What is the environmental impact of ABC's new processes?

• A. Increased energy consumption with no waste reduction.
• B. Higher emissions due to energy use.
• C. No change to environmental impact.
• D. Lower costs and reduced landfill waste.

Answer: (D)

When evaluating environmental impact from new processes, the most positive outcome is reducing waste while also cutting costs, because efficient resource use often brings both ecological and financial benefits. The option that mentions lower costs and reduced landfill waste fits this pattern: it suggests the processes minimize waste generation or enable recycling of byproducts, so less material ends up in landfills and disposal costs drop. In contrast, increased energy use or higher emissions would worsen the environmental footprint, and no change wouldn’t improve either environmental or economic performance. So this option best reflects a win for both the environment and the business.