An integrated closed-loop product lifecycle management approach for reverse logistics design

Abstract

Nowadays, reverse logistics is gaining importance for many companies in different industries. This importance is rooted in the fact that it generates profit and decreases the environmental impacts of products. Even though the decrease of environmental impacts is an indispensable requisite, reverse logistics design is only driven by cost indicators. The main reason behind this high cost is access to environmental information is difficult and is directly linked to data all along the lifecycle of the product. This paper presents a method by which reverse logistics design integrates environmental impacts based on the management of closed-loop product lifecycle. This method is divided into two processes: from beginning of life to end of life and from end of life to beginning of life. The first process integrates product data in order to calculate environmental impacts of the potential reverse logistics networks, whereas the second process selects the most appropriate reverse logistics network before optimising the product based on this particular network. The proposition is illustrated by a case study on a recycled aluminium automotive part.

Keywords:

• Reverse logistics
• product lifecycle management
• integrated design
• end of life
• recycling

Acknowledgement

The authors would like to acknowledge the European Commission and the Picardie French Region for their financial support through the SuPLight FP7 Project (grant agreement n° 263302). We also wish to express our gratitude and appreciation to all the project partners for their contribution during the development of various ideas and concepts presented in this paper.

Funding

This work was supported by the European Commission through the SuPLight FP7 Project [grant number 263302].

Notes

1. http://www.suplight-eu.org/.

2. Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, www.oecd.org.