In an article for Supply Chain Management Review, Dr. Eva Ponce writes about how omni-channel supply chains can support the development of circular supply chains.
One way is to create reverse flow channels that collect returned product and packaging for recycling and reuse. The retail industry is actively developing these reverse supply chains, but one of the challenges they face is how to measure the impact of reuse strategies on omni-channel operations.
Research underway at the MIT CTL’ Circular Supply Chain initiative highlights the importance of establishing key metrics to the future success of reusable packaging strategies in retail. A case study in the grocery business reveals the effectiveness of packaging return systems in improving sustainability performance and the implications for the efficiency of omni-channel retail networks.
Full article (Supply Chain Management Review subscriber content)