Environmental impacts on reverse logistics and green supply chains: similarities and integration

Abstract

Environmental and economic issues have significant impacts on reverse logistics and are thought to form one of the developmental cornerstones of green supply chains. Global competition requires firms to minimise their use of extraneous resources and develop sustainable supply chain practices. Recent, although limited, research has begun to identify that these sustainable supply chain practices, which include the reverse logistics factors, lead to more integrated supply chains, which ultimately can lead to improved economic performance. Therefore, value may be expected in determining (1) if any overlaps or intersections between the green supply chains and reverse logistics exist and (2) if so, if they can be integrated to provide a more comprehensive, sustainable system. This conceptual paper will explore the potential relationships between the green supply chains and the reverse logistics, specifically focusing on shared commonalities. A conceptual model, describing these relationships, will be presented for future empirical research.