Analysis of the contribution of waste sorting plants to the reverse processes of supply chains

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to analyse the contribution of waste sorting plants to the reverse processes of supply chains. The research method is the double case study of two Brazilian waste sorting plants. The research techniques were the analysis of reports, interviews, participant observation, and statistical analysis of historical series of production. The qualitative part of the study concluded that the main roles of waste sorting plants are the supply of local industry with recycled low-cost raw material or to recover energy as fuel, environment development by reducing the use of controlled landfills, and social support to the municipality by reducing public health liabilities and generating jobs and income for vulnerable communities. The quantitative part of the study observed two systemic behaviours. In the first sorting plant, external elements reacted to an expressive increase of the production and limit the current outcome. The second sorting plant is a bottleneck. Despite the availability of waste and demand for recycled material, the sorting plant does not achieve increased production. Owing to the economic, environmental, and social importance of sorting plants to the region, further research should focus on these two systemic behaviours. The main contribution of the study is the integration of elements observed in supply chains and in waste management studies to form a plausible basis of hypotheses for a further survey. Another contribution is to offer information to practitioners on the importance of recycling in the reverse process of the supply chains.