Paper
Collaborative reverse logistics to promote environmental protection
Wen Cai 1, a *
,Yaping Chen 2,b
1 Shanghai University of Engineering Science,Shanghai, China
2 Shanghai University of Engineering Science,Shanghai, China
a 354495356@qq.com,
b Yaping6688@126.com
Keywords: reverse logistics;environmental protection; coordination
Abstract:In the logistics industry, the reverse logistics combined with the current environmental
protection international concern for analysis, the combination of reverse logistics and environment
protection, is no longer a for-profit enterprise responsibility, but is their duty. Collaborative reverse
logistics facilitate the processing in the waste products, reduce the damage to the environment, the
environmental protection into the economic benefits of the enterprise, realize win-win situation
between the enterprises and the government.
The summary of reverse logistics
1.1The definition of reverse logistics
Logistics is to meet consumers’ demand for raw materials, intermediate inventory, the final product
and related information from the origin to the effective flow and storage consumption in the
planning, implementation and control process.
The definition of reverse logistics originated in foreign countries, the earliest concept of reverse
logistics by Stock (1992) put forward, he pointed out: the reverse logistics is a product return,
material substitution, reuse of materials, waste processing, processing, repair and remanufacturing
process of logistics activities(chart1). The American Association of logistics management to the
definition of reverse logistics is "for the recycling or disposal of waste, in the effective and proper
cost of raw materials, WIP, finished goods, and related information, flow and storage to the original
output point from the point of consumption, process planning, execution and control, so as to
achieve the recovery value and proper disposal. "[1,2]
Chart 1.The process of reverse logistic
In 2001, China developed national standards, "logistics terms" (GB / Tl 8354.2001), the reverse
logistics was classified into two categories: returned logistics and waste material logistics. Among
them, recycling logistics refers to the unqualified goods return, repair and turnover of the rigid
packaging from the need to return to the supplier and the formation of the physical flow of goods;
waste logistics is defined that it is a real flow which according to the actual need will lose their use
value in economic activity item collection, classification, processing, packaging, handling, storage,
then transport them to the processing site professional form".
1.2The status of implementation of reverse logistics
At present, the implementation of reverse logistics mainly concentrated in the household appliances,
electronic products, medical products and other fields. If we can’t do recycling processing good in
waste electrical appliances, electronic products and waste of pharmaceutical products , they will not
Applied Mechanics and Materials Online: 2013-10-31 ISSN: 1662-7482, Vols. 448-453, pp 4188-4192 doi:10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.448-453.4188 © 2014 Trans Tech Publications, Switzerland
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only result in the waste of resources, but also pollute our environment. These products are not
biodegradable nature, random discarded will occupy the limited land, and become a permanent
cannot refuse treatment[1].
Logistics compared to other industry is an emerging industry, the development of reverse
logistics is not long. For many of the reverse logistics enterprises can't see the value that the RL
create for the enterprise and not willing to take the initiative to implement, so it needs the
government to encourage, support and supervision. With respect to the development of reverse
logistics reverse logistics developing countries, developed countries do better, not only have the
perfect laws and regulations, such as Japan's "home appliance recycling law", the United States of
America the "resource conservation and Recovery Act", Germany's "circular economy, waste law",
the EU's "waste electrical and electronic equipment", and good social benefits, enterprises and
Environmental protection
Environmental protection is refers to the humanity to solve actual or potential environmental
problems, coordinate the relation between mankind and environment, take the general term for
various actions to ensure sustained economic and social development.
In recent years, we can’t ignored the different levels of noise pollution, water pollution, air
pollution existed in different regions of the world, which are closely related to human life. In our
human interests at the same time for ourselves, also in the hidden trouble for ourselves. To improve
the environment has become our duty and our responsibility, support all environmental protection
movement should be from all walks of life.
2.1The development of environmental protection
Environmental protection movement began in the fifty or sixty's of the last century in Europe and
America and Japan and other developed countries, to achieve environmental protection through
public participation, improve the government's environmental responsibility and promoting
environmental protection, fully reflects the administrative responsibility of developed countries
government on environmental protection in the environmental legislation.
In 1971 in order to "save the earth" the Green Peace Organization Mission (Organization of
Green Peace) was proclaimed.
In 1972 June 5-16 day, the United Nations held a conference on the human environment in
Stockholm, adopted the "Declaration on the human environment". Declaration: "the protection and
improvement of the human environment has become an urgent task for human beings"
In 1973, the United States green was founded, which advocated green city, improving the
environment.
In 1980 the establishment of the Federal German Green Party became the fourth largest party in
the 1983 election, advocated protect environment and ecological balance, large engineering
construction of environment pollution.
In 1981 the establishment of the Green Party of Sweden against environmental pollution to
economic growth in the first place, in the 1988 election, environmental problems has become one of
the focus of political controversy.
In 1983 the establishment of the Japanese greens, advocated the establishment of a natural and
human symbiosis for the purpose of values based on the society.
In 70 years, the awareness of environmental protection has aroused widespread concern. Many
countries have established environmental management organizations, at the beginning of the 70's
more than 10 countries;since the 80's has more than 100; in 1972, non-governmental environmental
protection organization has been more than 2500, in 1972 the United Nations General Assembly
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every June 5th for world environment day. In 1981 the non-governmental environmental protection
organization was up to 15000. In 1973 January, the establishment of the United Nations
Environment Programme, the beginning of the 70's environmental protection journals around the
world there were177, in 1980 reached 1172.[5]
2.2Environmental protection related policies and regulations
Environment and its subsystems have some ability of pollutant and self-purification, have a certain
capacity of the environment, human and biological discharged into the environment pollution
substance can be degraded in the environment, eliminate into harmless substances, back into the
new material cycle. But the capacity of the environment have a certain limit, namely environmental
carrying capacity is limited, exceed this limit, we show a decline in environmental quality, if things
go on like this, the ecological environment will be not sustainable development potential, which
will seriously affect the quality of human life, hinder the development of human. Therefore, the
environmental protection as our responsibility, responsibility, obligation, whether it is the
government's coercive measures or self consciousness, will make the contribution of environmental
protection[3].
In 1992, the UN World Conference on the environment, through the "Rio Declaration on
environment and development" and "twenty-first Century agenda" which put forward a new mode
of the coordination of economy, society, establish the sustainable development of resource and
environment. In the world, developed countries continue to formulate and improve the
environmental laws(Table 1), they treat environmental protection as an important part of its
development.For example in the UK, environmental violations and crimes can be fined unlimited,
up to two years in prison, and the corresponding civil compensation.
Table 1 .Developed country policies and regulations
America Solid waste treatment method law,Transportation of dangerous substances
law,Resource conservation and Recovery Act Law
Japan On the restriction of the factory waste water law,Japanese pollution
countermeasures law,Environment white paper law
Western
Europe
Occupation safety and health law,Disposal of toxic waste law,
Pollution control method law in 1974
In China, in recent years, put forward the construction of ecological civilization, the
construction happy homeland, which are incorporated into China's "eleven five", "Twelfth
Five-Year Plan". China's environmental legislation on environmental legal systems and measures of
the specification, successively established nearly 20 environmental legal system and other
environmental protection measures. Such as “the people's Republic of China solid waste pollution
prevention and control law”, "the import of waste environmental protection management Interim
Provisions".
Environmental protection coordination of reverse logistics
Various countries have attached great importance to the environment, some countries take
environmental factors as a weapon of trade protectionism, the regulations and standards of
environmental protection principle, set up trade barriers, to influence other national environmental
policy, to protect their own interests.
Although in some countries there is no special law about reverse logistics and environmental
protection, but according to waste management act, to establish the recycling treatment system
perfect, reverse logistics has actually been in the implementation of operation, such as the UK,
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Germany, France, etc.. Relatively speaking, the recovery processing method of EU, Japan and the
United States of America,which has advanced strong in recovery processing method in the reverse
logistics of the waste products ,is worthy for other countries to reference and learn.Such as the EU
regulations on imported household electrical appliances must be the implementation of reverse
logistics, or collect 2% reverse logistics fee.
3.1.Environmental protection in the implementation of reverse logistics
The rapid development of economy, a lot of energy, resource exploitation, a lot of products are
production and consumption, which will inevitably produce a lot of waste products and waste
packaging, these wastes into the environment, causing great harm to the environment. How will the
waste product recycling, become an urgent problem to be solved, then we attention to the reverse
logistics. In some developed countries, the implementation of the reverse logistics is relatively
mature, not just the reverse logistics system, the implementation of reverse logistics technology is
very mature. Improve the recycling technology of waste household appliances, scrap electronic
products and so on, can be very good for enterprises to create economic value, social value, and at
the same time also can obtain good environmental benefits.
Resources, is an important aspect of environmental protection. The rapid development of social
economy and the acceleration of the process of industrialization,and a sharp increase in the
consumption of resources. At present, the energy-saving emission reduction, low-carbon economy,
circular economy, ecological environmental protection and other words more and more appear in
people's lives, these environmental action is also more and more appearing in people's lives, to
remind the people to pay attention to environmental protection.
The implementation of reverse logistics, can effectively improve the resource utilization rate,
reduce the cost of. The rapid energy consumption, leading to the production cost of enterprises is
also increasing, strengthen management of reverse logistics, enterprises can through the recycling of
waste re-use items, fully tap the value of residual waste materials or regain the use value of products;
at the same time as the recycling of waste products is low price, abundant source, can reduce the
cost of raw materials, thus obtained economic benefits at lower cost[4].
3.2The construction of reverse logistics system of waste products.
According to the recovery of waste products, there are always have the recycling waste product
vendors, but they handled these waste products which can not meet environmental protection
standards, only for the economic interests, they can not be very good for the scientific treatment of
waste products. If we can not form a recycling system scale type, not only can not get the highest
economic benefit, but also on the environment caused some damage.
Therefore, in order to realize the economic benefits, social benefits and environmental benefits,
enterprises and government should establish reverse logistics system of waste products
effectively.The construction of reverse logistics system of waste products is a kind of environmental
behavior, the environment provides the material basis for human survival and development,
everyone can get benefit from it. The construction of reverse logistics system for processing the
environmental damage on waste products, but the environment resources non-exclusive, not
implementation as well as businesses and consumers did not participate in the reverse logistics can
be prevented from enjoying the service benefits. The nature environment, make people in quantity
and quality, computing environment elements cannot accurately,and national and regional standards
are also different. The establishment of waste products reverse logistics has higher private
transaction cost. Therefore, the construction of reverse logistics system belongs to the public goods,
the expenditure will not bring the corresponding income through market transactions to the
enterprise, it will weaken the enthusiasm of people to build. So, in order to protect environment, the
Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols. 448-453 4191
government departments should implement reverse logistics that should be aimed at the
implementation of reverse logistics and enterprise incentive and constraint.
For the establishment of the reverse logistics system of waste products, different objects have
different treatment, of course, different countries according to their own national conditions also has
a different approach. For example, in Japan, because the labor cost is relatively high, the overall
level of consumption of residents is relatively high, the secondary market is very small, for reverse
logistics of waste household appliance is mainly carried out through the recycling of raw materials,
mechanization, automation of the whole process of waste household appliances is relatively high,
after collecting, isolated by removing, crushing the various components and then again used as the
raw material, the raw material price is usually lower, therefore, recycling the waste appliance
reverse logistics system utilization rate is low, although the recycling rate is relatively low, can be
effective and good to reduce the pollution of the environment, on the long run, this is feasible.
However, there are abundant, cheap labor resources in China, the economic development is not
balanced larger, there is also great differences in people's consumption level, and there is a large
market second-hand household electrical appliances, it can collect the waste household appliance
for artificial detection, can be reused to flow into the secondary market, which can not be reused it
is further decomposed processing and manufacturing.
Conclusion
Environmental protection is important for the world, various countries and regions are committed to
environmental protection. The implementation of reverse logistics of waste products will help to
improve the utilization of resources, and to reduce the damage to the environment of waste products.
Actively implement the reverse logistics, not only increase the economic efficiency of enterprises,
more can make great contribution to the sustainable development of the world.
Acknowledgements
This work was financially supported by Scientific Research & Innovation Project under Shanghai
Municipal Educational Committee (12ZS174) and Scientific research innovation Program of
Shanghai University of Engineering Science.
References
[1] Hui Dang:submitted to The Commercial Era,2012(In Chinese)
[2] Lejuan Luo :Study on Building a Reverse Logistics System of Disused Household Appliance
based on Sustainable Development,2005(In Chinese)
[3] Zhaobin Wu:Administrative responsibility of Government in the Ecological Civilization
Construction,2011(In Chinese)
[4] Kannan Govindan, Murugesan Palaniappan , Qinghua Zhu , Devika Kannan :Analysis of third
party reverse logistics provider using interpretive structural modeling,Int. J. Production Economics
140,2012
[5] http://www.annian.net/show.aspx?cid=42&id=22434
4192 Renewable Energy and Environmental Technology
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