There are several recommendations that Riordan Manufacturing can put into place to improve its sustainability practices. Most importantly, Riordan needs to recycle its solid waste products in order to improve its sustainability. This is a costly process but it could be made cheaper if the company produced less waste. This may mean turning to pure plastic materials which are less harmful to the environment compared to other materials.
Secondly, it is important for Riordan to switch to bio-degradable products because there is rising demand for eco-friendly products readily available for use. It is also easy to make the transition to bio-degradable products. Thirdly, the company will need to implement the CHP system to generate heat and electricity in a single integrated system ("American Council for an Energy- Efficient Economy", 2012). The heat produced in conventional power generation can be recovered and harnessed for use as energy.
Riordan has put in place business practice audit to ensure systematic monitoring of new sustainable practices. This involves close analysis Riordan’s ongoing business practices and identification of all aspects of the business that would benefit from the execution of new sustainability plan. The audit measures cost saving and environmental improvements namely levels of energy conservation from lighting, reduction in hazardous wastes and recycling of plastics. Should the recommended practice fail to work, the company may adopt further options such as minimizing the production of solid wastes. Most of these recommended practices are fully operational and can assist Riordan improve its sustainable practices.