Sustainable Supply Chain Management: The Influence of Disposal Scenarios on the Environmental Impact of a 2400 L Waste Container

José Eduardo Galve, Daniel Elduque, Carmelo Pina and Carlos Javierre
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José Eduardo Galve: BSH Electrodomésticos España S.A.; Avda. de la Industria, 49, Zaragoza 50016, Spain
Daniel Elduque: i+(i3A), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza; C/María de Luna, 3, Zaragoza 50018, Spain
Carmelo Pina: BSH Electrodomésticos España S.A.; Avda. de la Industria, 49, Zaragoza 50016, Spain
Carlos Javierre: i+(i3A), Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zaragoza; C/María de Luna, 3, Zaragoza 50018, Spain

Sustainability, 2016, vol. 8, issue 6, 1-12

Abstract: This paper analyzes the influence of the supply chain management on the environmental impact of a 2400 L waste disposal container used in most cities of Spain. The studied functional unit, a waste disposal container, made up mostly of plastic materials and a metallic structure, and manufactured in Madrid (Spain), is distributed to several cities at an average distance of 392 km. A life cycle assessment of four different scenarios (SC) has been calculated with the software EcoTool v4.0 (version 4.0; i+: Zaragoza, Spain, 2015) and using Ecoinvent v3.0 database (version 3.0; Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories: St. Gallen, Switzerland, 2013). The environmental impact has been characterized with two different methodologies, recipe and carbon footprint. In order to reduce the environmental impact, several end of life scenarios have been performed, analyzing the influence of the supply chain on a closed-looped system that increases recycling. Closed loop management of the waste and reuse of parts allows companies to stop selling products and start selling the service that their products give to the consumers.

Keywords: environmental impact; supply chain; service; LCA; end of life scenarios; closed loop; plastic recycling (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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