Abstract
Innovative adoption of green supply chain management (GSCM) practices has witnessed a great surge in the last couple of decades. Its positive impact on the individual, society, and environment advocates the organization's commitment to progressively work with all stakeholders. Efforts are accelerated for identifying and understanding the opportunities to support green practices. Global warming and climate change have warned that scarce natural resources are not forever GSCM practices help to mitigate these hazards and ideologically enhance sustainability. Stake holders are committed to reuse, reduce, redesign, and recycle products in support of waste reduction and sustainable environmental protection. The sustainable supply chain is integrating sustainable environmental progressions into processes like selecting suppliers who ensure green manufacturing, buying green raw material, designing, assembling, and distribution with reverse logistics. Current research discusses sustainable green supply chain concepts, present and future trends, and performances.
TopIntroduction
The industrial revolution, upgraded technologies, and advanced scientific inventions have accelerated our ability to exploit natural possessions. Our superfluous extraction, consumption, and wastages lead to the depletion of scarce natural resources, eventually severely impacting our environment. Zhu & Sarkis (2007) suggested the advent of facilities and computerizations has revolutionized worldwide supply chain practices, this concept has now expanded as green supply chain management. GSCM is supported by environmentally conscious strategies for sourcing, manufacturing, and distribution strategies.
Srivastava (2007)
has emphasized that integrating environmental practices is an ongoing process. Increased awareness among government, environmentalists, and customers, with strict regulatory norms, have set the firms under tremendous pressure. Luthra (2016) studied that organizations must mitigate their contribution in degrading human life, flora, and fauna by harmful effects of their unethical practices. Green practices conserve precious resources and protect the environment from misuse of the resources. Organizations progressively use safe environmental practices and gain a competitive advantage, over the firms who are unable to comply with regulations and green practices.
Khan and Dong (2017), Gunasekaran (2012), studied that competitive advantage is gained by integrating end-to-end supply chain with sustainable resource utilization. Rostamzadeh et al. (2015), Mangla et al. (2013), suggested that recent developments in the industry for practicing green and eco-friendly products and processes have gained quite a good momentum. Rath (2013), suggested the role of green supply chain management practices in motivating and forming sustainable organizations. Kumar et al. (2014) said rising environmental concern has woken up nations to boost green movements.
Handfield et al. (2002), talked about enhanced environmental performances in multi-faceted environmental pressure. Zhu and Sarkis (2004), instigated logistics management research for assimilating the supply chain with environmental elements. Research in the green supply chain management area gets a boost in 1990, where processes begin with green purchasing. Webb (1994) discussed the environmental impact due to some harmful products and suggested a theory called “Green purchasing”. The theory suggested buying recyclable and environmentally sustainable products. Green et al. (1998), talked about an organization, which started in 1995 by BIE (business in the environment) and CIPS (Chartered institute of purchasing and supply) to support organizations and make a balance among environmental performance and business activities thereby enlightening supply chain performances.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Sustainability: Are the green practices for meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.
Green Management: Are the practices to save against pollution, global warming natural resource and biological diversity depletion.
Innovation: Adopting advance technology for better resource utilization, some of the technologies like machines learning, block chain and artificial intelligence are enhancing supply chain performances.
Performance: Need to be measured for both the aspects quantitative (delivery lead time, flexibility, and resource utilization), and qualitative (service/product quality and customer satisfaction).
Environment: External as well as internal, within and outside the preview of supply chain should be taken care and all entities must act to protect the environment from any deterioration.
Green Supply Chain: Are the practices starts from sourcing environmentally safe raw material, using green fuel, less polluting vehicles, warehousing, and distribution.