Social Responsibility Towards the Environment ICSE Class 9 Commercial Studies

What Social Responsibility Towards the Environment is about

Weightage: CISCE publishes no chapter weightage and no question-paper layout for ICSE Class 9 Commercial Studies. Class IX is examined by your school: one 80-mark paper of 2 hours plus 20 marks of internal assessment. Social Responsibility Towards the Environment is topic 7. Social Responsibility of Commercial Organisations towards the Environment of the 2028 syllabus.Source: CISCE ICSE 2028 Commercial Studies syllabus, Class IX

Key concepts

Social responsibility towards the environment

Social responsibility of business is its obligation to act in ways that protect and improve the welfare of society, beyond earning profit and obeying the law. Towards the environment, it means that a commercial organisation should:
1. Use natural resources (water, energy, raw materials) efficiently and avoid waste.
2. Prevent or control pollution of air, water and land.
3. Manage and dispose of its waste safely, including e-waste.
4. Reuse and recycle materials.
5. Restore what it uses: plant trees, protect green areas.
6. Make and promote eco-friendly products.
7. Follow all environmental laws and norms.

Why businesses should do this: they use natural resources that belong to society; pollution harms health and future generations; consumers increasingly prefer responsible firms (goodwill); laws require it; and saving energy and materials also cuts costs.

Worked example

(2 marks) Give two reasons why a business should be socially responsible towards the environment.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. It uses society's natural resources and its pollution harms people's health, so it must protect them - 1 mark.
2. Responsible conduct builds goodwill with customers and avoids legal penalties (also saves costs through efficiency) - 1 mark.

Answer: Because business draws on natural resources shared by all and its pollution affects everyone's health, and because environmental care builds goodwill, saves costs and keeps the business within the law.

E-waste management (meaning only)

E-waste (electronic waste) means discarded electrical and electronic equipment and their parts: old computers, mobile phones, printers, televisions, batteries, chargers, cables, refrigerators. E-waste contains valuable materials (copper, gold, plastics) but also harmful substances (lead, mercury, cadmium) that pollute soil and water and harm health if dumped or burnt.

E-waste management means the safe collection, storage, transport, dismantling, recycling and disposal of discarded electronic and electrical goods, so that useful materials are recovered and hazardous substances do not harm people or the environment. In India it is governed by the E-Waste (Management) Rules under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, which make producers responsible for collecting and recycling their products at the end of their life (Extended Producer Responsibility).

The syllabus asks for the meaning only.

Worked example

(2 marks) What is meant by e-waste management?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. E-waste is discarded electronic and electrical equipment such as old computers and phones - 1 mark.
2. E-waste management is its safe collection, dismantling, recycling and disposal so that materials are recovered and toxic substances do not harm people or the environment - 1 mark.

Answer: E-waste management is the safe collection, recycling and disposal of discarded electronic goods such as computers and phones, recovering useful materials and preventing toxic substances from polluting the environment.

Recycling

Recycling is the process of collecting used or waste materials and processing them into new materials or products, instead of throwing them away. It is part of the '3 Rs': reduce, reuse, recycle.

How businesses can recycle:
1. Recycle paper, cardboard, glass, metals and plastics produced in offices and factories.
2. Use recycled raw materials (recycled paper for packaging, recycled plastic).
3. Recycle water: treat waste water and reuse it for cooling, washing or gardening.
4. Sell scrap to authorised recyclers.
5. Take back used products or packaging from customers.

Benefits: conserves natural resources, saves energy, reduces landfill and pollution, and often lowers costs. Example: a soft-drink company collects used bottles and sends them to a recycler who makes them into fibre for clothing.

Worked example

(2 marks) What is recycling? Give one example of how an office can practise it.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Recycling is processing used or waste materials into new materials or products instead of discarding them - 1 mark.
2. Example: collecting used paper separately and sending it to a paper recycler - 1 mark.

Answer: Recycling means turning waste materials into new products. An office can collect used paper and old cartons separately and send them to a recycler.

Afforestation

Afforestation means planting trees on a large scale to create forests on land that had no forest or had lost its forest cover.

How businesses can contribute:
1. Plant trees around factories and offices (green belts) to absorb dust, noise and carbon dioxide.
2. Replace trees cut for their projects by planting more elsewhere.
3. Adopt public parks, road dividers or degraded land and maintain plantations.
4. Support tree-planting drives by local bodies and NGOs.
5. Use paper and wood from sustainably managed plantations.

Benefits: cleaner air, less soil erosion, more rainfall and groundwater recharge, habitat for wildlife, and a better image for the business. Example: a cement company develops a green belt of trees around its plant to control dust.

Worked example

(2 marks) How can a manufacturing company contribute to afforestation?

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. By developing a green belt of trees around its factory to absorb dust and pollution - 1 mark.
2. By planting more trees than it cuts for its projects, or adopting degraded land for plantation - 1 mark.

Answer: It can plant a green belt around the factory, replace every tree it cuts with several new ones, and adopt bare land for large-scale tree planting.

Eco-friendly products

Eco-friendly (environment-friendly or green) products are goods that cause little or no harm to the environment during their production, use and disposal. They use fewer resources, less energy and less harmful chemicals, and are often biodegradable, recyclable or reusable.

Examples: cloth and jute bags instead of plastic bags; LED bulbs and energy-efficient appliances; biodegradable packaging; recycled paper; products with natural ingredients; solar lamps; refillable containers.

Role of business:
1. Design and make products that use less energy and material and last longer.
2. Use eco-friendly packaging and reduce single-use plastic.
3. Label products honestly (no false 'green' claims).
4. Educate customers and encourage take-back and refills.

India has a voluntary eco-labelling scheme called Ecomark for products that meet environmental standards.

Worked example

(2 marks) What are eco-friendly products? Give two examples.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. Products that cause little or no harm to the environment in production, use and disposal - 1 mark.
2. Examples: jute or cloth bags; LED bulbs (also biodegradable packaging, recycled paper) - 1 mark.

Answer: Eco-friendly products are goods that do little or no harm to the environment through their life, such as jute bags and LED bulbs.

Legal compliance of environmental norms

Legal compliance means that a business obeys all the laws, rules and standards laid down by the government to protect the environment.

Important Indian laws and bodies:
1. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
2. The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
3. The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, under which rules on hazardous waste, plastic waste and e-waste are made.
4. The Central Pollution Control Board and State Pollution Control Boards set and enforce standards.

What compliance involves:
1. Obtaining consent from the State Pollution Control Board to set up and to operate a polluting unit.
2. Keeping emissions and effluents within prescribed limits; installing pollution control equipment (filters, effluent treatment plants).
3. Safe handling and disposal of hazardous and e-waste through authorised agencies.
4. Environmental impact assessment and clearance for large projects.
5. Keeping records and submitting reports; allowing inspections.

Non-compliance can lead to fines, closure of the unit and loss of reputation.

Worked example

(2 marks) What is meant by legal compliance of environmental norms? Name one law involved.

Try it first, then show the solutionSolution

1. It means obeying the laws, rules and standards set by the government to protect the environment, such as emission and effluent limits - 1 mark.
2. Law: the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (also Water Act 1974, Air Act 1981) - 1 mark.

Answer: Legal compliance means following all government environmental laws and standards, such as obtaining pollution board consent and keeping emissions within limits; for example, under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Social Responsibility Towards the Environment in real life

Each concept, met in an everyday situation. Read the situation, answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.

Topics in this chapter

• E-waste Management, Recycling and Afforestation by Business
• Eco-friendly Products and Legal Compliance of Environmental Norms

Social Responsibility Towards the Environment: key facts

Five responsibilities

E-waste management, Recycling, Afforestation, Eco-friendly products, Legal compliance

Syllabus list.

3 Rs

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Laws

Water Act 1974; Air Act 1981; Environment (Protection) Act 1986

Enforced by the CPCB and State Pollution Control Boards.

Energy saving

Units saved (kWh) = number × watts saved × hours × days ÷ 1,000

Material recovered

Recovered = total waste × recovery % ÷ 100

Social Responsibility Towards the Environment: diagrams to practise

Practise each one on paper: draw it from the checklist, then tick off every label.

How the school exam asks Social Responsibility Towards the Environment

The question patterns to expect, and the method that works for each.

Tricks to remember Social Responsibility Towards the Environment

Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.

• E-R-A-E-L

  'Every Responsible Agency Earns Loyalty': E-waste, Recycling, Afforestation, Eco-friendly products, Legal compliance.

  Use it when: The five headings.

• 74-81-86

  Water 1974, Air 1981, Environment 1986: water, then air, then everything.

  Use it when: Years of the main laws.

• Reduce first

  Reduce > Reuse > Recycle: the best waste is the waste never made.

  Use it when: Order of the 3 Rs.

Social Responsibility Towards the Environment: exam-level solved questions

Ordered from exam level to HOTS. Cover the solution, write your own, then compare step by step.

Case-study practice (Section B style)

Read the situation, then answer every part. In a school exam set on the board pattern this is a 9-mark question split into 2 + 2 + 5 marks.

Where the marks are

How a typical answer is split into step marks. Show every step: a right final answer alone rarely earns full marks.

Where students lose marks in Social Responsibility Towards the Environment

The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.

• ✗Mistake: Writing a long essay on e-waste

  The syllabus asks for the meaning of e-waste management only.

  ✓Do this: Meaning with examples of e-waste and the words 'safe collection, recycling and disposal'.

  Usually costs: Time for other questions.

• ✗Mistake: Confusing recycling with reuse

  Reuse uses an item again as it is; recycling processes it into new material.

  Wrong working

  'Refilling a glass bottle is recycling.'

  Right working

  'Refilling a glass bottle is reuse; melting it into new glass is recycling.'

  ✓Do this: Recycling = processing into new material.

  Usually costs: 1 mark.

• ✗Mistake: Vague answers such as 'business should not pollute'

  Answers need specific actions.

  ✓Do this: Name an action: effluent treatment plant, green belt, take-back scheme, jute bags.

  Usually costs: Half the marks.

• ✗Mistake: Wrong years for environmental laws

  Students mix up 1974, 1981 and 1986.

  ✓Do this: Water 1974, Air 1981, Environment 1986.

  Usually costs: ½ to 1 mark.

• ✗Mistake: Forgetting to divide by 1,000 in energy questions

  Watt-hours must be converted to kilowatt-hours (units).

  ✓Do this: kWh = watts × hours ÷ 1,000.

  Usually costs: The calculation mark.

Practice questions on Social Responsibility Towards the Environment

Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.

1. Q1 · 1 mark · MCQExam level

   The Environment (Protection) Act was passed in India in:
   (a) 1974
   (b) 1981
   (c) 1986
   (d) 2016

   Hint

   74-81-86.

   Answer

   (c) 1986.

2. Q2 · 1 mark · MCQExam level

   Turning used paper into new paper products is called:
   (a) afforestation
   (b) recycling
   (c) e-waste management
   (d) legal compliance

   Hint

   Waste into new material.

   Answer

   (b) recycling.

3. Q3 · 2 marks · Very short answerExam level

   What is afforestation? How can a business contribute to it?

   Hint

   Planting new forests.

   Answer

   Afforestation is planting trees on a large scale to create forests on bare or degraded land. A business can develop green belts around its premises and adopt bare land for planting.

4. Q4 · 2 marks · Very short answerExam level

   Give two examples of eco-friendly products and state why each is eco-friendly.

   Hint

   Biodegradable, energy-efficient.

   Answer

   (1) Jute bags: biodegradable and reusable, replacing plastic. (2) LED bulbs: use far less electricity than older bulbs and last longer.

5. Q5 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder exam level

   Why is e-waste more dangerous than ordinary waste?

   Hint

   Toxic metals.

   Answer

   E-waste contains toxic substances such as lead, mercury and cadmium that leach into soil and water or are released as fumes when burnt, harming health; ordinary waste such as paper or food is usually not toxic.

6. Q6 · 2 marks · Very short answerHarder exam level

   State two things a factory must do to comply with environmental norms.

   Hint

   Consent and limits.

   Answer

   (1) Obtain consent from the State Pollution Control Board to set up and operate. (2) Keep emissions and effluents within prescribed limits by installing pollution control equipment such as an effluent treatment plant.

7. Q7 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder exam level

   A factory uses 50,000 litres of water a day and recycles 60% of it. How much fresh water does it need each day? Which responsibility is this?

   Hint

   40% fresh.

   Answer

   Fresh water = 40% of 50,000 = 20,000 litres a day (30,000 litres recycled). This is recycling.

8. Q8 · 2 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency

   A shop sells 5,000 plastic carry bags a month. If it switches to cloth bags, how many plastic bags are avoided in a year? Suggest how it can encourage customers to accept the change.

   Hint

   5,000 × 12.

   Answer

   5,000 × 12 = 60,000 plastic bags avoided a year. It can sell low-cost reusable cloth bags, give a small discount to customers who bring their own bags, and display why plastic is harmful.

9. Q9 · 5 marks · Long answerHOTS / competency

   'Environmental responsibility is a cost for business, not a benefit.' Do you agree? Discuss with reference to the five responsibilities.

   Hint

   Costs now, gains later.

   Answer

   Partly disagree. Some measures cost money (effluent treatment plants, e-waste recycling, tree planting). But they bring benefits: recycling and energy-efficient eco-friendly products cut material and power costs; legal compliance avoids fines and closures that cost far more; e-waste take-back and green products build customer goodwill and brand loyalty; afforestation improves the surroundings and the firm's image. Above all, a healthy environment is needed for the business's own workers, customers and future. So environmental responsibility is better seen as an investment than a mere cost.

Test your recall

Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.

1. 1.Name the five environmental responsibilities in the syllabus.Show answer

   E-waste management, recycling, afforestation, eco-friendly products, legal compliance.

2. 2.What is e-waste?Show answer

   Discarded electrical and electronic equipment and parts.

3. 3.What are the 3 Rs?Show answer

   Reduce, reuse, recycle.

4. 4.Which Act of 1986 protects the environment in India?Show answer

   The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

5. 5.Name an Indian eco-label.Show answer

   Ecomark.

Quick revision checklist

The night before the exam: can you do each of these without looking?

• ☐Business uses society's resources, so it must protect the environment.
• ☐E-waste management: safe collection, recycling and disposal of discarded electronics.
• ☐Recycling: waste into new materials; reduce, reuse, recycle.
• ☐Afforestation: large-scale tree planting; green belts.
• ☐Eco-friendly products: little harm in production, use and disposal (jute bags, LED bulbs).
• ☐Legal compliance: Water Act 1974, Air Act 1981, Environment (Protection) Act 1986; pollution control boards.

Social Responsibility Towards the Environment: frequently asked questions