Addressing environmental concerns in closed loop supply chain design and planning

Abstract

This research integrates environmental concerns in a closed loop supply chain (SC) model to improve overall SC performance in terms of sustainability and business operational metrics. The model includes modular product design for facilitating faster manufacturing, disassembly, remanufacturing, refurbishing, and repairing using new, reusable and repairable components, and modular subassemblies. The model plans sustainable module formation; production process for components and products, and transportation and distribution routes to obtain optimum business performances and address environmental concerns for harmful emissions and spent energy. The research proposes to collect end-of-life and other customer returned products through retailers by motivating retailers and customers with an incentive scheme. Refurbishing, recovery, and repair works for the components and modules are managed by the SC through a pool of service providers trained by their manufacturing plants for such recovery works. Numerical example illustrates the applicability of the approach and the model.