Circular economy - looking towards the future

While reverse logistics has always been an important part of the supply chain, its importance has grown substantially in the past few years. This has been driven by: increasingly generous returns policies, growing legislation on product disposal, evermore global supply chains, rising consumer social responsibility and awareness of the cost-saving potential. Moreover, research from Cranfield School of Management shows that companies can reduce costs by 20-40% by using reverse logistics techniques. In The Handbook of Reverse Logistics, Mike Bernon, John Cullen and Jonathan Gorst cover all the key issues in reverse logistics, including: reducing the level of returns; developing effective product return networks; options for product disposal that maximize asset recovery; and sustainable distribution. There is a dedicated chapter on circular supply chains. The book also features a valuable self-assessment audit tool for reverse logistics and is full of international case studies.