Sustainable Supply Chains

This book is primarily intended to serve as a research-based textbook on sustainable supply chains for graduate programs in Business, Management, Industrial Engineering, and Industrial Ecology, but it should also be of interest for researchers in the broader sustainable supply chain space, whether from the operations management and industrial engineering side or more from the industrial ecology and life-cycle assessment side. Finding efficient solutions towards a more sustainable supply chain is increasingly important for managers, but clearly this raise difficult questions, often without clear answers. This book aims to provide insights into these kinds of questions for students and practitioners, based on the latest academic research.

The massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 was not caused by BP, but by a contractor, yet BP got the blame. The toxic waste from the production of Apple products dumped in China in 2011 was not dumped by Apple, but by a supplier, yet Apple got the blame. The horsemeat found in beef burgers in 2013 was not added by Tesco, but by a supplier, yet Tesco got the blame. In all three cases, blame for the damage caused by suppliers floated up through the supply chain until it lodged with the big brand at the top. No longer can companies constrain their corporate responsibility within the factory fence, as that boundary is not recognized by outside observers. This situation is exacerbated by the fact that the majority of most organizations’ environmental footprint lies in their supply chain. This means that, to address the sustainability agenda in a meaningful way, they must tackle the impacts of their suppliers. Unfortunately this is a huge challenge as visibility and influence diminishes quickly as you start to work your way down through the layers of suppliers. This book gives a quick but comprehensive guide to the most effective techniques to help you proactively address environmental risks in the supply chain. It covers the following: the business case for a sustainable supply chain; supply chains and sustainability: the big picture; making supply chains sustainable: the fundamentals; basic techniques: the "hard yards" of green procurement; intermediate techniques: those requiring changes to operations and products/services; advanced techniques: changes to the business model and corporate philosophy.The book draws upon exclusive interviews with top sustainability practitioners along with the practical experiences of the author to provide real world examples at the cutting edge.

This reference is a comprehensive collection of original case studies on building sustainability into the supply chain. An ideal resource for graduate-level and executive courses in sustainability, operations management, and supply chain/logistics, The Sustainability in Supply Chain Management Casebook covers a wide spectrum of social, economic and environmental issues; as well as new areas such as reverse logistics and closed-loop supply chains. Steven Leon covers these and other specific topics: strategy, implementation, decision making, transportation, supplier relationships, collaboration, lean and continuous improvement, finance and economics, worker safety and rights, procurement, production, delivery, packaging, logistics, and global supply chains. He frames these case studies with authoritative introductory material, and offers corresponding teaching notes and Q and A sections that make this an even more useful instructional resource.

This book focuses on the need to develop sustainable supply chains - economically, environmentally and socially. This book is not about a wish list of impractical choices, but the reality of decisions faced by all those involved in supply chain management today. Our definition of sustainable supply chains is not restricted to so-called "green" supply chains, but recognises that in order to be truly sustainable, supply chains must operate within a realistic financial structure, as well as contribute value to our society. Supply chains are not sustainable unless they are realistically funded and valued. Thus, a real definition of sustainable supply chain management must take account of all relevant economic, social and environmental issues. This book contains examples from a wide range of real-life case studies, and synthesizes the learnings from these many different situations to provide the fundamental building blocks at the centre of successful logistics and supply chain management.

If you are a supply chain manager, an executive, an entrepreneur, or a stakeholder in a sustainable business, this book will help you develop the awareness and skills needed to support sustainable supply chain management in your firm. The authors introduce the many ways that social and environmental responsibility can be integrated into supply chain management, from sustainable product and process design to programs and techniques that support product end-of-life management. The book begins with a discussion of sustainability and business strategy. It then explores product and process design, sustainable purchasing and logistics, and product end-of-life management topics. The authors include real-world examples and cases from some of the world’s leading companies in sustainable supply chain management. The examples range from small local companies to large multinational players to give a broad range of ideas to the reader. With case examples, workshops, and step-by-step instructions on how to create a sustainable supply chain, Sustainability Delivered is the most practical and usable book on the market that will help you and other business leaders to authentically pursue and deliver on sustainability ideals

Sustainability is changing and changing rapidly. It is becoming more widespread as companies and customers uncover its power, attractiveness, and sustainability, as well as receiving more attention in the press. Support for sustainability lies within new tools, frameworks, and approaches. The authors capture these and other developments in this second volume of Developing Sustainable Supply Chains. In the first volume, the authors assess major management opportunities; this second volume focuses on implementation; when combined the result is a complete, action-oriented treatment of sustainability. Written by two of the leading academic researchers in this area, this series introduces the reader, whether a student, manager, or experienced sustainability advocate, to the various tools, frameworks, and approaches that work.

The global sustainability challenge is urgent, tremendous and increasing. From an ecological perspective, the current worldwide resource footprint requires approximately 1.5 planets to sustain existing life, and with current usage would require two planets by 2030. The social impact of ever-growing resource use disproportionately affects the world’s poor – the 3 billion people living on less than $2.50 a day, as they struggle to acquire what is needed to survive. The serious ecological and social challenges we face in trying to establish global sustainable supply chains must not be underestimated, yet so far research has largely ignored the social dimension in favour of the environmental and economic. So how can we develop business strategies that move away from a primary economic focus and give equal weight to people, planet and profit? How can we create sustainable supply chains that take a true triple-bottom-line approach?Implementing Triple Bottom Line Sustainability into Global Supply Chains features innovative research, highlighting new cases, approaches and concepts in how to successfully implement sustainability – covering economic, ecological and social dimensions – into global supply chains. The four parts cover the rationale for sustainable global supply chains, key enablers, case studies showing clear implementation steps, and directions for future research and development.This book is a must-read for any academic researching in sustainable supply chain management, procurement or business strategy, and for business leaders seeking cases that will inform a critical step forward for CSR programmes.

The issue of sustainability has become a vital discussion in many industries within the public and private sectors. In the business realm, incorporating such practices allows organizations to re-design their operations more effectively. Green Supply Chain Management for Sustainable Business Practice examines the challenges and benefits of implementing sustainability into the core functions of contemporary enterprises, focusing on how green approaches improve operations in an ecological way. Highlighting key concepts, emerging innovations, and future directions, this book is a pivotal reference source for professionals, managers, educators, and upper-level students.