Reverse logistics drivers: empirical evidence from a case study in an emerging economy

Abstract

Academic and corporate interest in reverse logistics (RL) has risen considerably in recent years. In this context, the objective of this study was to identify the drivers that enable RL practice in an emerging economy. Firstly, international peer-reviewed publications on RL were used to develop a RL environment framework representing the main RL internal and external influences. Secondly, a case-based research was conducted in a large manufacturing company located in Southern Brazil. The results indicated that the most cited driver in the RL literature, the government and legislation, was not a main influence on the studied company. Environmental legislation is still limited in the country and struggles to provide incentives to increase materials recycling. An economic factor related to materials value recovery was also found to drive the backward flow. Finally, knowledge of the RL driving forces may support industries to better implement and manage reverse flows and to bridge the gap between existing and future solutions for reverse supply chains.

Keywords:

• reverse logistics
• drivers
• stakeholders
• case study
• Brazil

Acknowledgements

The authors thank CAPES and CNPq (Federal Government Brazilian Research Agencies) for financial support of this research project. They also appreciate the assistance of Elsevier Language Editing Services in the first draft. The authors appreciate the companies that made this study possible. However, any analysis is the responsibility of the authors and, thus, it does not represent the position of the company. Finally, the authors acknowledge the reviewers and the editor for their comments to enhance the paper.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico; Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior.