Sustainability within the manufacturing industry (food services)

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The lumber, potato farming, and food industries are all affected by external influences. All three industries can affect the level of success for Shearer's Potato Chips and Kettle Chips. Cargo transport trucking is also affected by many external influences, like the price of fuel, road and highway construction, traffic levels, and government regulations. The failure of any of these industries can produce serious consequences for a company that relies on its resources or services for daily processes.
The lumber industry is important to Shearer's as the organization uses cardboard packaging for cases of bagged chips. Currently, the use of wood for paper is down from 80 metric tons in 2007, to 65 metric tons (Newman, 2013). However, with housing markets improving, more wood is being purchased for construction. The price of wood has dropped. This means manufacturers of pulp and paper products can reduce manufacturing costs, passing on the savings to companies like Shearer's.
However, paper products and construction are not the only uses for wood. It is increasingly being used for biomass (wood pellets and wood chips for fuel and heat). This means increasing demand could drive up prices (Newman, 2013). Unlike other resources, wood is renewable, albeit with a longer growth period than sources such as bamboo. Shearer's can decide which companies to purchase paper products from, based on stewardship of the forests and sound business practices. Sustainable forestry can incorporate every acre, but each acre will look different, depending on the maturity of trees and the organisms supported (Smallidge, nd). Sustainability also means balancing consumers interests with jobs, the environment, and energy consumption.
Potatoes are used for all forms of chips. Potatoes come in a variety of different types. They can also be produced traditionally, or using organic methods. Around the globe, potatoes are being produced for increasing snack food demand ...