Completing the Closed Loop For Comsumer Electronics Supply Chains: An Analysis of Device End of Life Extensions by Corporations, Recyclers, Governments and Second-hand Marketplaces
Open Access
Author:
Shao, Kellen
Area of Honors:
Supply Chain and Information Systems
Degree:
Bachelor of Science
Document Type:
Thesis
Thesis Supervisors:
Robert Alexander Novack, Thesis Supervisor John C Spychalski, Thesis Honors Advisor
Keywords:
supply chain sustainability closed loop reverse logistics consumer electronics apple microsoft sony nintendo amd recyclers secondhand marketplaces circularity
Abstract:
Over the past few decades, academics and industry leaders alike have identified organizational supply chains as business sectors responsible for the fundamental activities of sourcing, procurement, warehousing, logistics, and transportation. Furthermore, each collection point serves as a center for value-added innovation through automation, analytics, tiered visibility, resiliency, agility, and machine learning principles. Of these trends, the development of a closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) or closed-loop supply chain (CLSC) incorporates tenants of environmental, social, and corporate governance through the incorporation of alternative reverse logistics channels that collect, recycle and reintegrate products that have reached end-of-life (EOL) status, which would have otherwise been disposed of in landfills as e-waste. The goal of this thesis is to investigate the adoption of CLSC principles and practices in the consumer electronics industry and marketplace to garner a summary assessment of initiatives, as well as showcase the efficacy of external entities such as third-party recyclers, governmental bodies and second-hand markets.
The conclusion of this thesis provides a recommended framework for continued circularity efforts that specifies the importance of industry-wide efforts to incorporate sustainability practices into future product design planning, publish annual sustainability innovations, standardize metrics for scope one, two and three emissions, discover additional capabilities to generate negative carbon emissions and continue to work alongside other firms, organizations and governmental bodies to ensure additive innovation in adopting supply chain circularity methodologies across a multitude of stakeholders and communities.
