[LINK] packaging and rubish

[Craig Sanders]

On Wed, Aug 30, 2006 at 05:05:17PM +1000, Deus Ex Machina wrote:
> a business can not survive unless it externalises all costs.

wrong. 'externalising costs' is NOT the same as 'passing costs on to the
customer'. the latter is inevitable and necessary in any business that
is going to survive...it is entirely reasonable and appropriate.

the former is dumping the costs on uninvolved third-parties. it is not
at all reasonable or appropriate for business costs to be dumped on
other parties who are not involved in the transaction.

for example: a company that has its manufacturing waste properly
disposed of and incorporates the cost in the price of their product is
passing the cost on to their customer. a company that just illegally
dumps their waste is externalising the cost of waste management.

similarly a company that factors the cost of packaging disposal/handling
into their product is passing the cost on to their customers, while
a company that just ignores the issue and says "not my problem" is
externalising the cost.


externalising waste management costs is essentially theft from others -
whether it is theft from the public (e.g. illegal dumping) or whether it
is theft from an individual or business (e.g. dumping your rubbish in
someone else's skip or bin). it may help the bottom line of the business
doing it, but so would other forms of theft.


craig

-- 
craig sanders <cas at taz.net.au>           (part time cyborg)