An Insight into Reverse Logistics with a Focus on Collection Systems

Abstract

Sustainable development is now the focus of researchers and organizations worldwide. Several concepts, such as reverse logistics (RLs) and closed-loop supply chains, have been introduced to encourage sustainability in supply chains. RLs refers to the set of activities needed by consumers to collect the product used for reuse, repair, remanufacturing, recycling, or disposal of the used product. There are various processes involved in RL, and one of them is collection systems. Collection refers to a company obtaining custody of specific items. We review the literature on RLs collection systems. A bibliometric analysis was conducted to provide better insight into the field and establish any trends. Firstly, we present the classification methods used in the field, based on available review papers. Secondly, we evaluate literature from several fields that are related to either the problem setting or the technical features. Different perspectives are presented and classified. This method facilitates the identification of manuscripts related to the reader’s specific interests. Throughout the literature review, trends in measuring the performance of collection systems are identified, and directions for future research are identified and presented.