Implementation of Sustainable Development Goals through reverse logistics: a systematic literature review

Abstract

The growing environmental concerns, the increasingly strict eco-friendly regulations and the international efforts in pursuing sustainable development have led many firms to turn ‘green’. In particular, the supply chain has witnessed great commitment in this sense and reverse logistics (RL) has become a central topic of investigation: responding to the need to manage growing returns and to the fast technological obsolescence, RL enables to recover the residual value from used products. Thus it contributes to reduce waste, improve the efficient use of resources, create new job opportunities as well as benefit companies’ bottom line and economic performances. While the sustainable dimension of RL is attracting increasing attention in the literature, no paper connects it to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), one of the most relevant frameworks for sustainable development. To close this gap in the literature, this thesis examines the relationship between RL and SDGs, grouped in turn according to the triple bottom line framework. For this purpose, a systematic literature review is used to select and then thematically analyse 48 state-of-the-art papers via MAXQDA. The results suggest that the economic and environmental goals are the most directly implemented through RL, among which SDG 12 outstands. Social effects generated by RL, instead, are less evident and analysed, such as the poverty and inequalities reduction (SDG 1 and 10) indirectly achieved through the job creation effect (SDG 8). At the same time, the thesis uncovers an inverse relationship as well: some SDGs are a driving force toward the implementation of RL practices. In fact, progress on education provision (SDG 4), environmental regulations (SDG 16), technology systems and supply chain collaborations (SDG 17) helps RL to be more efficient, and thus more sustainable. Overall, despite its limitations, this thesis provides an exploratory mapping of the connections between RL and SDGs, finally suggesting managerial and policy implications as well.