CHAPTER - I

INTRODUCTION

The environmental challenges confronting the world today are greater than at

anytime in history. The scale and magnitude of human activities are affecting the

world's climate, ecology and environment. Environmental degradation is also caused

by natural hazards such as Tsunamis, volcanoes, eanhquakes, hunicanes tornadoes,

mudslides, forest fires, floods and changes in the permafrost.'

Current environmental issues include global warming, air pollution, acid rain,

carbon dioxide emissions from the burning of fossil fuels, water pollution from runoff

of pesticides and fertilizers, limited natural fresh water and desertification. These and

other adverse effects of environment on humankind are enormous and are a major

impediment to sustainable development.

Man's greed for socio-economic progress and in his curiosity to probe into and

understand the philosophy of the creation, he initiated exploitation of not only co-

human and other beings, but also the faculty of natural resources. In this process man

has reached to an extreme state of polluting his own sourrounding environment

thereby endangering the very existing of peaceful and natural living of all. Scientists

bring to our attention complex but urgent problems that are bearing on our very

survival. A warming globe, acid precipitation, threats to ozone layer, accumulation of

green house gases. deserts consuming agricultural land, fast depletion of vital natural

resources, the disappearance of rain forests and loss of species. Reports indicate that

the Baltic Sea is dying from sewage and other pollution

Every year, we loose 25 billion tons of topsoil affecting 6 to 7 million hectares

of agricultural land affected by water-logging, stalinization and alkanization.

I . Groa 7'fckoo (2005). Environment, Article and Wrh alerr. May - London. June PP - 3 2. Mahermrm Swomy (2Wl). Law mlanng to mvimnmenralpollurii~n undpmtrrnon. S P Grrpu Puhltsherr.

Hyderabad, PP - I . 3 Jagadish N Shath, Amul Parwriyar, (1995) "Ecologfcal Imperatives and the Rob orMurkerrng ", the

Harvllnh Press h c . , NewYork, P.P. 3 to 21).

EXHIBIT 1.a Worldwide Environment.l Concern

Total Average CountryBasis 54% Strongly Agne 32% Moderately A p 10% Moderately Disagne 3% Strongly Disagree

Angus Reid World Poll of 16 countries, 4600 intuvim. in 1992. Sample sizes differed. 8% m e n of error for each country.

Source: Jaoquelyn Oman A (1993) Green Mark ing Chollrnger & Opportunities for the New Marbring Age, h7T Publirhing G w , USA. PP-6

A opinion poll of 16 countries in 1992 for the statement of "I am very womed about the state of environment" was found that more than four-fifths of the respondents womed about the state of the environment. More than half concurred that pollution must be reduced even if it means slower growth. (see- Exhibits 1.8)

EXHIBIT 1.b The Singk Mort Important EnvironmenW b e for Cotusmen

Cumma mld waae 1 p r b r s c d w 25%

Mmluhchra 1 cbemlal I mc WULC

O t h n w l n e u a r a

wtm qvrlny I pdluum

Oumlya punhou ellsnlfluomcrboar

I I Source Jacquetyn Oman A (1993) Gmen Marking Challaga & Oppmw~rrtafw r h r h'nv Morhrng Age. ,VTC Pubiuhrng G-, USA. PP-5

People once perceived the ills of environment are faraway phenomena but their perception is changed now and they think that environment ills are in their own backyards. Almost daily people are facing with a litany of 6ig statistics on cases of skin cancer, birth chemical allergies, and a host of other illness that make them suspect own water is no longer fit to drink and that their food is not pure. Perceived as a direct threat to health, air pollution is fast becoming a top priority the public worry list and is now on a par with solid waste. vide-Exhibits 1.b which is selfexplanatory.

The Friedman ANOVA result reveals (see table 1.1) that there is a significant agreement in ranking among the ecologically concerned consumers about various environmental problems. Further, respondents contacted have ranked 'air, water and soil contamination' first and 'Dust wave' second. Noise, High temperam and Respiratoly problems are tanked third, fourch and fifth respectively. Hence, it is clear that ecologically concerned consumers have felt that air, water and soil contamination as the most environmental problems followed by dust wave. noise, high temperature and respiratwy problems.

Tabk 1.1 Ruults of Frlcduun ANOVA and Kenddl's coefficient of concordance on ranking scorm of the respondents relatlng to environmental problem.

/ I / Resp~rulory Problems / 4.21 1 2106.5 j 5 1

i . 1

o

1 6 l l 1 3054.5 I / 2 I Fog I

I 3 / HI@ Temperature ' 419 i 2093.5 ' 4 1

Environmental Problem

5 : ~ u s c Wave I

4 0 0 ' 20015 ! 2 1 6 1 Air, Water. So11 Contamtnarlon

I ? 67 1334 5 I I

(n 1 2 5 )

-- - -- . . . -- - I ' ,

.%wme pnmun duru ' '* .S,#~~hr unr or I ,wr < cnr Fiprn., ,n j w m r h n r ihoa rhr </tyro o/ Irwdrmt Tuhlr vulvrul(kt-*yuun.~orc/I I1 i l r 5". Ic?ci - 1 9 6 - ondar / " , , i m r , l - .'- ->

Average R8nk

The ecological crrsls has an outcome of human impact on narure. Reliance on

fossil fuels, use of firewood for household purposes ensuring dramatic deforestation as

well as fanning act~vity make up an essential cause of the current global warming.

These activities are releasing around 7 billion tons per annum of greenhouse gases

into the atmosphew. l'nhridled and apparently uncontrollable g r o w ~ h of industry.

transpon and motor vehicle cons~dered the pntnary sources of sulphur dioxide and

nitrogen wh~eh pollutes alr. T h ~ s air pollution has become a serious flight in major

urban centers.

Waste of houzchold. agricultural and industrial origin alike IS carried off in the

world's water bodies turning them into glgantic sewers. The direct consequences are

Ihc accumulation of heavy metals. highly toxic organic compounds in sediment on the

ocean floor. riverbeds and lakebeds resulting in a massive death of aquatic life. Soil

pollution is a consequence of agricultural practices imposed hy market pressure, i n m i v e f-g, monocultwe, crops unsuited to local ecosystems and climates etc.

Sum of Rank h o b : Obtdncd

The most disturbing aspect of ecological crisis is the destruction of the world's

forest. In 50 years, one third of the world's aee cover has disappeared. Th~s has hit

tropical countries the hardest. ' Deforestation is the outcome of over-harvesting of

tropical woods, with no concern for sustainable management.

This aggravates not only the problem of greenhouse effect hut also destroys

biodiversity. One quaner of the earth's biodl\ersity could disappear within the next 25

years and eventually destabiltze the environmental balance, with incalculable

consequences on human living conditions. The UN estimates that approximately 500

millron people arc environmental refugees forced to leave their regions of origin in the

wake of drought. flood. soil erosion, and the extension of expon oriented agriculture s

d C .

Thne and other dramat~c change\ are fundamentall\ implnglng upon our

glohal en\ ironmcnt 4n alrcad) crobbded planet w ~ l l haie to 5uppon twlce as many

pwplc u~thln the next 40 kcan To meet the need3 ot the people. world ~ndusmal

output u ~ l l ha\e to qu~ntuplc

4k)ut 'MJ per cenl ol 1111\ population growth I \ crpected In the already over

populated pcwr countn- 1% ho face tremendous \honape of resource\ for de\elopment

Already industnal de\elopment has groun more than 50 tlmes o\er the past century,

four-fiRhs of. which has come since 1950.' Industrialization. urbanization.

consumerism, new consumption panern and soc~al linkages are mainly responsible for

the present state of env~ronmental problems. In the quest for economic development,

tbc society has. so far, given total freedom to business enterprises in consumption of

naaval resources. This unhridled freedom has led to the fast depletion of the natural

resources which gives a s t w s on the suppk chain of the nature.

4 himn. 8 Mamu p Mcmu R Lnd,.nrunJlng En,rrr~mcar. (lO(U1 *c Puhl~carion h h u ArLrd.. Nrr Lklh~. P 4 - 10 '.'

5 EuulW . d . ~ , * . ~ / ~ m , 1:lKJJi htrlt ,,rnn I.\g li r ~ r ) : u t w I.\ at n hrm

b Illid.. I Shah 4 p-~i,ur. ,lvvJ, t;.olv~r.lrn/ I m / r ~ w f i ~ n und lhr ndr ul markmng ", Envtn,nmenra/

Matiuing. fir Hurotih P r ~ s s In' .VCI* );irk. pp .I 10 18

Environment and economic development

There is a relationship b e e n environment and economic development.

Much of the resources required to faed shelter, clothe the people taken from the

environment. Therefore, protection of environment is an essential part of

development. Without adequate environmental protection, development is undermined

i.e. without development, resources will be inadequate for required investment and

environmental protection will deplete.

According to an estimate. the world's food production will need to double and

industrial output and energy use will Increase three times in the developed counmes

world ober and fite !lmo rn the de\eloplng countnes ' This g r o ~ t h bring\ wlth ~t the

nsk of appallrng en\~ronmcn~al damage The en\lronmental damage costlng Inha

about L'S 4 10 rnklllon per year equal to 4 5 per cent of GDP. ulth urban P0lluh0n

costlng US 4 1 3 bllhon and health co\n from uater degradation costlng US S 5 7

b~l l~on

The fragrle envtronment IS undergoing unsustainable levels of stress from

growtng ppulat~ons. Incrcaslng demand of resources and pollution from household,

agricultural and ~ndustnc% hectors causing additional pressure on land and water,

increasing alr and water pollution and increasing of solid waste. The world

commission on envrronment and dc\clopmcnt \tamed that the world is facing 10

unacceptable Ie\,els of env~mnmental damage

Darnage to m\lronmcnl affi.cta preacnt and future human \\elfare. It harms

human hcalth. reduces cconornlc product^\ ~ry and leads to the loss of her fitness from

the existence of an unspiltvi envlmnment. Some problems are associated with lack

of economic development viz.. inadequate sanitation and clean water. indoor air

pollution from biomass burn~ng etc.. also causing problem to the environment Many 11

types of land degradation in developing countries have poverty as their mot cause.

8 u A L N ,3000. En,mmmmnr Prryrlr'.~ pa~T~rtpaldon and r&riarnnhlr d d g m m ~ - a n owr w n s K W * ~ . ~ M ~ W h, ~ l n u r n 01 RWUI dtwlopmcnr. .VO 11-52 *. ,ir. &MI. pp v

9 P-l G H-,, (?Dm, ..En,,mnn,~nwl P1.rrpn.n~~..\ and Brhav~ar m c h t ~ " E n ~ m ~ n m m t a l and Bobrrw. wl 38. No I . M n , rtlyrpuhltronrul~ 1.0nrlr~n

10 Hu&nhn. N lQu.&. 11. IMd.

Development and environment explores two-way relationship. Firsf environmental quality-safe, plentiful and healthy water and air-is itself a part of the

development effow. If the benefit from rising incomes is offset by the costs imposed

on health and the quality of life by pollution this cannot be called development.

Second, environmental damage can undermine future productivity. Soils that

deg~adcd, aquifers !hat are depleted and ecosystems that are destroyed in the name of

raising income today can jeopardize the prospects for earning income tomorrow.

Modernization. urbanization and industrialization over exploited and over-

utilized the natural resources. This resulted into depletion of wetlands, deforestation

and desen~fication. The high amount of fertilizers and other inputs required in

agriculture for Increasing the product~vity has led to the degradation of the

envtronrnent. Oter the past several centuries the world's forest have declined one- 12

fifih. from 5 to 4 h~ll~on hectares. When forest\ are cleared. their capacity to

withhold carbon d~ox~de fiorn the atmosphere IS lost

Developmental activ~t~es made India to loose at least 50 per cent of its forests.

polluted over 70 per cent of its water bodies built. cultivated or otherwise encroached LJ

upon its gmss lands and degraded many coastal areas. India's forests provide an

estimated 41 million cuhic meters of wood per year. yet current developmental I 4

activity demand is thought to he 240 million cublc meter. Excessive use of chemical

fcrtilizcrs may decrease the soil prodtlctivity ultimately making the land unworthy to

carry out cultivation activity. Excessive use of ground water and other natural

resources producrd a lot of negative results on en\ Ironmen!.

Therefore our dctclopnlcnt must he designed in such a way that it does not

damage the enviro1lnlcnts' health. To huild and restore environmcnt, su~tainable

economic activities should he practiced. The process of sustainable development mes

to build social and economic progresses satisfying the needs and values of all social

groups wihout foreclosing future options.

Environment in i16: genetic sense comprises of air, water. land and things

imbibed as also embedded in the land. I t also refers to a definable place where an

organism lives. including both the physical and biologic futures of the place. A

healthy environment is a prerequisite for a healthy body. In many cases, poor

environmental conditions arc the reasons for the health and related problems of the

15 citizens. More than five million die each year from environment related conditions.

Thus, smving for a healthy environment marten for our own health and future

Citin in the developing world are growing rapidly and in these burgeoning

urban arcas. the pace and scale of growth ha.. outstripped the capacity to maintain

acceptable standards of public health. environmental safety. and sustainable economic

growth. lncrcas~ng vehicln, population and exposure to toxic solid waste reduced the

quality of life. a f f ~ ~ t thc citizens In those c~ties. One recent study which evaluated the

role of en\ ironmental pollutants on human health stated that 8 to 9 per cent of the total

d~sease hurdcr~ IS attr~hutahlc to en\.ironmental pollutants. with unsafe water, poor

ranltatlon, arid h!y~cnc tuiup!Ing the mo\t \lgnlficant huurccs of exposure along w~th

~ndoor air pollution Funhcr 11 \a?,. en\ Ironmental factors \ 12 water. samtatlon and

hyg~ene-account~d (br 3 per cent of global monal~ty and 5.7 per cent of total disability

adjusted life year Table I.? explains global hurden of disease attributable to

selected sources of environmental and occupational pollution.

Changes associated s i th climate and weather. air. water and animal population 11

have &=t impact on human health and disease burdens. Besides. as the production

of g m h o u s e gases and global temperatures rise. malaria may spread into new

I8 regions of the globe.

I5 jdn Eldm andNn.ob Cr,n,,rr, r.'rxili , Ilhuf s ar r ~ s l ' En~vmnmrnra l mflunc<.r on human h<alrh". E~,,,.,-,.,,I I,,/ 46 ,v,, ,Y ,stp, p,,ht,< o t t , a r t t ~ n ~ l o n / v l j*

14 Ih~d.pp:fi 1 7 . l b l d . p ~ J I I d M .

Table 1 3 Global burden of disease attributable to selected sources of environmental md oecupatlond pollution.

ToW (rU rlrk factors) Water. mltatlon and hyg~me Urban, outdoor alr pollut~on Indoor smoke frum sol~d fiels Lad Occupat~onal cnrctnoycn\ Occupauonal a~rbome ~ i l n l ~ ~ i d t ~ * r

/ Thousands I Percent I Thousands Percent / 55,861 1 / 1,455,473 1

\ r , r r n r . John t,ic.$ and \ I ' U / ~ (1111 \111 ,.'11111r f i , n~oonn , t4~~1 $1 heir ili R i d ' tnn,rr,n,ncvrral rnflucnce~ on Human Health PP . 26

Environmental exposures often have the most dramatic impact on our

respirator) system Recent studies are revealing relationship between air quality and

many ad\.ene health outcomes. ~ncluding asthma. lung cancer. cardio vascular

d~sease, d~abe ta . stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. WHO reports air 19

pollut~on from vanous sources contributes to 3 million deaths world wide.

Cold. ~nfluenza. headaches. and stomach upsets are common illness, often

asociated w~th conltllon indoor pollutants ~ncluding radon. cigarene smoke, carbon 7.0

monox~de, nltropen d~o\ldc. fornlaldch!.de. sol\entc. pesticides and ozone. A

massrve study of the glohal hurden of disease repons that malnutrition is responsible

for 1 1.7 per cent of all dcaths \\orld\r ~ d c and 15.9 per cent of disahility-adjusted life I I

yean

But dcspite these statistics. there is still considerable concern re@ng

environmental influences on human health-only because these factors are outside the

control of individuals hut hecause there is still so much that science does not know.

Sipl icanl unexplained connections remain hetween death and disability for many

diseases viz.. cancer, heart disease, diabetes. neurological conditions that may be filled

The envlronmentd Impact of conrurnerisrn

The environmental impact of consumerism on the planet becomes apparent in

the last 30 years right from the 1972 stockholm conference. The 1992 Earth summit

in Rio, the continuing debate on global warming and the hole in the ozone, the 'toxic

12 trains' and "garbages" are visible recent examples Between 1970 and 1995 global per capita rose by one-third and in the rich world more food, energy and transportation

was consumed. Energy consumption increased rapidly and water shortages became

more apparent. Globalization and the implications of a car, packages dependent life

Ll style increased the strain on the earth's resources.

People put pressure on forest. freshwater and marine ecosystems through the

production and consurnption of rehources such as grain. fish. wood. and fresh water,

wh~ch resulted the cmls*lon of pllutan~s such as c a h n dioxide. Humans had

destroyed 30 per cent of the natural ~vorld slnce 1970. in\ol\.inp serious depletion of 14

the forest, and frehhuarer and rnarlne bysterns

People arc guided by an unlimited desire for additional goods and are

influenced by an anlrude of grandios~ty, of bang superior, of ha\ing things under

conml, of ~mprovinp one's posttion. of preferring new commodities to old ones. This

over consumption on a last scale producth ity. and at last but not least passed onto the I?

environment. Through the mass media and the process of globalization thls "over

consumption society" has become an ideal for people all over the planet-a way of life

to wh~ch millions asplre

Private ltvts and private pleasures

Tho ideology of consumerism has hem developing for some time but it is in the I b

last 30 ycars that it has assumed a donl~nant form.

2 Moc.&t, D R ~ m / u n r , , n , . ,m'i ('tncilo I)ntgv 11 V V 5 , ' En~rn~nmcnral M u k ~ n n ~ . Brrdgmg rhr drr*& h r m rhr ronwmpr,m ~ ~ l t u n r~ncl ~n,tn~nmc.n~uIr\m Envtmnmrnrul Muntrnng. The Huswnh the pwss In Nrn Y o d p p j ' m j :

1J M ~ k # l ccJllll (?OOli Th, rmpi~' unon 01' oaumcnbm lor rhr Tmmrrron ro a \u\iurnuhb S ~ r m The Jmml o/-l pdm & &mumnun w l r Vo 5 5 k L I n t r N i K r n g d ~ pp 627 to 6J9

24 World R'dr fund k r mhur Lrwng p1unc.r n7rsn i W 8 Pp 10 23 Om*vd Skrkor. ( I W J ) nmcumm r rmn-n u h l ihr r m ~ ~ r n f ad 10 ~ p o c r on brrrrnhs

J a r 4 d- p d l r , A l u w 4 d r m t r puhlrrhm Nr tMMdr pp 171-IVI

The postwar full employment and welfare state consensus witnessed the

emergence of a consumer society for the working class. These years saw the rise of

the work and spend ethic in which work would be valued for the opportunities it gave

to purchase goods and panicipate in consumer society rather than as many soclal

reformers had believed, more affluence enabling greater free time and leisure.

Convenience, frecdom and cholce are dominant ways of seeing the world. As

27 Erich Fromm remarked I am = what I have and what I consume Self expression is

attained through the use of material possessions more clearly with some goods than

others-clothing and the car assume key importance.

The ~nfluence of consumerism on individual life choices is profound. In a

sense cholcn made h! pcvplc of the world for the private car and against public

transport. for suhuhan life and agalnst urhan or rural community. for the nuclear and

against the extended fan~~l!. Ibr tele\ laion and against the clnema and the theatre, for

zocial moh~llr! and against clash solldarit!. for pniate amuence and against

community Ilk. Ihr ~ n a c h ~ n e pollticlan and agatns! charismatic leaders. for pollution

and agalna! rcgulat~ori\-all 11icw arc ct1olcc.r In faiour of pn\ac!. In favour of

~ndi\,ldual freedom. In fa\our of anon)nlit). hut against the very idea of community.

Markctang has a great role in emdlng the community life and increasing the

private afllucncc which In turn s m the eanhly resources. A great deal of time,

effon and money goes into establ~shing what is likely to appeal to individual taste.

Advertising increasingly ;urns not so much to provide information but to engage the

emotions in the buying of products. People are dnven by their emotions, its not about

the fact and logic. Increasingly the onl? button you press is an emotional one you find 28

out what the needs an: and you discover ways of reflecting these needs". Yet it is

the accumulation of good., and the energy needed to produce them which is

conmbuting 10 c b n i c env~mnmental hurden which confront our planet.

' MIchad Cuhill.l&c&. >R. ibll.

The fdum ofconventlond marketing

The conventional marketing activities encourage a consumption culture of 'k

and throw" resulted into large volume of waste which is considered the main cause for

air and water Pollution. India will probably see a rise in waste generation from less

than 40,000 memc tons per year to over 1,25,000 metric tons by the year 2030.

In fulfill~ng the objective of economic gains, the enterprises found themselves

churning in more and more money became short-sighted. started over using and

rnisusing rhe natural resources Funhcr. the corporate aims at and excels in

niaxlmizlng financ~al galnb In the shon-run. In order to achieve this goal, the

enlerpnses uses the marketing skills in expanding consumption base. shifting cheap

tmhnology, shihng consunrer bases, re-locating activities. modifying marketing and

reducing the accounting costs for inputs. Khanna and Rambabu tried to integme

env~ronmental accounts \r.tth economic accounts. There. calculations indicate that

5 66 per cent annual gro\\zh rate during the period 1980-90 based on economic

accounting, actually wsulb in just about 5 per cent negati\.e grouzh rate when the

20 GDP is adjusled for en\ ironmental dcgradat~on Thus the economic growth derived

oul of efficient nlarkct~ng hccomcs a hlghl) ~mperfect pros) for progress.

From the abo\ e \ leu. htarketlng emerge\ as the roor cause of en\ ~ronmental

crises. Because it IS amoral In 11s prcsent from. the marketing concept has outlived its

uxfulness. especially for those firn~s whose products, engines, fertilizers, detergents,

fuels, nwlcar reactors. plastic packages etc.-conmbute pollution that threatens men's

very survival. A neu. concept of business responsibility to public and to fum

genentions must replace the current criterion of the highest level of individual need

satisfaction that has been the goal of the marketing concept.

9 hi4). G,,,,~ ( 2 ~ ) . ~ ~ , h ~ ~ k ~ ~ ,,u,,c. manugmcnr. awn. rdtarognhrr 0% com

10, w,, ,2001,. fi <,lIlya ('onw-qura I. 01 hbrkaang. hrrp. uuu.~nd~urnhlmr c om h a ~ n u M 0.4 m.

Sustainable life styles and new role of marketing

Right from the 1972 Stockholm conference on the Human Environment the

tmn "sustainable development" became popular term and it featured an 87,20,000

web pages and m e s h e d in the aspirations of the countless programmes, places and 31

institutions Running through all those pages of discussion a focus has been given

on the importance of individual change and individual responsibility in order to

achieve sustainable practices. The Brundland commission defines sustainable

development as "Humanity has the ability to make development sustainable to ensure

that it meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future

generations to meet their own needs'.

Sustainable devclopmcnt as a concept. as a goal and as a mokement spread

rapidly and is nos central to the m~ssion of countless international organizations.

nat~onal inst~tut~on~. corporate entcrpriscs. tvh~ch express its concern on conservation

and procnatlon of na~ural rehourcch to conttnuc 10 the cicrcihc of marketing to

sat~sfy the nc~& and *ants of not only the present generation but also h e generations

to come.

World consernatton strategy of the international union for the consemation of

Nature 19U0, argued for conscn.ation as a means to assist development and 11

spec~fically for thc susta~nablc de\clopment. Conaary to this sustainable

development major focus la on intergenerational equality. Human needs are basic and

essential; hat economic growth IS requlrcd to sustain them: and that equity is

ncouragcd by efTectivc c~tizen panicipation.

Therefore. the concept of susra~~~ahlc de\ elopment does imply limits-absolute

limits but limitatiolls impvscri by the prcsent state of technology and social

organization on cnvimnnlcntal rcsourccs and by the ability of the hiosphere to absorb

the efTects of human activities. But contrary to the above. the transnational

corporations hold the strategy of creating individual identity-reaction of goods to

create identify rslher satisfying needs and changing the life style of the individuals

and sooety wh~ch IS not acceptable to the concept of slumnable de\elopment J I Koro R' p-, H anJHrrrm,,ttc 12f)oO Il'hufo ~ u r r a l ~ h l r Dnrlopmrnr &ntrn,~nenl 4 4 7

No. J. Sap hM1caIiw. London. PP 9 10 21 31 IbId.

Marketing critical role in development will be appreciated only when it adopts

sustainable marketing practices. This means that marketing should shed its present

profligacy that encourages an unsustainable consumption. A marketing approach may

be developed which aims at serving the material wants of consumers through an ever

increasing volume of goods without any anempt to draw too heavily. and too quickly,

an already overdrawn environmental resource. "

A fundamental shift in the approach of marketing is needed to take place so as to

facilitate sustainable development by shaping customer needs and expectations and

ability to ~dentify and dcvelop such consumption choices for society that meet its

current needs without sacrificing the ability to meet its future needs. This means that

markets not only look for green products that do not damage the environment but also

develop such products and senices that will improve the poor condition of our

environment.

Need for the study

The economlc grcnrth pull5 raiv materials from forests. soils. seas and

\raterway?. The eanh', \ ~tal resources arc ahrink~ng to an alarming le\,el due to

unsustainahlc iie\elopnlenr nc.ti\ 1tic.5 The need for funher economic activity is likely

to impose coloshai ncu hurdcn\ on the csa~phcre Thz galnb In human welfare over

the past feu dccades hate been outstanding. The potential for future gains is also

promtslng.

hlarheting played a ~ i t a l role in these gains by facilitating the use and

development of product5 uith neu technologies in various fields. However. vast

increases in the scale of human impact on the earth accompanied pact gains. for which

marketing is also responsible.

But marketing's critical role in development will be appreciated only when.

through susta~nable markct~ng. it mcyts the needs of the present without compromlslng the abil~ty of future gcnemtions to meet their own demands. This

means that the markcring has to give up the present practice which encourages an unsuslajnablc development path. 111 other words. marketing must aim to produce more

to m n t the ever increasing need5 hy utilizing less resource.

.1J. Seth and Punur~,ur. l&xU

The inter dependence between global ecology and global economy is clearly

established. There is a concern with the impacts of ecological stress upon our

economic prospects. Economy and ecology an becoming more interwoven locally,

nationally and globally. Marketing cannot insulate itself from these ecological

problem and its needs to be concerned about the resources it uses to satisfy consumer

needs and wants and also be concerned about the effects of this consumption on

human life and biosphere.

The ed~fice of the marketing stood upon the supply chain of the nature. When

there IS a prohlenl in the suppl! chain. that would cast shadow on the whole exercise

of marketing i.e.. product~on, distribution and consumption The present marketers

are under the notion that the responsibility IS o\er soon afier the transfer of goods

from thelr premises to the hands of the consumers. They do not bother about the post

consumption aspect of these products which is mainly responsible for the present

rrological cnsis. Hardly strategies are a\.ailable to look into the post consumption

aspects. Therefore. this 1s the high time to relook and redefine all our current

marketing practice

Statrmcot of the problem

En\ ~ronmental dcgrddatlon. \\ hish uaa not lnuch a concern until recently. has

s tand to accelerate Panisularl! the urhan areas ha\e to tackle rh~s issue in a holistic

manner In order to cnbure subtainablc solutions. both economically and

environmentall!. lndla 15 undergoing a massl\e migration of their population from

rural to urban centre. lndla w~ll have more than 40°/o i.e.. o\.er 400 million people, .U

clusteml in citces over the next thin) years.

Modcrn urban living brings on the problem of waste. which increases in

quantity and changes in composition in each passing day. Urban India is facing a

massive waste Lsposal problem now and likely in the coming years also. Until now,

the problem of waste has been seen as one cleaning and disposing as rubbish. But a

closer look at the current and future scenario reveals that waste needs to be treated

J4 W w X GYP(u, lyLuL

holistically. recognizing its natural resources as well as health impacts. Waste is

antecedent to pollution; also pollute water, soil where it is dumped Increasing urban

migration and a high density of population will make waste management a difficult

issue to handle in the near future, if a new paradigm for approaching it, is not created

Present marketing and consumption has a strong relationship with waste

generation. An expression of mankind's inventive nature, technology also influences

the composition to be widening plethora of materials, substances, chemicals and

products that creates additional stresses on the ecosystems. A man-made product like

the pesticide. DDT (Dichlorodlphenyltrichloroethane), Plastics, introduces somedung

into the ecohysteni for wh~ch there is no natural recycling mechan~sm already in place.

In addit~on. aluminum. somposltea and many exotic chemicals do not biodegrade or

break down on thelr own Into natural components simply because they are unnatural.

The n ~ u l t 1s often generatioil o f prohlemat~c waste htrealna that may be characterized

as complex, h~ph-volume and diflicult to handle. which can lead to peaistent pollution

when such waste enter into ecoaysrema.

Thercfore. 11 is high time to redefine all our production, marketing,

consumption and post-consumption activities. The New paradigm of environmental

marketing makes this collnectlon beween nature and marketmg, while also suggesting

rhe changes in values and consumption practices. I t embraces the idea that ecosystem

1s a non-ncgotlable limited resources that mandates the design of forward-looking,

IOU-waste. no-waste rnarkct~ng arid consumption strategies.

Thc prcscnt stud!. fcxucs on solid \vaste and its problem in Pondicherry

region. l ' u o n~unicipal~ti~h iilonc \ ir . Pondlchcm and Oulgaret generate 300 tons of

solid waste ever). day. The municipalities are finding it very difilcult to collect and

dispose the solid waste. The local authorities are collecting the waste in most of the

urban rn on a &y to day basis. The collection and transport has heen privatized in

mme -. and in some arcas the "Hyderabad Model" involving collection of

segrrglrw municipl solid waste at doolsteps is being hied but met with failure

dw pow about the advantage of segregation of waste at s m .

The Municipalities are facing a lot of disposal problem. The waste collected is

disposed off in the disposal yards. The major constrains in this regard are lack of

adequate space. Due to inadequate place municipalities staned dumping the

municipal waste in lakes and ponds which resulted into water contamination and

health hazards. Th~b attracted objection from nearby residents for dumping of waste.

The existing landfills are ne~ther well equtpped nor well managed and are not lined

properly to protect against contamination of soil and @mnd water. In view of this

problem, the Pondicheny municipality has acqu~red a new site for disposal at the

outskirts of the town. wh~ch is also getting objection from the residents of the newly

proposed dump yard.

The garbage IS collected and dtsposed of in an unorganized manner.

I'mcc+rlng of garbage 1s not practiced and no segregation of waste at source level 1s

prdcttced Bevde\, lack of co-uprrat~on from the publtc maker complex of the solid

irartc management probletri

If tht, indiscnmtnate d~sposal of municipal solid \vaste IS not attended. this will

lead to en\ tronmental ant1 health prohlcnl The plastic carn hag is mainl! responsible

for flood In Romha! In the ?car 2(Htfr a-hlch paralyzed the husinesa capital of lndia

Plast~c can? hag,. a conlponent of solid \r-asre. choked the drainage which caused

llood and prompted h e Maharastra Government to han rhe usage of plastic carry bags M

in Mumbai " 'Ihe Plasrrc hags which taka one million year to degrade. worsens

the solid waste managemcnt problem. Therefore. using of cary bags is a serious

threat to our cnvuonment in general and solid waste managemenL health in particular.

Scope of the study

Thc study highlights the Imponance of the new paradigm 'environmental

marketing' and its role In protecting thc environment. The evolut iona~ journey of the

biosphere is today threatened because of human's economic and marketing behabiour.

Though we have a plethora of laws for protecting the environment,

environmental improvements have not taken place in the right direction. Unless

markcts, corporates and consumers patticipate proactively, environmental

improvement will hardly be achieved.

There are many environmental issues which threatens the very suwival of this

planet. The lssurj are the greenhouse effect, potent w a r m of the globe, rise in the

sea level. global climate change. ozone and its depletion. deforestation, acid rain.

nuclear ~mllut~on, atr. water. soil, and noise pollution. But. the present research

restricts its study on sol~d waste and its impact on environment only.

The outcome of the study would help In knoaing hoa marketing can contribute

to balance our market~ng pursu~ts wtth the workings of the emironment. The

~dent~fied key predictor \ariahies could provide knowledge to the marketers to

segment dK market for the ecologically concerned consumers and come out with an

appropriate market~ng strategies to satisfy the needs and wants of both consumers

and Eco-sptem. As therc w* no s~pnilicant work done In this area. the study could

prov~de a base for slrnrlar \tudies In the future

Objectives rhc follou ing an. the rpeclfic O h j ~ t l \ r\

I To stud) the trnpc>nancc of cn\ ~ro~~tnsnlal marketing

2 . To study the environmental legislation to protect the environment in general and for enforcing solid waste management in particular.

3. To identify environmentally conscious consumers and to study their amhule, bchaviour and perception on environmentally friendly carry packages.

4. To d y s i s the discrepancy between attitude and behaviow of the ecologically conccmed consumers.

5. To suggest appropriate measures required to reduce solid waste and thereby reducing the negative impacts on environment.

Hypothesis

The following are the hypothesis framed and tared

1. There i s no significant difference in conservation activities between urban and rural respondents.

2. Urban respondents have more social responsibility than rural respondents

3. Theft is no si iticant difference in opinion among various educated groups on envlmmlentBRwarencss

4. There is no significant difference in the opiniok between female and male regarding effects of pollution.

5. Female are more socially responsible than male

6 There 1s no sign~ficant relationship between occupation and environmental awareness

7 . Occupauon doe5 not make an) influence In the purchae behaviour.

X rhere I \ no s~gn~ficant d~frerence herueen Income and polltne Eco-attltude

9 I hcre I \ IKI \~gn~ticdnt d~flcrencc In the purchase lntcntlon among d~fferent Income g r o u p

I0 There is no significant relatlonshtp between martial status and consenation.

During the counc of analysis some other hypothesis are also developed and

tested and II 1s presented In the analysrs chapter.

Mttbodoiog?.

The Union Territon of Pondichem includes four packets vlz.. Pondicheny,

Kantikal. Mahe and Yanam with a geographical area of just 480 Sq. Kms.

Pondichem, thc cap~tal of this tiny Teniton. is the biggest among the four regions in

terms of arca and populauon. The total populat~on of Pondichem is 9.74.345. The 37

population density is 2535, one of the highest in India. The intensity of solid waste

management and pollution pmhlenls are more in Pondichey. therefore Pondichwry

region has been selected for this study purposhel!. The nrunicipal administration.

Pondicherry region. conslsts of two niunlcipalities viz.. Pondichem and Oulgaret.

There arc five commune panchayats \.iz.. i'illianur. Mannadipet. Ariankuppam, N*tapakksm and Bahour but the study is limited to Pondicheny and Oulgaret

Municipalita only. Table 1.3 explains the solid waste genmted in Pondicheny region.

J 7 mC o / m m , npor, ( 3 ~ 3 , Vnrun Trmtoo of Pund~drrn Pundtchrm Pullunon C o d C4nullnm pp 1.3

Tnbk I 3 Qumtlty of moaielpd nolid waste gmerrlld r

SLNo. Name ofthe MunlclprllHn and Commune qua'* Panchavm of waste --.A- --L (Tones per day)

I / Pondtchrrry (Mun~c~pal~ty) I 175

2 , Oulgilref (Munl~lpdlll)) I 121 I

3 Vlll~mur (Commune Pim~haydr) I I

4 j Mannad~pcl (Commune Panchayat) I 14 I

5 / Anankuppam (Commune Pwchayat) 15 I 6 I NcltapakLam (Commune Pancha)ar) I ? 1 7 Bahour (Commune Panchayat) -- -- 1 0

hurt r R n 0 4 horn &xu/ Adrnin~\rrut~.rn C)rpument Pondirhm u<<cs,edon I9.rl.5 r w 6

The suney was conducted in Pondicheq. Pondichey has been emerging as

a cosmopolitan town with a population of 7.35.332. In that male and female 38

cons~sts 3.6Y.42X and 3.65.904 respecti\ely. .4pm from the thtck population of

thts small town, an cst1111ated I . Z O . O ( M ) IS reported as a floating population from the

surrounding d~striots of Tarn11 Nadu. for tarlous reason> Pond~cherr! is a famous

tourtst spot I'hcrefore. tlic gcnenr~on of waste IS more and rlic authorities are finding

11 v c n d t f i ~ u l t to rnanagc the \\aste and the resultant effect The key respondents are

~elccted from \artous ~upeni~arhctx of th~a tot\n h? fc,llo\v~ng conienience sample

tixthtd

Thi:. tjpe of sunel . probability sampltng n~ethods like random. stratified and

cluster ctc . nlay nor be suitable as the population using the environmentally fnendly

package 1s not definite One of the non - probability sampling methods viz.

convenience sampling was adopted. W i l e selecting the sample respondents, both

male and female were given due imponance. There are 10 supermarkets located in

different mas of the town and 50 responden& from each supermarkets are selected.

totally 500 for the study.

The interview was conducted for a period of h months from July. 2005 to

December 2 0 5 . As this period of study was after the Tsunami in the study area and

flood in Mumhi. the response for the interview was good.

Jd ~hit..

The interview was conducted in two phases on the same day i.e. bcforr

purchase and after purchase. Before purchate, respondents w m interviewed with

statements from I (demographic particulars) to IX (purchase intention) in the

interview schedule and after the purchase, in order to observe their behaviour,

respondents were interviewed with statements in X (purchase behaviour). A five

point liken response format was provided ranging from 'strongly agree' to 'strongly

disagree' for all the statements in the interview schedule except demographic

panlculars.

.A suncy Instrument \ I ( . Intervien achedulc \vaa dc\,cloped to tap consumer

attitudes and bchav~uun towards the en\lronment Statemen~s were based on

I~terature, cumnt cnwronmental Issue,, conservation and preservation practices

followed in this region. lnforrnat~on regarding, psychological. social and demographic

charactcrist~c was also considered. The prepared schedule was pre-tested on a small

sample and was standardized to reflect appropriateness, simplicity. length and clarity.

To am\e at the n%ean.h findings, conclusions of the present study, the relevant

statistical tools namely. 'r-test. F-test. Factor analysis. Cluster analysis. Reliability

tcw, rnult~ple rcyrcsslun analysts. Co-etlic~ent of Correlation and Discriminates

analysis were employed

Sample respondent\ charactenstic are €hen In Table I 4. The table is self

cxplmiatcrn Out of the total respondent.\ c'ontacted 84.6 per cent respondents from

Town and I5 4 per cent i'tnni \.~llage In respect of education 110 respondents

Qunlified up to Higher Secondan, 237 Qualified as graduates. 115 studied post-

graduates and 38 belong to the Catepon of others.

In the case of sex. 233 respondents belong to female category. 267 belong to

male. Regarding occupation. 32.2 per cent of the respondents are government

employns. 7.2 per cent of the respondents are professionals. 5.0 per cent of the

respondents are Agricultural. 6.6 per cent from business conlmunity and 32.8 pa

cent belongs to the category of others

Tabk 1.4 Dmographlc Ron* ofthe Sampk Dam Dcmograpbk Cbaracterlstla Number Relative Frequency

Kaldcw T o m 423 84 hpcr cent

V l l l r p 77 l54pcrccl l t

500 l 0 0 o p e r M t

Educruon Up to HI& Snondsr) Ic\el l I0 22 Opn ml

CRd\uler 237 47 4per c m

Po* G d w t n l l 5 2 3 D p a m 1

C W m 38 7 6pm cmt

500 100Opnccnt

sea

Frrmk 213 46 hpcr ccnt

Mr lc 26' q3 4p.3 icnt

5 0 0 I(K) iwper ccnl

OC~upatum

( n n m m n l l 1 lnpI<,+cc Ihl ;? ?per i en l

Prnalc 1 rnpluwx X I 11, ?per i cn l

Prr,fn*ntlwl 16 - 3 .pL7 <"I

4gncullurc 2 q yxr ~ c n t

Hurgm* . . h hpm Cmt

i n h 1 M :? Kper ccnt

(00 iotr c e n ~

2 10 A6 Opcr ccnl

80 I* Opo ccn1

h: 1: 4pcrccol

M I2 Rpm ccnl

.I I k Lpcr cmt

9 : 4 6~ cent

(110 l MI ( w r ccnt

12h 2 5 2~ cenl

I (U 2 0 Rpx cmt

R? Ih4pcrcent

120 24 ilpm cent

5 K l l h r r ccnl

10 ? c* Ccnl

500 iooupcrcmt

In rrspect of income of the respondents, 46 per cent of the respondents an in

the income category of below 5000, 16 per cent of the respondents are in the category

of Rs.5001 - Rs.10.000. 12.4 per cent of the respondents are in the category of

Rs. 10,001 - Rs. 15,000, 12.8 per cent are In the category of Rs.15001 - Rs.20.000, 8.2

per cent arc in the category of Rs.20,001-Rs.25,00O and 4.6 per cent are in the income

category of nbove RS.?S.(HJO Regarding age 25.5 per cent are In the age group of

below 20. 20.8 per cent are in the age group of 21-30. 16.4 per cent are in the age of

group of 3 1-40. 24 per cent are in the age group of 4 1-50. 1 l .h per cent are in the age

group of 5 1-60 and 2 per cent of the respondents are in the age group of above 60

years 58.4 per cent of the respondents contacted are married and 41.6 per cent of the

respondents arc unmarried.

Llmitarlons of tbe study

Although the stud) ha5 heen designed u.ith a sound methodology to identify the

ecologtcall! concerned consumen and their purchastng hehaviour. i t is nor free from

I l r n ~ t a t ~ o ~ 'The spcc~tic I~lll~tat~on.\ ot'thc area that could he further developed is the

rebearch ~natmme~it ~tzcll' Th~a htu J reprc?Icntz one 01' the first efforts to

+stcmat~call! tncaburc Fso-artttudra and Eco-heha\ioun. As such. further

de\clopmcrit of tllr \ale. u\cd 111 t h ~ \ \tud! \\auld iontnhutc IL? a more accurate

rcprczcntatlan ot the c.otl\ulncr L:cL)-atrltude and Eso-heha\ lour.

Srhcmt of the r r a r c h repon

The Research repon has heen d~vlded into seven chapterj

The chapter I gtva an intense and clear picture about the need for the

study. scope of the study. statement of the problem, objectives of the study.

hypothcsn, methodology of the study indicating the sampling design, study am,

lim~tatioru and the organ~zatton of the rcsearch repon.

Review of l~teraturc nas attempt4 in chuper 11.

C h w r Ill fbcuses need for environmental marketing. the saategies of

environmental marketing. stratepies adopted for solid waste management and the

imponance of sustainable ctevclopmenl.

Chapter IV presents the legislative framework for environmental protection and management of solid waste.

Chapter V presents the procedure of empirical analysis expiamxi interpretations and drawn infercnces with a comparison to the designed objectives.

Chapter 1'1 presents the cluster and discrirn~nant analysis of the respondents to cstabi~sh pred~cting capacity of the \.arious aspects of environment

Chapter C'II presents summar) of findings and suggestions.