products typically have a very complex material

composition which can make it difficult to recycle after it has been collected (Fråne, Stenmarck,

Sörme, Carlsson & Jensen, 2012).

Sorting residues and mixed waste from corporations together sum up to stand for the largest plastic

flow in Sweden which is estimated to be measured up to 791 000 tonnes each year. After that, the

second-largest flow of plastic is mainly coming from the household’s residual waste which is

estimated to be 278 000 tonnes. This is followed by 152 000 tonnes of demolition and construction

waste which are shown in a report from 2019 made by Svenska MiljöEmissionsData (SMED) on

behalf of Naturvårdsverket (Ljungkvist Nordin, Westöö, Boberg, Fråne, Guban, Sörme & Ahlm,

2019, p. 12).

Additionally, regarding the vehicle industry, reports show that plastic waste streams have doubled

their amount of plastic waste over the years. Because of the increased amount of plastic usage in

the content of cars as well as the increasing amount of cars being scrapped. Nonetheless, the

percentage of recycled plastic that ends up in landfills has decreased from scrapped vehicles to

about ten percent instead of one third. The numbers are estimated between the period of the year

2010 until 2019. Since 2010, the amount of pure plastic that has been imported, as well as exported,

has steadily decreased over the years. Likewise, the plastic waste streams from electrical waste

36

have decreased over the years from a reported number of 34 000 tonnes to 31 000 tonnes. The

decrease could be a result of the modern packaging of electrical products which are a bit lighter

and smaller than before (Ljungkvist Nordin et al., 2019, p. 13).

4.3 Legislation of sustainable reporting in Sweden The suggestion of adding a sustainable report in addition to the management reports, to collect and

compare results of non-financial information which concerns larger businesses across the union,

was first presented by the European Parliament and the council in 2014 (European Parliament &

European Union, 2014).

Due to the new legal requirements of sustainability reporting, more companies are now covered by

the law in cases where they fulfil at least two of the criteria. The criteria which companies need to

have fulfilled are the average number of employees need to be more than 250 and the company’s

total assets shall have amounted more than 175 million Swedish kronor. Also, the company’s net

sales shall have amounted more than 350 million Swedish kronor. As of the financial year with

beginning after December 31, 2016, all larger companies who fulfilled the criteria are required to

obtain sustainable reporting (FAR, n.d.).

The new legal requirements mainly affect the larger businesses in Sweden. Yet, all companies that

fulfils the mentioned criteria, whether the association form, are required to do sustainability

reporting (FAR, n.d.). Moreover, there is not a significant meaning of what type of business it is,

but what criteria the company fulfils.

The sustainability report is required to include enlightenment and information about the

environment, social, and employee conditions as well as anti-corruption policies and respect for

human rights. Furthermore, the report’s purpose is to further inform about the company’s policy

regarding sustainability issues and the significant risks that are associated with the company’s daily

operations (Sveriges Regering, 2016).

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4.4 Miljöbalken The provisions in the Swedish law of environmental code also called Miljöbalken (SFS 2020:75),

one can understand the requirements to fulfil which companies are legally covered by in certain

industries. Miljöbalken intends to support the development of well-being, health, and the further

striving of a better environment for future generations. By working with the requirements of

Miljöbalken, companies agree with the terms and responsibilities. These are based upon the idea

of when using nature’s resources, one also has to work with the protection of nature and the

companies’ impact of it (SFS 2020:75).

4.5 Interview Findings

Table 4.1 - Case information

Source: Avramidou & Tellstedt, 2020

To facilitate the reading of the findings, the above-presented table provides a summary of

information on the general facts about the interviewees and the companies. This allows focusing

38

more on the most relevant parts of the interviews concerning the thesis RQs. These findings are

presented below, case by case.

4.5.1 Case 1 Definition and importance of CSR

According to Interviewee 1 (2020), CSR is an area of great importance to embrace within the

company as it could be seen as a success factor where social and environmental issues are of big

concern. The policy “Great place to work” has been a result of this, which is an external

organisation who makes a review of the organisation based upon the experiences of the employees

and employers where the findings suggest areas of improvement (Great Place To Work, n.d.). Apart

from this, generous health subsidies are offered to employees monthly as well as protection- and

risk analysis is done for safety precaution due to the risks of factory work (Interviewee 1, 2020).

CSR within the company

Interviewee 1 (2020) describes case 1 as one of the leading companies within the field of

sustainability in the Nordics with 100% recycled plastics in production along with their chemist

who develops new material. Furthermore, all plastic waste from production is ground down and

reused or sold to other companies. The waste that has been sold further has accounted for 5% of

the company’s revenue of 2019. The management of CSR and sustainability work is pursued by an

organisation within the group that is located in another region. There is also great importance of a

product’s life cycle since it encourages holistic thinking within the company. Due to this, the

company puts high effort in directing how the recycling process of their products should be done

to minimise its environmental impact (Interviewee 1, 2020).

The motivators for case 1 for working with CSR are employee satisfaction where 75% should

confirm their work satisfaction, profitability, and organic growth of 10% per year each. Working

with CSR also acts as an internal motivation for the management and the employees which could

foster employee satisfaction and promote efficiency (Interviewee 1, 2020).

The future of CSR within the company

The future aim of working with CSR and sustainability is to be top-ranked in the industry within

these areas. In line with this, future improvements and development of recipes as well as material

for the products are needed to be changed to more sustainable options. Due to the lack of knowledge

39

within certain departments of the company, further improvements that will encourage their

increased usage of more environmentally friendly materials are additional training and education

of employees (Interviewee 1, 2020).

The main factors that are crucial for successful sustainability work and its development within the

business were mentioned to be the commitment from the company owners as well as the head

management. Also, there is a need for engaged business owners who prioritise these types of

questions (Interviewee 1, 2020).

New demands from customers, waste policies, new material, and designs have been forced to be

developed due to the increased discussion of CSR according to Interviewee 1 (2020). Yet, in

comparison to earlier decades, plastic materials weigh much less today and can also be cheaper to

develop in many aspects which have resulted in plastic substituting other materials within

industries. Along with this, the demand and progress of working with solely recycled plastic have

also increased (Interviewee 1, 2020).

CSR within the plastic industry

Interviewee 1 (2020), states that plastic as a material has received an unfair label of being

environmentally harmful, instead the true harm lies within the consumers that do not recycle the

plastic products right. In contrast to what is presented by the media about plastic and its industry,

Interviewee 1 (2020) thinks that plastic producing companies overall are sustainably aware due

that most of them to the actions of following ratios, using plastic waste from production which

creates a closed cycle and the investing of polymer engineers to streamline the production

The pressure from end consumers on the possibility to buy products made of recycled plastics along

with the upcoming trend of more sustainable production with recycled material has generated a

higher demand in the industry of buying recycled plastic. Also, estimation is that 25% of plastic

products produced today are made from recycled material (Interviewee 1, 2020).

Company individual responsibility and competition

Interviewee 1 (2020) believes there are a positive awareness and impact that plastic producers hold

about their individual responsibility and sustainable work. As for case 1, an example of their current

project ideas concerning more sustainable actions, are the work of changing the roofs of the

factories to solar panels. However, the actions taken are believed to be questioned and doubted in

40

times of smaller or less profitable businesses where the main focus cannot be on the environment

due to the finances according to Interviewee 1 (2020).

Regarding the Gnosjö region, it is believed to be a current competition between the plastic

producers. In cases of this, it is, therefore, an advantage of working with recycled plastic due to the

increased demand (Interviewee 1, 2020).

CSR legislations and standards for the company

The company adheres to the Swedish legislation of Miljöbalken and all companies within the group

are environmentally certified. All companies work standardised within this area and conduct

sustainability reporting. They are also certified within ISO 14001.

4.5.2 Case 2 Definition and importance of CSR

Interviewee 2 (2020) describes CSR from the company perspective as a responsibility to be able to

show what values the company lives by and to show what their products come from where the

ethical responsibility is one of the most important parts. The interviewee also stresses the

importance of CSR for the environment where she emphasises companies’ responsibilities to

streamline processes as well as transportations. Effective processes depend on ensuring the quality

of the products that one produces which minimises time, effort, and waste.

CSR within the company

Case 2 adheres to a code of conduct that covers all parts of CSR, including ethics and working

conditions where planning is the key to maximise transport capacity and minimise environmental

impact. For the company’s necessities, they do a few high-volume purchases instead of more

purchases of lower volume. They also apply the same restrictions for their customers with as many

fully completed deliveries as possible and no part-deliveries (Interviewee 2, 2020).

The company uses all its waste material from production which is ground down and reused in new

products which can contain recycled material since not all products can. Completely new products

are estimated to contain 25-30% recycled material to not compromise the quality. Additionally,

material-safety sheets are collected on all purchases to see their approval and environmental

certificates. The handling of chemicals is also structured since the municipality demands

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knowledge in how to handle those materials which minimises the risk of toxic emissions

(Interviewee 2, 2020).

The management of sustainability within the company includes both the interviewee and the higher

management due to that it is not acceptable to put the entire responsibility on one person within the

company. Therefore, it is of great importance that the management of the company has a genuine

interest in sustainable issues. Motivators to work with CSR are mainly external pressure from

stakeholders and personal consciousness about the environment. Energy efficiency, such as solar

panels, and the usage of waste material from production, are some of the CSR practices that the

company embraces. The waste material that is not needed or used is sold, yet the material used

within the medical sector is not allowed to be reused, and thus it is burned (Interviewee 2, 2020).

The future of CSR within the company

It is a future desire to be able to motivate customers enough to choose environmentally friendly

material. However, it is a difficulty when only working with subcontractors who make their own

material decisions that are often cost-related. Streamline the production in terms of energy

consumption and possibly find someone who could make use of the waste resulting from the

production of the medical products to minimise unused waste completely are other future goals.

Also, better marketing of CSR practices and training or education of employees within the

sustainability sector is desired (Interviewee 2, 2020).

Interviewee 2 (2020) states that the topic of CSR has existed in companies for a longer time, but

that a shift has been made within the business world that has made the subject of utmost importance.

The results of this have led to more aware customers and higher demand for sustainable production

which most likely will continue to gain importance in the future (Interviewee 2, 2020).

CSR within the plastic industry

Interviewee 2 (2020) believes that plastic has gotten an overall negative reputation, however, it is

believed to change. Plastic producers need to become better at communicating the benefits of

plastic and its replacement of other less environmentally friendly materials to the society to change

the negative beliefs. The negative communication regarding plastic most often concerns

disposables, which often overshadows the actual benefits of the plastic. The most important action

to take to change the existing views is to create a dialog with society to bring forward important

facts.

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Moreover, the demand for recycled plastic is steadily increasing among customers. However, for

case 2 who do not produce their own products, it is not the same demand. This could be due to the

lack of decision-making of material according to Interviewee 2 (2020).

Company individual responsibility and competition

Interviewee 2 (2020) states that it is important for case 2 to maintain their CSR practices that they

have today, regardless of how the subject evolves in society. They also have a responsibility to

continue educating their employees, as well as the management. It is important that everyone within

case 2 has the relevant knowledge to uphold a sustainable mindset. Interviewee 2 (2020) also

mentions a principle where the company has a responsibility to find better and sustainable

chemicals for their material. Also, it is of great importance to lower the overall use of different

chemicals (Interviewee 2, 2020).

Within the Gnosjö region, the large amount of plastic producing companies help each other with

several matters from time to time. Also, it is believed to not provide any competitive benefit to

heavily markets one’s sustainable practices (Interviewee 2, 2020).

CSR legislations and standards for the company

Case 2 is not covered by the law of sustainable reporting, however, they adhere to Miljöbalken for

regulations on a national level. On a more local level, the municipality has regulations regarding

reporting of electricity use, and they also demand a license to conduct a business that includes

substances that may be harmful to human health and the environment. Case 2 was also one of the

first ones in the region to be ISO certified. They are certified with ISO 9001, 14001, and 13485

(Interviewee 2, 2020).

4.5.3 Case 3 Definition and importance of CSR

The role of CSR is a very important area of discussion for the company in both the environmental

and social perspectives. As a result of this, the introduction of a new project of “sustainable

thinking” within the company is being established. To contribute and improve as a business, the

UN Sustainable Development Goals are followed which also contributes to better communication

with their global customers (Interviewee 3, 2020).

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CSR within the company

CSR practices that are emphasised are both within the sustainable production and social

perspective. By investing and offering different activities for employees, they contribute to the

employees’ overall health- and well-being. Also, due to the heavy lifting in factories, the option of

working out during work hours is offered to prevent possible injuries. Furthermore, the company

also works a lot with charity which they involve with their employees. From an environmental

perspective, case 3 strives to minimise its environmental impact to the fullest. Almost all products

that are produced, except for a few components, consist of 95% recycled material. Recycled plastic

is also believed to work even better for the company’s products than new material would have and

therefore all waste material from production is reused (Interviewee 3, 2020).

Case 3 has a sustainability manager within the company, however, everyone within the company

is involved in the sustainability work and future goals. Together with the management, new

sustainability goals are set each year to be achieved. Energy efficiency, zero-footprint of waste,

and more sustainable energy sources are to name a few of the practices that the company

emphasizes. They are also using more environmentally friendly exports such as trains for their

shipping within Europe (Interviewee 3, 2020).

The main motivators of working with CSR are increased sales and profitability. This is due to the

higher customer demand for sustainable products and cheaper material when using recycled

material instead of new. Reusing the waste material from their production does not only help to cut

down on cost but also favours a circular economy within the company (Interviewee 3, 2020).

The future of CSR within the company

Interviewee 3 (2020), believes that the company is in a good place and further ahead of others

regarding their sustainability work. Future improvements would be to increase their knowledge

and systems regarding life cycle analysis which contributes to better information that is given to

customers. Additionally, the company’s project “Greenology” enhances the life cycle behind

sustainable products towards customers and helps to educate the knowledge of what it means with

sustainable products. The project is something that the company is working on themselves and is

directed to its customers.

Furthermore, dedicated employees are crucial to succeed in the company’s sustainability work and

issues. Involving employees facilitate the achievement of internal sustainable goals and make it

44

easier for everyone to follow the progress as well as environmental impact according to Interviewee

3 (2020).

Interviewee 3 (2020) states that there is a clear difference in involving CSR practices within

businesses today compared to the last decades. The interest of recycled plastics has increased

remarkably during the last years, but mostly in the last six months within the Gnosjö region. Also,

there is a bigger importance of the company’s culture due to the new generations as well as

emphasising sustainability work when recruiting new people.

CSR within the plastic industry

Interviewee 3 (2020) believes that the usage of plastic has only benefited how we live today, and

the usage will only continue to increase in future settings. Due to plastic packaging, more food is

now easier to save and storage, the material to the automotive business is now lighter which helps

cars to release less fuel, and plastic production demands extremely little energy when producing.

However, the problem of plastic is the lack of knowledge concerning recycling and consumption

which therefore needs a better structure of informing customers. Case 3, therefore, enhances the

conversation of recycling of their products with their customers as well as the option of closed-

loop recycling where the customers have the opportunity of returning their products in exchange

for money. Also, the company in case 3 hopes to develop a specific plastic ecolabelling that could

work for their products and help with recycling (Interviewee 3, 2020).

The demand for recycled plastic is believed to be higher today than before among customers.

However, due to the lack of good technology and research within this topic, more material could

have been recycled. Also, there is a need for increasing the knowledge of recycled plastic among

customers who still believe it is bad. Due to that plastic has a much bigger life cycle revenue than

other types of materials, recycled plastic is something that we will see more of according to

interviewee 3 (2020).

Company’s individual responsibility and competition

Interviewee 3 (2020) states that their individual responsibility as plastic producers is very broad

and difficult where everyone holds responsibility for their impact. As a result of this, case 3 educate

their customers on how and where their products should be recycled.

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The competition in the Gnosjö region between plastic producers is very good and healthy. There is

believed to always be some competition, but the companies have also always been very cooperative

and supportive (Interviewee 3, 2020).

CSR legislations and standards for the company

Case 3 is not required to do any sustainable reporting. Also, they do not hold any certificates from

ISO, but their annual sustainability goal is to be certificated with ISO 14000. However, they do

follow the UN Global Compacts suggestions and goals for sustainability work. Other than that, the

company follows the legal requirements of the municipality (Interviewee 3, 2020).

4.5.4 Case 4 Definition and importance of CSR

Interviewee 4 (2020) states that working with CSR and sustainability as a business idea that is

fairly new to case 4. However, the company has been working with the concept indirectly for a

longer time. Interviewee 4 (2020) also defines CSR as an attempt to minimise the impact of plastic

and work with more recycled materials. Furthermore, the practices include affecting one's

customers into choosing more recycled materials for their products for the benefit of the

environment.

CSR within the company

Producing products with as little environmental impact as possible is the main CSR practice within

the company of case 4 where recycled material and reuse, as well as the purchase of waste material,

are emphasized. However, not all waste can be recycled due to its colour or its composition of

various substances. Mediating an environmental profile of their products and capturing attention

from customers, are the main reason for working with recycled material, even if it does not increase

their sales (Interviewee 4, 2020).

A lot of focus to benefit sustainability is generally put in on changing existing products, which is

possible to a certain extent. Creating more effective production processes, systems and the

suggestion of including recycled material to the degree that it is possible, are other arguments that

case 4 involves to minimise their environmental impact (Interviewee 4, 2020). Moreover, due to

the size of the company being quite small, there is no specific sustainability department that solely

46

works with CSR, instead, everyone is involved and has knowledge about the environmental impact

and resource-efficiency according to Interviewee 4 (2020).

Interviewee 4 (2020) states that the major motivator of working with CSR is the profitable aspect

where reusing waste material in production is one way of saving money. However, as different

from before, recycled material has become more expensive to buy compared to new material which

could be due to the increased demand from customers, hence the increased prices.

The future of CSR within the company

The future aim of CSR work is to get ISO certified since it could help to increase their sales and

customers. Other goals are to change their factories’ power source to more environmentally

friendly alternatives, but due to higher costs of this, it is currently a future goal. Moreover,

regarding the historical discussion of CSR, it is believed to be a bigger market interest and benefit

in working with questions regarding the environment today. Companies can make a profile based

on environmental work which benefits business in many aspects. To be successful within CSR

practices, companies need to have management that is committed to these types of questions. This

applies to all processes of change within the company, according to interviewee 4 (2020).

CSR within the plastic industry

There is a desire for increased interest and understanding of bio- and recycled material among

customers within the plastic industry. Nonetheless, the future of plastic and its usage is believed to

be bright according to Interviewee 4 (2020). Examples of its positive impact are the substitution of

other materials in the automotive industry, where the cars are a lot less heavy which also decreases

fuel consumption. Plastic has also facilitated the physical workload for people due to its lighter

weight and manageability (Interviewee 4, 2020).

For future settings, Interviewee 4 (2020) believes that there will be a change within the plastic

industry where plastic disposals will eventually disappear and new forms of plastic will be

invented. Also, there has been an increased demand for recycled material compared to the last

decades which also led to it almost becoming a “trend” of products to look recycled. Due to the

increased demand, the cost of recycled material has also increased where the choice of material has

become a price related argument.

47

Company individual responsibility and competition

Interviewee 4 (2020) states that the individual responsibility of case 4 is of great importance and

that it is their responsibility to be at the forefront and inform society about the environmental

benefits of plastic. The plastic itself would not be harmful to the environment, it is rather the

recycling by the society that is the issue. Therefore, plastic producing companies need to become

better at informing about recycling where a suggestion by Interviewee 4 (2020) could be to provide

product recycle information sheets.

Furthermore, there is a noticeable competition between plastic producers within the Gnosjö region.

However, developing their own unique products as well as working with CSR is rather a

competitive advantage and instead, the real competitiveness is in subcontracting (Interviewee 4,

2020).

CSR legislations and standards for the company

Case 4 is not required to do sustainability reporting and they neither provide any voluntarily

reporting. They adhere to legislations from the municipality, such as energy consumption

measures. Moreover, since they are not ISO certified yet, they do not follow any standards

according to ISO (Interviewee 4, 2020).

4.5.5 Case 5 Definition and importance of CSR

Interviewee 5 (2020) defines CSR as the work that the company in case 5 puts in to sustain the

social, economic, and sustainable standards. Additionally, it is also explained as the concept of

working together within the company to achieve better long-term goals.

CSR within the company

Interviewee 5 (2020) states that the company has worked with the concept of CSR for a longer

time, both from the environmental and social perspectives. CSR practices that they do are the

development of more sustainable products in their production cycle as well as the recycling

methods, which contributes to a circular economy. The company offers the service of helping

customers with the selection of material in their products which enhances the possibility of

educating customers about sustainable materials. Additionally, the company has specific

management that solely works with a life cycle assessment system of standardized methods that

48

compares different materials’ environmental impact. From a societal perspective, case 5 cares for

maintaining a good work environment, job satisfaction among employees, and charity work

(Interviewee 5, 2020).

Interviewee 5 (2020) is mainly in charge of the sustainability work within the company, however,

some others contribute to the work as well. Also, she hopes to expand the management of

sustainability in the future. Furthermore, the main reasons for working with CSR practices are the

legislations where they are obligated to follow certain sustainability policies and the public debate

as well as the demand for presenting more sustainable products.

The future of CSR within the company

Interviewee 5 (2020) believes that the company is already ahead of its time regarding the public

demand and expectations of sustainable production. For future improvements, the company needs

to become more customer-oriented and better at promoting the sustainable standards that are

already emphasised at its website. Also, improving the current research of reusing waste material,

more waste could be reused in the future (Interviewee 5, 2020).

The main factors that are necessary to manage a successful sustainability work are mainly the upper

management’s dedication to improvements. The result of this would, therefore, help to improve

the company’s work towards more sustainable production when managers are pushing for these

standards. Also, it is believed to be a distinct difference in how companies and customers apply

CSR practices today compared to earlier decades. The result of this has been the newer standards

and legislations of sustainable production (Interviewee 5, 2020).

CSR within the plastic industry

According to Interviewee 5 (2020), the future of plastic within the industry is bright and

developing. However, the concern of the recycling of plastic will continue to be a further issue

since all parties are not taking full responsibility for the recycling process. Hence, as a result of

poor waste management, the legislations and standards have been founded to facilitate the issue.

Furthermore, the demand for recycled plastics is constantly increasing within the whole plastic

industry. Including recycled material today is rather a price related questions than an environmental

aspect, hence the poor knowledge and beliefs that recycled material is toxic. However, the waste

49

material from production in case 5 is 100% reused and an additional 25% of recycled material is

purchased for their products (Interviewee 5, 2020).

Company individual responsibility and competition

Interviewee 5 (2020) believes that individual responsibility as a plastic producing company is very

important, hence they are striving to stay engaged and educated about their overall environmental

impact. Along with this, a new acquis is being developed by case 5 to facilitate the sustainability

work for plastic producers within the industry. Also, there is no noticeable competition between

plastic producers within the Gnosjö region, instead, there is great cooperation and relations between

companies.

CSR legislations and standards for the company

Case 5 is certified by ISO 9000 and 14000. Along with that, they are restricted by specific

legislation of packaging on certain products within the medical and food segment. Furthermore,

the company is not covered by the law to provide annual sustainability reports, however, they are

maintaining voluntarily sustainable reporting annually. Other than this, the company is covered by

specific legislation by the municipality (Interviewee 5, 2020).

4.5.6 Case 6 Definition and importance of CSR

Interviewee 6 (2020) defines CSR as working with sustainability practices within the company and

it is an especially important topic to enlighten since they operate within an industry that is faced

with a lot of uncertainties. Also, companies can further use the concept of CSR to inform customers

about the environmental benefits and impact that plastic has on their operations.

CSR within the company

Case 6 is deeply involved in the decision process of material with customers where the aim is to

find material that has a lower environmental impact. To act as a support and facilitate the selection

process for their customers, the company offers to run test productions with the most

environmentally friendly material to ensure a finished product that will satisfy the customers’

needs. Furthermore, the testing of mixing different waste materials and developing more efficient

resource processes is an ongoing pursued research within the company (Interviewee 6, 2020).

50

Due to the high energy expenditure throughout the production processes, an important aspect of

their CSR practices is to become more energy efficient which they are currently working to improve

by switching to LED, installing solar panels, and replacing to more energy-efficient machines.

They are also developing ways of generating heat recovery from their injection moulding

processes. Apart from the mentioned practices, the company is a member of the organisation

“Operation clean sweep”, which entails a vision of zero pellets and assurance of zero emitted waste

into the environment. Being a part of this operation helps the company to position its sustainable

involvement towards stakeholders (Interviewee 6, 2020).

Interviewee 6 (2020) explains that sustainable management in case 6 mainly includes one head of

quality and sustainability, however, the responsibility is also divided between several resources at

the company. Furthermore, the motivators of working with CSR practices are a combination of

profitability, reputation, legislations, ethical aspects, and education. Overall, the actions taken are

based upon consumer demand and behaviour which is why it is argued to be important of being in

the forefront and stay responsive to new trends.

The future of CSR within the company

The future beliefs of plastic according to Interviewee 6 (2020), is that there is going to be a shift

from the current types of plastic used, to new material of plastic in the future. Examples of this are

the current process of shifting from fossil material to biomaterial which is made of 100% sugar

canes. Also, there is an overall increased demand for environmentally friendly material among

customers, but due to the limitation of raw material, there is a difficulty of pursuing this shift. Other

future improvements within the company are to gain more extensive knowledge about new plastic

materials, its environmental impact, and footprint to present better facts for customers. Lastly, their

most important effort for the future is to decrease and streamline their energy consumption

(Interviewee 6, 2020).

The most important factor to be successful within CSR work is to have a dedicated owner,

management, and board members since pursuing such practices often require several investments.

In line with the historical change of the CSR discussion, the debate has increased tremendously the

last decades, not least during the last two years according to Interviewee 6 (2020). This especially

concerns the choice of material and interest around the life-cycle analysis of products from a

sustainability perspective which is an external expectation by customers today. Moreover, due to

51

the increased interest and demand, it is believed that there is a further need for plastic in the future

as well (Interviewee 6, 2020).

CSR within the plastic industry

Interviewee 6 (2020) believes that despite the large number of critiques directed towards the plastic

industry, plastic is still a material that remains in the market and has a continued high demand,

however, disposable plastic will eventually vanish. The ongoing societal debate about the plastic

industry is also claimed to be more about the recycling of plastic, not about the production of

plastic. As a result of this, the company highlights its recycling and reuse of waste material, which

is seen as an increased measure taken among plastic production companies.

Even though there is a higher possibility today for reusing waste material, there are restrictions to

the degree this is possible and allowed for. The new regulations and laws that are founded are not

always beneficial from an environmental aspect according to Interviewee 6 (2020), who states that

too many smaller changes that are not thoroughly discussed, will only cost more than it will

generate. This is also argued from an environmental perspective.

Company individual responsibility and competition

The company’s individual responsibility is mainly ensuring that its production has as little

environmental impact as possible. This also includes continuously thinking about how their

production can become even more effective, such as coordinating transports (Interviewee 6, 2020).

Interviewee 6 (2020) also claims that there is no excessive competition within the Gnosjö region.

Even though there are a lot of companies working with injection moulding, everyone has their

business niche of the products. Furthermore, cooperation exists within the region where both public

communication network is available and the trading of waste material.

CSR legislations and standards for the company

Case 6 is not included under the law of sustainability reporting. However, on their initiative, they

provide reports for “Operation clean sweep” and to customers if demanded. They also provide

reports on energy consumption when required from the municipality. They are certified with ISO

9001 and 14001 as well as OHSAS 18001 which is a certification on working with the environment

(interviewee 6, 2020).

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4.5.7 Case 7 Definition and importance of CSR

Interviewee 7 (2020) defines CSR as a plan that works for the sustainability agenda within the

company that they are daily operating with. The company also emphasizes the concept code of

conduct within their cooperation which contributes to the well-being of employees.

CSR within the company

Case 7 is involving several different working standards to operate as sustainable as possible.

According to interviewee 7 (2020), there is a lack of solely Swedish producers within the plastic

industry who mainly are producing their products within Sweden and the local market. Therefore,

as the company in case 7 does produce its products within Sweden, it works as an advantage with

its sustainability work since it contains fewer imports. Along with this, the awareness of good

material in production is of great importance within the company which is why they’re using 100%

of the waste in production to produce new products. Thus, they are also working closely with

different recycling companies who take care of their waste from production. Furthermore, all the

factories within their company are invested with solar panels, heat pumps, and geothermal to

sustain their energy efficiency. Additionally, they are also researching the possibility of creating

their own electricity.

Interviewee 7 (2020) is responsible for the sustainability work within the company, but they also

have a sustainability manager who is in charge of the quality and environment. Furthermore, the

main motivators which contribute to the work of CSR in the company are mainly customer demand

along with legislations.

The future of CSR within the company

For future improvements, the company is working at improving its energy efficiency by hopefully

being able to produce its own electricity in the future which also can contribute to a circular

economy. In line with this, the company is working at developing the factories’ infrastructure so

the whole product could be made at one same place. This would contribute to a sustainable

production since the material does not have to be transferred to different places and fewer transports

would be needed (Interviewee 7, 2020).

Moreover, regarding the public issue of recycling of plastic, Interviewee 7 (2020) believes that

Swedish plastic producers are already aware of their sustainability work and impact. Instead, the

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public issue is rather something that needs to be focused on production in other parts of the world’s

plastic industries.

To have a motivated team who focuses on the sustainability perspective throughout the production

cycle is believed to be one of the main factors to succeed with good sustainability work. Due to

that the production is located mainly within the Gnosjö region, there is an importance of

implementing the sustainable mindset among their employees as well as to improve their

environmental perspective. This is also due to the difference in discussions regarding sustainability

questions which have drastically increased the last decades according to Interviewee 7 (2020).

CSR within the plastic industry

The future of plastics is believed to improve as well as increase in future settings where it will

continue to substitute for other materials which have a higher environmental impact. As of today,

research shows that plastic is much easier than other materials in the matter of recycling which

therefore strengthens the argument that usage of plastics will only increase. Along with this, the

demand for recycled material will continue to increase (Interviewee 7, 2020).

Furthermore, the usage of plastics and disposable products is rather a matter of behaviour by the

consumers, not the producers, which therefore leads the future discussion of how consumers are

recycling. As a result of this, the smaller and disposable plastic products will most likely vanish

which already can be seen in the industry (Interviewee 7, 2020).

Company individual responsibility and competition

The individual responsibility as a plastic producer is believed to be seen as quite broad overall. In

general, it is of great importance to discuss and implement sustainability standards since everyone

within the industry has a responsibility (Interviewee 7, 2020).

Interviewee 7 (2020) states that the there is a competition between plastic producers within the

Gnosjö region. However, the overall cooperation is not as cooperative as its reputation shows.

Along with this, the main competition is neither within the region, but as of today more global.

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CSR legislations and standards for the company

Case 7 is not restricted by law to maintain the requirement of sustainability reporting. However,

they follow the required legislations by the municipality. They are certified with ISO 14001 and

ISO 16949 according to the environmental and quality standards (Interviewee 7, 2020).

4.5.8 Case 8 Definition and importance of CSR

Interviewee 8 (2020) states that the thoughts of CSR have shifted from previously being about

supporting local businesses and employee satisfaction, to now being more about the environmental

aspect.

CSR within the company

Interviewee 8 (2020) explains that the company does not adhere to any other CSR related policies

than those required by law. Furthermore, CSR practices that case 8 emphasises are sustainable

energy sources as hydroelectric as well as using electric cars. In production, they have started to

successively work more with recycled material due to the increased demand from customers since

recycled material, in their opinion, is cheaper. In line with this, the company reuses all their waste

material from production along with biomaterial.

Interviewee 8 (2020) states that it is the management that has to take initiative for any related

change of sustainability work within the company. Also, they do not have any specific

sustainability management who solely works with these issues. Moreover, what motivates them to

pursue CSR practices is mainly their ethical consideration along with how they are perceived by

the public which serves as a great motivation. However, the profitability aspect is also of great

importance.

The future of CSR within the company

For future improvement, Interviewee 8 (2020) believes the company needs to find a better structure

within the CSR related work which cannot be seen as of today, and therefore it is difficult to vision

other future improvements. Along with this, they will continue their production of involving

recycled material which most likely increases even further in the future.

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To be successful within the field of CSR, Interviewee 8 (2020) believes that the most important

thing is to have a dedicated as well as interest board and management of the company. If one does

not have the right mind and feeling, it will never succeed, regardless of policies and regulations.

CSR within the plastic industry

Interviewee 8 (2020) states that a false reputation has been put on plastic from the media.

Furthermore, it is believed that people within the industry know that plastic is a vital material if,

for example, the national environmental goals are to be reached. Especially within the automotive

industry where parts made of plastic reduces the weight of the car and hence the fuel consumption.

Alternative materials such as metal take 10 times more energy to produce and 5 times more energy

to recycle, compared to plastic.

Overall, there is a positive perception of the future of plastic and for the plastic industry where

producers will continue to work on decreasing their carbon footprint. Moreover, concerning

recycled material, the demand has significantly increased during the last five years which will most

likely continue and create more pressure of price (Interviewee 8, 2020).

Company individual responsibility and competition

Interviewee 8 (2020) states that misleading information about plastic places a lot of responsibility

for them as a company. Therefore, they have a responsibility to be proactive and improve their

operations, such as using recycled plastics instead which saves a lot of resources and energy. They

also have to be informed about what the disadvantages of choosing other materials would be in

order to convey that to their customers. However, since they do not own the end products of the

parts that they are producing, they do not have much control over what information is mediated to

the end consumers. Therefore, all the produced products are marked with a recycling symbol.

Interviewee 8 (2020) believes that there is competition within the Gnosjö region since there are a

lot of companies that can produce the same products. However, it still exists good communication

and cooperation between the companies. As for an example, case 8 is a member of the local network

called “Polymercentrum” where they can participate in common education.

CSR legislations and standards for the company

Case 8 is not conducting any sustainability reporting or voluntarily reports. They are regulated by

the laws of the municipality and are certified by ISO 9001 and 14001.

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4.5.9 Case 9 Definition and importance of CSR

Interviewee 9 (2020) defines CSR as an important area of discussion from a sustainable perspective

within the company. Moreover, there is a great importance of adopting new strategies to become

more efficient and sustainable as a business.

CSR within the company

Case 9 emphasizes different sustainable actions throughout their production processes, as well as

within their factories, by following specific routines and guidelines which are created within the

business. Due to subcontracting, there is a difficulty of solely including the materials that the

company believes are the best from a sustainable standpoint since the customer makes the

decisions. Moreover, the company recycles 100% of the residues from its production into new

products when possible as well as older products.

Except for interviewee 9 (2020), who is head of quality and sustainability within the company, they

also have quality and measurement manager. The motivators of applying CSR practices are mainly

due to profitability, but also since it contributes to the company spirit when involving employees

in sustainability practices.

The future of CSR within the company

For future settings, the company will continue their work of CSR by following required legislation

and standards, keep the current policies alive as well as include more employees in these practices.

In line with this, for future improvements, there is room for enhancement of the current routines

and policies that are followed as of today as well as to become more educated about their

sustainability work.

The factors that are of main importance to succeed with a company’s CSR practices are mainly the

employees according to interviewee 9 (2020). It is also very important to care for a company’s

employees to create job satisfaction. Furthermore, the discussion of sustainability-related questions

is believed to have increased a lot compared to earlier decades. In contribution to this, new policies

and certifications have been developed which enhance the safety of employees today compared to

before (Interviewee 9, 2020).

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CSR within the plastic industry

Interviewee 9 (2020), does not agree with the negative statements of plastic in today’s debate and

media. Instead, plastic is claimed to be far better than many other materials from an environmental

perspective which also favours the future of plastic. From the company’s perspective, there is a

need for finding even more sustainable and suitable material for plastic products. However, the real

difficulty is rather the persuasion of customers to choose recycled material instead which still is an

issue for companies.

Interviewee 9 (2020), also believes that the research of recycled material can improve the

customers’ general view of plastic. Due to that many plastic materials can contain toxins if recycled

and used in new products today, many customers are scared of using recycled plastics. However,

what is a noticeable change is that the demand for recycled plastics is already increasing in many

sectors of the industry as well as among customers.

Company individual responsibility and competition

As a plastic producing company, they hold a big individual responsibility, both from the leader and

environmental perspective where they are needed to advocate the positive aspects of plastic and its

recycling process. Moreover, it is believed to be a present competition between plastic producing

companies within the Gnosjö region. However, it is only perceived as a positive aspect due to the

close corporations and open dialogues between companies (Interviewee 9, 2020).

CSR legislations and standards for the company

Case 9 is not required to conduct any sustainability reporting and they neither conduct any other

voluntarily reports. They are currently certified by ISO 9001 and 14001 which they are striving to

obtain.

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5. Analysis

The content of the analysis is mainly based upon the theoretical background and data findings

where both primary as well as secondary data were derived from codes of the presented coding

scheme. Moreover, the structure is based on the three themes of management, actions, and future.

Figure 5.1 - Linking of findings and theory

Source: Avramidou & Tellstedt, 2020

Figure 5.1 represents the connection between the themes derived from the findings (see table 3.2),

the different responsibilities of Carroll’s Pyramid, and the research questions of this thesis. Below,

these connections will be analysed based on each respective code that was identified within the

three themes management, actions, and future.

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5.1 Management When discussing the meaning and definition of CSR, expressing concern for sustainability and the

environment were found repeatedly throughout the interviews. Recurring concepts were

environmental responsibilities, minimising harm, recycling, and streamlining of processes

(Interviewees 1-9, 2020). Some of the companies also emphasised ethical aspects in the form of

employee well-being and satisfaction when defining the concept of CSR (Interviewees 1, 3 & 7,

2020). Other companies instead highlighted the ethical perspective in the form of values, working

together, and providing information to customers (Interviewees 2,5 & 6, 2020). Interviewee 3

(2020) was the only one to mention any legal aspect where he stated “We are adhering to the UN

sustainable development goals to make sure we are in the right direction of our sustainability

work” as an example of CSR. The economic perspective was only mentioned once by interviewee

5 (2020) who stated the work to sustain all aspects of the triple bottom line as the meaning of CSR.

Interviewees 5 & 3 (2020) were also the only ones to mention any aspect relating to the

philanthropic responsibilities in that the companies are working with charity.

Putting this in relation to the model presented by Carroll (2016), it can be argued that the ethical

responsibilities are what comes to the interviewees’ minds when they are asked to define the

concept of CSR. The two most important parts of CSR that should receive most of the focus

according to Carroll, namely the economic and legal responsibilities, were the ones that were least

brought up by the interviewees in the sense of defining CSR. The philanthropic responsibilities did

not receive much attention which is in line with the structure of Carroll’s Pyramid where it is put

as the least prioritized aspect within companies.

The majority of the interviewees believe that plastic as a material has received an unfair or false

reputation within the society which creates a negative association with plastic as a material

(Interviewees 1, 2, 6, 8 & 9, 2020). Many interviewees explain this negative label on the whole

industry as a result of the consumption and handling of disposables (Interviewees 2, 4, 6 & 7,

2020). The majority argue that the true problem lies within consumers lacking responsibility to

recycle their waste which they instead throw out in nature. This then results in blame put on the

producers of these thrown products instead of blaming the ones responsible for throwing it

(Interviewees 1, 3, 5, 6 & 7, 2020). Only one of the interviewees argued that “The problem might

be a combination of not enough responsibility for both consumers and producers” (Interviewee 5,

2020). However, two of the interviewees mentioned new legislations that have arisen in favour of

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improving waste management (Interviewee 5 & 6, 2020) which can entail that the current situation

will change.

Interviewees 1 & 8 (2020) both argued that most plastic production companies generally are

sustainably aware. From this thesis, this can be seen by all interviewees stating that their companies

recycle and reuse all or most of their production waste material (Interviewees 1-9, 2020).

Additionally, almost half of the cases also buy recycled material from other companies or sell their

recycled leftovers further to others (Interviewees 1, 4, 5 & 6, 2020). This line of actions taken

creates a closed-loop from a sustainability perspective (Interviewee 1, 2020).

When analysing and comparing the responses of the interviewees, a difference was found in their

respective discussions on CSR as a result of their area of occupation. The companies working as

subcontractors as their primary business concept seemed to have more difficulties with pursuing

CSR practices that are directly connected to their customers. Interviewees 2 & 9 (2020) stated that

when working as subcontractors they do not have the same possibility to affect and have demands

towards their customers. Since they do not own the products that they produce, they can only make

suggestions regarding aspects such as choice of material which can have a major impact from an

environmental perspective. However, the final choice is always taken by the customers. Another

factor that separates the companies that produce their own products from the ones that solely work

as subcontractors is that “The subcontractors cannot control what information is mediated to the

end consumer” (Interviewee 8, 2020). This aspect is important to take into consideration since it

obstructs a part of the companies’ possible actions in favour of CSR.

Concerning Carroll’s (2016) pyramid of CSR, the matter of the companies’ business concept can

affect what actions the companies can take from an ethical perspective regarding the products

produced. In contrast to the economic and legal perspective which companies cannot negotiate, the

ethical part and to what extent it is implemented within the company is up to every individual case.

Nonetheless one can argue that it is an extremely important factor for making business today. Being

in a position where the implementation of ethical factors is hindered could be argued to largely

affect companies’ possibility of implementing parts of CSR as desired.

While discussing what factors are the most important to achieve success in within the field of CSR,

the majority of the interviewees agreed on a recurring factor, namely to have committed

management (Interviewees 1, 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8, 2020). These interviewees argued that committed

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management is necessary to pursue thoughts, ideas, and policies within this field. Other

interviewees stated that dedicated employees are the most, or one of the most, important factors to

achieve successful sustainability work (Interviewees 3, 7 & 9 (2020). Interviewee 3 (2020) also

mentioned “There is an importance of having yearly goals concerning CSR as motivation to pursue

successful work”. Nonetheless, he also stated that it starts with the intentions and actions of the

management to have dedicated employees and to set new goals. In line with this argument,

implementing yearly goals as a part of the business plan could benefit the performance of

corporations as argued by Farcane & Bureana (2015).

These arguments can be related to the ethical perspective of Carroll’s (2016) Pyramid. This is since

the common denominator within all of the factors presented by the interviewees is personal interest.

Being committed to a subject requires deeper motivation for something other than what is required

by law, as argued by Carroll (2016). Since many things that are included within CSR practices are

voluntary, such as pushing for the most environmentally friendly material, it is often done as a

result of personal consciousness. This is why sustainable actions taken by management can be seen

as an ethical act.

5.2 Actions A few of the interviewees stated investments in education as an action taken in favour of CSR.

Interviewees 1, 2 & 5 (2020) discussed offering education to employees and customers on

environmentally friendly material and recycling in different forms. This would result in better

knowledge among both groups on how to handle material which would desirably lead to a decrease

in waste. This is in line with Wilson’s (2000) argument of the importance of always staying updated

within a constantly changing market. Concerning Carroll’s Pyramid, providing education and

training can be seen from an economic perspective in regard to the employees, and an ethical

perspective concerning the customers. Educating employees would potentially create better and

more sustainable processes and hence minimise waste and streamline the production. This would,

in turn, generate economic benefits. Looking at educating customers would not directly lead to any

economic benefits for the company. Instead, it is more fit to be seen as an ethical act that will

benefit society at large with decreased waste and perhaps a more sustainable mind-set among

customers.

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Several actions taken by companies serve as sustainable solutions within their businesses.

Interviewees 6 & 9 (2020) stated keeping a dialogue with their customers as an important factor to

minimise confusion and to more easily move forward. This also evolves into communicating the

recycling strategies of their products to their customers (Interviewees 3 & 9, 2020). To take this

matter ever further, interviewee 3 (2020) discussed the phenomenon of closed-loop recycling and

describes it as the following “This implies that customers who have bought our products can bring

them back to us for a small compensation instead of throwing it away”. Hence this will create a

closed sustainable loop from being produced by the company, used by the customer, and being

brought back to the company to be mould down and re-used.

These sustainable solutions can be seen in relation to both the ethical but also the economic

perspective of Carroll’s Pyramid. From the ethical perspective, the actions discussed are taken

voluntarily by the companies to build relationships with their customers as well as to benefit the

environment. However, the matter can also be looked at in the sense that stronger relationships lead

to more purchases and the returned used products provide cheaper material to produce more

products.

The three pillars of the triple bottom line, economic, social, and environmental, are repeatedly

discussed at different places throughout Chapter 4. It is most likely that this is done unintentionally,

however, the high frequency of its pillars in discussion shows its relevance and importance within

the subject of CSR. Among all the interviews, Interviewee 5 (2020) was the only one to mention

social, economic, and sustainable standards together during the interview. She presents all three

pillars as equally important to have in mind when working with CSR. She also explains that all

three areas serve as a basis for developing their CSR strategies.

The subject of employee satisfaction was discussed by the majority of the interviewees at some

point during the interviews. Interviewee 1 (2020) stated a goal concerning the degree of employee

satisfaction that is continuously measured at the company. Several others stated different measures

taken at the individual companies to sustain employee satisfaction. These were to invest in

activities for health and well-being (Interviewee 3, 2020), for example creating a code of conduct

(Interviewee 7, 2020) and providing a health subsidy (Interviewee 1, 2020). Interviewee 1 (2020)

stated the importance of raising employee questions, internal work, and policies, where similarly,

Interviewee 9 (2020) discussed the importance of employees feeling included, heard, and satisfied.

Interviewee 3 (2020) brought up the current topic of culture as he stated “The matter of company

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culture has become more and more important with the entrance of the new generation into the

business market”. Furthermore, Interviewee 5 (2020) emphasises to offer a good workplace in

general.

Concerning Carroll’s Pyramid, the matter of employee satisfaction is firstly related to the ethical

perspective in the minds of the authors. This is since the thought of employee satisfaction somewhat

relates to doing good for a co-worker. Whilst, it can also be seen from an economic perspective

since investing in employee well-being can minimise both physical and mental harm. This will in

return save the cost of sick-leave, replacement workers, etc. Whether it is the ethical or economic

factor that drives the main work with employee satisfaction is unclear. However, it is likely to be

a combination of both for most companies.

The matter of profitability was mostly brought up by the interviewees when discussing motivation

to work with CSR. However, Interviewee 3 (2020) stated that profitability is also a factor that is

needed to be able to work with CSR in the first place. Analysing all the interviews, it becomes

quite clear that profitability is an essential part of businesses that lies as a basis for undertaking

several projects and actions that go beyond the core business. This confirms Carroll’s (2016) claim

of the economic responsibility being the most fundamental part of a business that needs to be in

place before discussing the other three responsibilities of Carroll’s Pyramid.

Many of the interviewees talked about the life cycle of their products and its importance for the

subject of CSR. Discussed is the cycle of products being recycled, reused, and resold which ensures

minimal waste. The interviewees state the increased attention brought to this phenomenon, not the

least among businesses, as a result of its many benefits such as cost savings and decreased

environmental harm (Interviewees 1, 3, 5 & 8, 2020). Interviewee 5 (2020) even describes their

developed life cycle assessment where they allow their customers the opportunity to see the

environmental impact imposed by their products. Some of the interviewees also use the concept of

a circular economy that has a similar meaning (Interviewees 3, 5 & 7, 2020), although it includes

a broader perspective of the business. For instance, Interviewee 7 (2020) stated “We are working

to be able to produce our own energy in the future”.

The focus put on the concept of the product life cycle can be related to the increased importance

for companies to work with the ethical aspect of CSR. However, as the interviewees describe, the

work put into the concept generates benefits from both the ethical and economic perspectives.

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Using the possibilities to become more sustainable by applying the thinking of the product life

cycle will mediate a sustainable profile in favour of the ethical perspective of CSR. Simultaneously,

it could attract more customers and hence increase profit as a part of the economic perspective.

The impact of companies on the environment is a highly discussed topic within society today. A

lot of work is generally put into improving the daily business operations in favour of the

environment which can be seen all over company websites and media. The companies addressed

in this thesis are no exception and a lot of discussions around measures taken to lower the

environmental impact were held. For instance, Interviewee 3 (2020) states “We are constantly

involved in finding ways to minimise our environmental impact”. As an implemented example he

explains their shift towards more and more train transports to lower emissions resulting from

transports of their goods. Other interviewees explain several actions taken within the matter as

well. Both Interviewees 4 & 8 (2020) talks about creating effective processes and systems to

streamline production. The previously mentioned life cycle assessment implemented by

Interviewee 5 (2020) can also be seen as an action taken to minimise environmental impact.

Likewise, commitments such as the one undertaken by Interviewee 6 (2020), namely operation

clean sweep, is also an example of measures taken by companies to show the work they put in to

minimise their environmental impact.

The discussion on the environmental impact of companies is highly related to the ethical

perspective of Carroll’s Pyramid. The legal perspective plays a part in the matter as well by

providing general restrictions for companies concerning emission levels etc. However, as Carroll

(2016) states, ethical considerations go beyond the legal aspect and is a vital part of working from

a societal perspective. The actions taken by the companies could also be seen from an economic

perspective since there could be underlying motivators of economic interest promoting these

actions.

What acts as motivation for the actions of companies is a very essential part to enlighten when

discussing CSR. Among the answers of the interviewees, several different motivators were

identified. However, some were discussed more frequently than others and three factors could be

identified as the most common motivators for companies to pursue CSR work. The most common

motivators were sales and profit that were stated by as much as six of the interviewees

(Interviewees 1, 3, 4, 6, 8 & 9, 2020). The following two motivators were confirmed by three

interviewees each, where the first one was external pressure as stated by Interviewees 2, 5 & 7

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(2020). The second one was following new rules and legislations as motivation to pursue CSR

work (Interviewees 5-7, 2020). Worth mentioning is that Interviewees 2 & 8 (2020) were the only

ones to mention personal consciousness as a factor for motivation, along with Interviewees 6 & 9

(2020) who were the only ones to mention the ethical aspect. This confirms Trollestad & De Geer’s

(2009) statement that many companies are adopting CSR practices to achieve economic benefits.

They also stated that benefitting people and society should preferably acts as motivators in the

matter which were also seen among a few companies.

Based on the information extracted from the interviews, it is clear that the majority of the

motivational factors relate to the economic perspective of Carroll’s Pyramid. This can be justified

to some extent since economic sufficiency is one of the basic prerequisites for businesses to exist.

This also goes for the legal aspect which was also a large part of the motivation for companies. Not

playing a large impact on the motivation for companies are the factors included in the ethical and

philanthropic responsibilities. This information hence confirms the structure of Carroll’s Pyramid

which serves as a basis for further discussion.

What is demanded by customers is what decides the focus of companies’ business. When

discussing the market for products produced with recycled material, all interviewees confirmed an

increased demand (Interviewees 1-9, 2020). Since sustainability has become a more important topic

that raises many discussions, some companies have also experienced increased pressure.

Interviewees 1 & 6 (2020) explain the pressure to have extensive knowledge about sustainable

material and to be able to produce the desired products in the desired material. Not being up to date

with the latest knowledge and techniques can have consequences for the business. This experienced

pressure confirms James (2014) claim of customers and investors starting to put pressure on

companies to act more sustainably.

Satisfying the customer demand is mostly related to the economic perspective of Carroll’s Pyramid

in the eyes of the companies. This is since failing to satisfy the demand will most likely lead to

losing money to another company that has the right assets. The legal perspective of Carroll’s

Pyramid can also be applied to the matter of customer demand. Since laws and regulations can in

some cases obstruct the way of production that is desired by the customer, this perspective is

important to have in mind.

Many of the interviewees discussed the public view on plastic and its industry that has come to be

rather negative. As stated within the first theme, management, the majority of the interviewees

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experience a negative and rather unfair label put on the industry and its products (Interviewees 1,

2, 6, 8 & 9, 2020). Interviewee 8 (2020) states “The public views are not in line with views of the

people that are working with the material and are familiar with its benefits”. Many people still

believe that recycled plastic is toxic (Interviewee 9, 2020). However, this negative view on plastic,

in general, is about to change according to interviewee 2 (2020). She also states that to change

these claimed false views, companies need to become better at communicating the benefits of

plastic. Further, interviewees claim that a lot of the negative communication around plastic often

concerns disposables which need to be separated from the industry as a whole (Interviewee 2, 4, 6

& 7, 2020).

The desired shift from the industry having a negative reputation into receiving a positive one can

be seen from both the economic and ethical perspectives of Carroll’s Pyramid. Having this negative

reputation can lead to losses in sales and to having trouble getting customers in the future and hence

affect the business long-term. This could be seen as the main reason for the emphasis put on

changing the views of the public. On the other hand, allowing people to have a false view on a

material that could potentially generate more benefits to society than other materials might not

seem ethically right. Hence, the desire to change the views can be seen as an ethical responsibility.

The discussion around the behaviour of customers was emphasised repeatedly throughout the

interviews. This was especially concerning the behaviours of the end customers where Interviewee

4 (2020) stated that there is excessive consumption, not the least of disposables. He stated further

that “Consumers nowadays have a desire for products to look recycled”, however, they do not

display much interest in environmentally friendly material and possible ways to work with it. This

behaviour among consumers imposes some problems for companies in different areas. The issue

of consumers not understanding the process and possibilities of working with recycled material can

cause the companies to not being able to satisfy customer needs. The customer excessive

consumption of disposables can also act as a major factor in the negative view associated with

plastic production companies. This is since companies are the ones facing the blame for plastic

disposables thrown into nature and polluting the environment. Interviewee 7 (2020) states that

customers, in general, have a lack of knowledge and action with recycling. This could potentially

be a factor contributing to a large number of plastic products wasted.

The behaviour of consumers affects companies from all perspectives of Carroll’s Pyramid. The

requirement to follow all regulations concerning material composition and recycling of materials

can cause negative effects on the business from an economic perspective. Regarding the issue of

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the amount of plastic waste thrown by customers, companies face some ethical issues concerning

their production. The philanthropic responsibilities are also of concern within this matter as it could

be a conflict regarding if companies should compensate for the blame put on them if it is mainly

caused by customers as posed by the interviewees.

Being sustainable as a company is a matter that many businesses put a lot of effort in within the

modern business world. The topic came into discussion and resulted in a somewhat split opinion

about the impact of applying sustainable practices as a way of achieving competitive advantage.

Interviewees 1 & 4 (2020) were the ones to believe that working with recycled material and making

it visible to their customers can serve as an advantage against their competitors. While Interviewee

2 (2020) was the one to state “We see no advantage in working with recycled material as a way of

achieving competitive advantage”.

In regards to the desired result of gaining a competitive advantage when implementing sustainable

practices, as a result of putting it in this context, it is mostly seen in regards to the economic aspect

of Carroll’s Pyramid. This is since having a competitive advantage usually generates economic

benefits. However, implementing sustainable practices into a business can generally be considered

as an act related to the ethical responsibilities of Carroll’s Pyramid. In this case, it is a matter of

context which results in more connection to the economic perspective.

Since this thesis is targeting a specific national geographical area, the matter of perceived local

competition can be of importance when analysing the companies. The view on local competition

among the companies turned out to be a bit different. The majority of the companies confirmed

that there is a competition among the many plastic production companies within the Gnosjö region

(Interviewees 1, 3, 4, 7, 8 & 9, 2020). While a few experiences little to no competition at all.

Irrespective of the interviewees’ answers to the previous question, most of them still think that

there exists some type of cooperation between plastic production companies (Interviewees 3, 5, 6,

8 & 9, 2020). Interviewee 7 (2020) was the only one to emphasise that there is no cooperation at

all among the companies.

The matter of handling competition can be related to the economic responsibility of Carroll’s

Pyramid. Since Carroll (2016) explains that businesses need to be profitable, it is justified to say

that dealing with competition is an act of economic interest. However, knowing that many of the

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companies cooperate with others to some extent implies an act of ethical nature. This is since it

corresponds to conducting activities that are not included under the law as stated by Carroll (2016).

Regarding legislations on sustainability, none of the companies states to be included under the law

of sustainability reporting. However, Interviewees 5 & 6 (2020) stated that they conduct voluntary

sustainability reporting annually. Other legislations that were followed by the interviewees were

regulations from the municipality (Interviewees 2-8, 2020) and Miljöbalken (Interviewees 1 & 2,

2020). On the other hand, all of the companies stated that they are either certified or wish to be

certified with ISO standards. Most of the interviewees were certified with ISO 14001 (Interviewees

1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8 & 9, 2020) and many were also certified with ISO 9001 (Interviewees 2, 5, 6, 8 & 9,

2020). Interviewees 3 & 4 (2020) were the ones to state that they are striving towards becoming

ISO certified. Interviewee 3 (2020) was the only one to mention the UN Global Compact (UNGC)

where he stated that “Our company follows the suggestions and uses the sustainability goals as

inspiration for sustainability work”.

Since this discussion refers to policies and legislation, it is highly connected to the legal

responsibilities of Carroll’s Pyramid. Aspects such as national legislations are required for

businesses to follow to continue with their operations. Other policies and standards such as ISO

and UNGC, on the other hand, are not required by law and are something that companies do that

is not required. Hence, the implementation of these can be seen as an act included under the ethical

responsibilities of Carroll’s Pyramid. The acquiring of certifications such as ISO can also be

viewed from an economic perspective as it can act as a means to attract customers and hence

increase sales.

5.3 Future There are several different aspects and considerations to take regarding new and recycled material

within plastic when developing new products. As for one mutual consideration is the increased

price of recycled material which has steadily increased during the last decades. This can be argued

for due to the higher demand among customers who demand recycled material in their products.

Yet, due to this increase in demand, there is a limitation of accessible recycled plastic in the market

today which therefore increases the prices due to its limitation (Interviewee 8, 2020). However, the

overall usage of recycled material is restricted due to the rising prices and because that customers

often decide the type of material for their products based on the material cost (Interviewees 5 & 9,

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2020), one can see the challenges of including more sustainable material in future production. This

agrees to Skagerström Lindau (2019) who argues that an upward shift in price of recycled plastic

may have a huge negative impact of the future development of CSR implementation among

companies.

Furthermore, according to Interviewee 6 (2020), there is also a lack of raw material which will

improve the shift from the usage of current material to other new raw materials. Also, there is a

lack of knowledge and education about including recycled plastic in new products due to the belief

of its toxics (Interviewees 5 & 9, 2020). In line with this, developing new plastic, based on more

environmentally friendly materials, could improve the current knowledge about including not only

new but also recycled material within products. By therefore improving the current knowledge

there is about the plastic, there is a higher likeliness of future application of recycled material and

more environmentally friendly material in companies’ production. Based upon these arguments,

one can see the importance of fulfilling the economic responsibilities within a company to proceed

with production which is in line with the economic perspective of Carroll’s Pyramid.

Regarding the code of recycled material, the substitution of plastic material was also a highly

discussed area in the findings. The two broader perspectives which enlightened the positive aspects

of replacing plastic with other material was solely based on two arguments, the energy

consumption, and recycling. Where other materials than plastic are more difficult to recycle

(Interviewees 7 & 8, 2020), the future of plastic is supported. Interviewee 8 (2020) also states that

“There is a higher usage of energy when producing other materials than plastic, which also

emphasises the likeliness of an increase of plastic material in the future”. Basing these arguments

on the perspective of ethical responsibilities in relation to the societal expectation of companies

acting sustainable (Carroll, 2016), one can see the connection. Due to that plastic is easier to recycle

as well as less energy-demanding when producing, it is a more sustainable material of choice which

emphasises the ethical responsibility of the company.

Several positive aspects of plastic were founded and concluded when conducting interviews. A

mutual argument for the benefits of plastic was its less environmental impact it has rather than

other materials (Interviewees 2, 3, 4, 8 & 9, 2020). Other sustainable benefits of replacing other

materials with plastic would be better food preservation (Interviewee 3, 2020), lighter physical

workload (Interviewee 4, 2020), and lighter cars due to the substituting of metal to plastic

(Interviewees 2, 3, 4 & 8, 2020). Furthermore, due to the heavy regulations within the plastic

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industry and its production, the operations are fully legislated which creates trust for external

stakeholders (Interviewee 2, 2020).

Regarding the stated arguments of the benefits of plastic, distinguishable connections to the ethical,

economic, and legislation perspectives of Carroll’s Pyramid could be identified (Carroll, 2016).

First of all, as in earlier stated paragraphs of the analysis, an ethical aspect within the plastic

industry is the sustainability work and the environmental impact that companies have. Further, the

companies also take their social responsibility of facilitating the workload for employees. The

economic aspect is identified through the argument of lighter material which is a benefit in many

different situations. Lastly, the companies also take their responsibility from a legislation

perspective, hence they are following regulations. Thus, the positive aspects of plastic will,

therefore, continue its usage, if not even be increased, in future settings and operations.

As for the future improvements within the plastic industry, several opinions about production and

material is mentioned. Interviewee 3 (2020) stated “There will be an overall increase in knowledge

about the product’s life-cycle and recycling process due to better research in future settings”. In

line with this, the future knowledge of products and materials that are used by the companies will

be improved (Interviewees 5, 6, & 9, 2020). One can indicate this possible change in the ongoing

research there is about new material and recycling processes, as mentioned in earlier chapters.

Furthermore, as new material could be an improvement, Interviewees 4, 6 & 7 (2020) state that

another future improvement would be the disappearance of disposals. Instead, they indicate that

there will be a new form of plastic that will be used and replace the current material which is less

environmentally friendly. Other arguments of future improvements are an improved infrastructure

(Interviewee 7, 2020), a streamlined energy consumption (Interviewee 6, 2020), and lastly the

obligation of informing customers about each companies’ recycling policy of products

(Interviewees 4, 6 & 7, 2020).

From a future perspective, one can assume that plastic producing companies believe that there is a

need for improvement in these different aspects, but also that there is a bright future for plastics.

Hence, possibly even in different forms and types of materials. Connecting this to the Carroll’s

Pyramid, one can connect the responsibilities of economic and ethical demands. Due to the

discussion of sustainable improvements, one can state that there is an ethical responsibility where

society demands more information. Thus, to proceed with their operations, they need to develop

and improve these concerned areas. Along with this, companies need to consider the economic

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standpoint where many of these improvements actually can favour the companies’ profitability, as

for an example the increased research of including more recycled material in products.

For future improvements as in alternative energy sources are a few implications that the companies

considered in their production. An option of sustainable practices, in regard to energy consumption,

which was mentioned by the majority of the interviewees, were solar panels (Interviewees 1, 2, 3,

6 & 7, 2020). Furthermore, the implication of LED lights in factories was also an improvement of

choice for future improvements (Interviewee 3 & 6, 2020). From a perspective of future

improvements as well as the increased knowledge and research of alternative energy sources, one

can state that the companies are well acknowledged about possible developments. Interviewee 7

(2020) also states “There is a desire of producing our own electricity within the factory in the

future, which would enable our economic and sustainable practices”. Also, Interviewee 6 (2020)

argues for the need for newer and more efficient machines in future settings since they will

contribute to less environmental impact.

Alternative energy sources can, therefore, be connected to the economic responsibility in Carroll’s

Pyramid, due to the economic desire of being profitable as a company (Carroll, 2016). Enabling

better energy sources in the future, can not only help to decrease certain energy costs but also the

sustainable impact as mentioned. Based on the theory, one can argue for a connection of favouring

the economic perspective first since there is a need for staying cost-efficient.

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6. Conclusion & Discussion The purpose of this thesis was to analyse the management of environmental corporate social

responsibility in plastic producing companies by interviewing managers within the Gnosjö region

in Sweden. After conducting the interviews and analysing all the data, several conclusions can be

drawn. The conclusions drawn in relation to each research question will be presented in the

following sections.

RQ1. What is the management’s view of CSR in the plastic industry?

To conclude the first research question, primarily, one can state that the management of plastic

producing companies within the Gnosjö region agree on that CSR is an increasingly important

concept that is getting more and more integrated within businesses. This is believed to be mainly

due to an increased demand for recycled material among customers as well as newly developed

laws of sustainability which imposes great responsibility. It can be concluded that the basis of

implementing CSR practices within a company is built on the initiative and dedication of the top

management around the subject. Although, certain factors such as not owning the products that

are produced, as was the case of many participants in this thesis, can obstruct the management's

desire to implement certain actions. It is also believed among companies that their actual actions

of CSR are overlooked due to the large amount of plastic waste caused by consumers. As a final

conclusion to this question, it was found that most companies emphasise the ethical perspective

when describing CSR and its meaning. However, the economic perspective is the one mainly

used as motivation for implementing its actions.

RQ2. To what extent do companies in the Gnosjö region implement CSR

practices within their businesses?

To conclude the second research question, it is clear that companies are investigating several

sustainable solutions and strategies, such as alternative energy sources, to minimise their

environmental impact. The well-being of employees is also a frequently brought up factor where

measures are taken as a part of CSR practices within the companies. Although, the uttermost

emphasised action taken in favour of CSR among the companies was the re-use of their own

waste material from production. Relating to this, many companies provide education for their

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employees and in some cases also for their customers on recycling matters. The above-stated

actions taken in favour of CSR are all based on an ethical perspective of the matter which was

emphasised by many companies. Although, when looking at the main factor of motivation for

implementing CSR practices, as stated by the participants in this thesis, it is concluded to be

achieving higher sales and profit. This was followed by experiencing external pressure and a need

to satisfy customer demands on being more sustainable. Hence, it is based on economic factors

that are in line with the conclusion of RQ1.

RQ3. What are the companies view on future sustainable developments

within the plastic industry?

To conclude the third research question, companies have already experienced an increased demand

for recycled plastics which will continue to increase in the future. A concern among companies is

the increasing prices of recycled material which have now exceeded the price level of new raw

material. This is due to the increased demand which has led to a scarcity of recycled material, hence

the increased prices. Positively, the increased knowledge that is arising as a result of the increased

popularity of sustainability is contributing to the development of new materials and substitute

material. This new knowledge will also lead to developments within plastic production and

recycling as well as shifting to alternative energy sources which will all have a positive effect on

the environment. A last important subject among companies is to change the negative reputation

put on plastic and its industry by starting to communicate its benefits. The information on how

plastic as a material can help to improve both physical and environmental aspects reaching society

will pave the way for a bright future of plastic.

6.1 Implications

6.1.1 Managerial Implications The interviewees in this thesis all confirmed a continued increase in demand on recycled plastics

in the future as well as increased importance to implement CSR practices within their respective

businesses (Interviewees 1-9, 2020). Based on this, an implication for managers would be to keep

updated within the subject as well as to be responsive to trends arising in the plastic industry. This

would be important to keep relevance in the industry. In practice, this could be done by observing

the market, for example by observing competitors and customer behaviour. Another suggestion for

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managers is to keep close communication with their customers in order to better satisfy upcoming

demands.

Further, a result of this thesis indicates that companies experience an unfair, negative view on the

plastic industry among society at large. This negative view might alter the future development of

the industry which implies certain actions needed to be taken. An implication for managers

resulting from this finding is to start working to shift this negative view into positive for the survival

of the industry. In practice, this would mean for managers to communicate the benefits identified

with plastic to promote their business.

6.1.2 Theoretical Implications In this thesis, the main focus has been on the investigation and discussion of plastic producers’

implementation of CSR practices throughout their operations. With support from existing theories

by Carroll’s Pyramid and Triple Bottom Line, the findings correspond to the theoretical framework

to a high degree. This contributes to the context where CSR is connected, applicable, and correlates

to the chosen theories based on the research findings. Yet, the thesis findings also contribute to

new insights regarding the existing theory of Carroll’s Pyramid. An interpretation of the findings

suggests a new aspect where an adapted version of the pyramid could take place with a perspective

of external stakeholders’ expectations instead and a new ranking of responsibilities. Additionally,

as no earlier research has been done within the area of the Gnosjö region, the research contributes

to new perspectives for the overall research within this field regarding other geographical areas of

the plastic industry.

6.1.3 Ethical Implications Ethical implications of this thesis concern the dilemma of producing a material that accounts for a

large amount of waste in the world, still trying to take responsibility for the environment, and at

the same time staying competitive to satisfy the economic responsibility of companies. The

customer demands on products and processes that are ethically justifiable might not always

correspond to what is physically possible in production. Aspects such as quality and design might

be compromised in order to satisfy customer needs. The other way around, companies often suggest

the most environmentally friendly material in line with their policies or guidelines. However, this

proposal might not always be accepted by the customer.

In either case, companies face a dilemma of satisfying customer needs and choosing the most

ethical way to go about the matter.

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6.2 Limitations & Future research In this thesis, several limitations and possibilities for future research were established.

The first limitation that is established within the thesis is the possibility of interviewees’

misconception of the concept of CSR which could limit the information and knowledge that was

given during interviews. A future implication could, therefore, be to establish and present the

definition of CSR beforehand to see that everyone understands the theory. Due to that, the

perspective of the thesis is conducted through the companies’ view, there was a limitation of

perspective. Hence, an implication for future research would be to include external stakeholders’

perspectives of the interpretation of CSR practices within the companies as it could provide a fairer

view. Proceeding on the limitation of perspective, another limitation of the thesis is the

interviewees’ perspectives where only one representative candidate was included from each case.

For future research, an implication would be to include more representatives within the same

company to investigate that they share the same beliefs of their CSR practices and include more

aspects.

As mentioned earlier, due to COVID-19, the planned interviews had to be rescheduled and

conducted over the phone instead of physical meetings, hence, the limitation of being able to

interpret the interviewees’ body language and facial expressions were restricted. For future

research, an interesting implication would, therefore, be to include the interpretation of the

managers’ body language during interviews. Furthermore, the area of the conducted research is

limited to only the Gnosjö region and not the whole plastic industry in Sweden. Due to this, the

conclusions drawn might not be applicable on a national or international level. Suggestions of

implications for future research could represent larger areas of the industry in other regions of

Sweden and the world. In line with this, the limitation of a sample size of nine companies within

the Gnosjö region could be argued to not represent the conclusions of the whole industry. Lastly,

a limitation concerning the framing of RQ3 was identified due to its questioning of future

outcomes. Since it is a high unlikeliness of predicting future events, the answers of RQ3 are only

estimations based on the interview findings and current market status.

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Appendices Appendix 1 - Consent form

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Appendix 2 - Interview questions

Personal

1. Who are you?

2. For how long have you worked in company X?

3. What is your business title?

4. What are your main job duties and responsibilities?

General information about the company

5. What type of company is company X?

6. What does company X do?

7. What types of products are the company producing?

8. How old is company X?

CSR

9. How do you define CSR?

10. What does CSR or sustainability mean for company X?

11. Do company X work with CSR related questions?

- If yes, how? In what ways?

- If no, why not? Further thoughts?

12. Do you have a department or responsible sustainability manager who solely works with

sustainability?

13. What motivates you to work with CSR and sustainability?

14. Where would you have liked to be in your sustainability work/CSR level today?

15. What factors do you believe could be improved?

16. What factors do you believe are vital for a successful sustainability work?

17. Are there clear differences in how companies today work with CSR and sustainability-

related questions compared to the last decades?

CSR’s impact on the plastic industry

18. What are your thoughts regarding the plastic industries’ impact on the environment and

the future?

19. How do you see your individual responsibility as a plastic producing company?

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20. Is there a demand for recycled plastic?

21. Does it exist competitiveness between plastic producers within the Gnosjö region?

- If yes, does it affect the sustainability work of company X?

Legal requirements and standards

22. Is company X covered by the law to conduct sustainability reporting?

- If yes, how does it affect the companies’ activities?

- If no, do the company conduct voluntary sustainability reporting?

23. Is company X covered by any other laws or standards?