Sustainable Supply Chains, Logistics, Production and Conscious Consumers

Dear Colleagues,

In this era of stringent environmental requirements and increasing competition, companies are being encouraged to base their business strategies on the principles of sustainability. Drivers of environmental goals are no longer limited to the legal requirements of individual countries, but must also consider growing consumer awareness. In this context, moving towards a greener future seems to be the only appropriate course of action for any responsible organisation (public or private). Strategies such as educational campaigns and information dissemination need to be implemented to help consumers become more aware and active players in a greener future: this, undoubtedly, cannot be achieved without the involvement of all stakeholders.

This Special Issue is dedicated to the topic of sustainable supply chains, logistics, and production, without forgetting the other side of the coin: consumers.

These topics are highly relevant; their complex and multifaceted nature provide opportunities for scientific research, as well as the presentation of its latest findings and the dissemination of best practises in various fields. The common denominator of these diverse elements is the path towards a green future, which should be the overriding objective for both businesses and consumers.

Based on these considerations, for this Special Issue, authors are invited to submit original research articles, review papers, case studies, and theoretical frameworks that promote a greener future and contribute to the understanding and advancement of sustainable supply chains, logistics, and production, and help stakeholders to implement strategies aimed at engaging consumers in this green perspective.

To this end, we welcome papers on topics that include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Green logistics: Efforts and strategies to minimise the environmental impact of logistics activities. Various practises refer to green logistics and aim to reduce carbon footprints, save energy, and promote sustainability throughout the logistics process from production to delivery (e.g., efficient transport, eco-friendly packaging, reverse logistics, carbon footprint management, supply chain collaboration, etc.);
• Circular economy: Efforts and strategies aimed at minimising resource use, waste, and emissions and at maintaining the value of products, materials, and resources for as long as possible (e.g., products designed to be reusable, repairable, and recyclable, extending the life cycle of products through maintenance, repair, remanufacturing, and recycling, etc.);
• Sustainable production: Production of goods and services using processes that minimise environmental impact, conserve energy and natural resources, and ensure social and economic benefits for all stakeholders (e.g., more efficient use of materials and energy to reduce waste and conserve resources; the implementation of practises and technologies that reduce emissions and pollutants to air, water, and soil; the use of renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and bioenergy to power production processes; the use of environmentally friendly materials in manufacturing products; LCA; social responsibility to ensure fair labour practises, safe working conditions, and positive impacts on local communities; etc.);
• Technological integration: Enhancing the role of Industry 4.0 technologies such as IoT, AI, and data analytics;
• Policy and regulation: Evaluating the impact of global and local policies on promoting sustainable practises;
• Consumers awareness: Analysing whether consumers are aware and how their behaviour influences and drives sustainable practises in business.

We look forward to receiving your valuable contributions and are confident that this Special Issue will significantly enrich academic and stakeholder discussions on this crucial topic.

Dr. Erica Varese
Dr. Bartłomiej Kabaja
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• sustainable supply chains
• green logistics
• sustainable production
• consumer awareness
• circular economy
• technology integration
• policy and regulation towards a green future
• greener future