Case study: The Body Shop - Social and Environmental concerns, the only way to do business The Body Shop International plc" is a global manufacturer and retailer of naturally inspired, ethically produced beauty and cosmetics products. It was founded in the UK in 1976 by Dame Anita Roddick, having now over 2,400 stores in 61 countries, with a range of over 1,200 products. Several companies, including The Body Shop* are purchasing lighter weight or reduced packaging to contain their products, which significantly reduces product packaging volume, saves money, and reduces impacts on solid waste disposal systems. As other manufacturers focus efforts on avoiding or reducing smaller sets of specific chemicals, The Body Shop", avoids the use of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a common plastic resin, out of concern for the dioxins produced as part of the manufacturing process and for the potential adverse health effects from chemicals routinely added to the plastic to improve performance. As part of its social and environmental objectives, The Body Shop attempts to avoid the use of animal-derived ingredients and petroleum-based and synthetic chemicals whenever possible. Every product, however, must meet stringent performance requirements, which sometimes requires the use of chemicals it would otherwise avoid. For example, The Body Shop" uses synthetic musk and whale oils because it believes the synthetic alternatives are more environmentally preferable than the natural alternatives, which would involve destroying the animals from which the oils would be collected. The Body Shop also compared the environmental impacts associated with biodegradable and recyclable product packaging. While biodegradable packaging sounded environmentally preferable, the company determined that most biodegradable products will only degrade in very specific conditions and that those conditions are not likely to occur in modern landfills. Other biodegradable products degrade into potentially hazardous constituents. After examining the available biodegradable packaging alternatives, the company decided not to use biodegradable packaging but to continue providing its products in refillable and recyclable containers. The Body Shop"s Ethical Audit and Environmental Departments developed a ratings system to evaluate existing and potential suppliers. Suppliers are evaluated on a number of environmental and social justice criteria and rated on a scale from one to five stars. Vendors with higher ratings receive a larger percentage of The Body Shop's business. While doing all of this, The Body Shop" also strives to protect the planet and the people who depend on it not because it's fashionable, but based on the belief that it's the only way to do business. Q1. What is the social and environmental objective of The Body Shop ? Why it is important these days? Q2. How does the "The Body Shop" evaluates its suppliers? Q3. What do you think ? "The Body Shop" purchasing manager is able to purchase right material at the right price from the potential supplier? Explain in short. Q4. List down some of the responsibilities of the Purchasing manager of "The Body Shop" mentioned in the case