Carbon footprint for designing reverse logistics network with hybrid manufacturing-remanufacturing systems

Abstract

This article proposes one further step toward the design of Sustainable Manufacturing Enterprise. This article presents an integrated approach for designing a reverse logistics network by minimizing the carbon emissions and the transportation distances between different candidate centers while considering several system design and operational issues of a Hybrid Manufacturing-Remanufacturing System operating within the above-mentioned reverse logistics network. Accordingly, the article attempts to integrate various sustainability aspects indoctrinated in the Sustainable Manufacturing philosophy. In view of this, a mixed integer programming model for designing a reverse logistics network is developed. The model considers the carbon foot print, facility location, and the material flow aspects of the reverse logistics network; in which a hybrid manufacturing-remanufacturing system is integrated. A detailed discussion of a numerical example is presented to illustrate the proposed model. The model has potential applications for supply chain managers designing a reverse logistics networks as well as for production managers at the operations level.