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Advances in the Supply Chain and Circular Economy towards Sustainability

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2023) | Viewed by 25056

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Swee Kuik

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Guest Editor

College of Business, School of Business and Law, Central Queensland University, Brisbane 4000, Australia
Interests: operations and sustainable supply chain; product recovery; circular economy; business analytics and optimisation; decision support systems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past decades the exploration of circular economy in the context of operations and supply chain management has become an important research field. This special issue on recent advances in supply chain and circular economy towards sustainability, aims at highlighting multi-disciplinary approaches to demonstrate how to optimize the supply chain processes and empirically practice circular economy principles within organization. The scopes and levels can be broad from upstream and downstream supply chains and/or narrow one specific area, such as financial, sourcing, production, purchasing implications within organizations (e.g., both empirical based analysis and/or mathematical models are welcome).

Submission may include but are not restricted to the following topics:

Exploring supply chains and circular economy practices towards sustainability in different socioeconomic contexts.
Mapping of sustainable supply chain processes for circular economy in manufacturing and service industries.
Development, improvement, or re-design supply chains for implementing circular economy and sustainable practices.
New theoretical lenses to evaluate and study circular economy practices in operations and supply chain management.
Collaborative and sustainable supply chain practices towards circular economy.
Development of decision support system for circular economy and/or sustainable supply chains.
Development and optimization of supply chains towards sustainability.
Identifying, promoting, and leveraging consumer behaviors that support the transition to circular economy and/or sustainable supply chain.

This special issue will explore the topic of circular economy practices and sustainable supply chain in manufacturing and/or service industries. However, the literature review of these relevant topics is also welcome.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Swee Kuik
Guest Editor

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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.

Keywords

sustainable supply chain
circular economy
environmental sustainability
waste minimization
recycling
remanufacturing
consumer behaviour

Published Papers (11 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research

4 pages, 172 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Advances in the Supply Chain and Circular Economy towards Sustainability

by Swee Kuik

Sustainability 2023, 15(16), 12326; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151612326 - 13 Aug 2023

Viewed by 860

Abstract

A transformational shift has occurred in the 21st century, with many enterprises in the manufacturing or service sectors adopting sustainable and circular approaches and abandoning linear and wasteful processes [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Supply Chain and Circular Economy towards Sustainability)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

22 pages, 2142 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Systematic Literature Review on the Transition to Circular Business Models for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)

by Swee Kuik, Akhil Kumar, Li Diong and Joowon Ban

Sustainability 2023, 15(12), 9352; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15129352 - 09 Jun 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1753

Abstract

The transition of a business to a circular business model (CBM) calls for significant and ongoing shifts in different business management models and strategies. However, there is a lack of research focused on the technological, financial, societal, and institutional influences on the CBM transition in small and/or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). To address this gap, our study develops a theoretical framework for the transition towards CBM. We conducted a systematic literature review with the objective of determining the relationships among technological, financial, societal, and institutional influences for CBMs. Following this, we then established a conceptual framework that comprises these four key influences for a transition plan in the context of an innovative business model with a focus on the value proposition, value creation, and value delivery. An illustrative case example of the manufacturing industry for the transition plan to CBM was presented as well. The proposed framework is designed to lead the shift towards circular economy-oriented business models that aim to promote sustainability in business. In addition, we uncovered several potential avenues for further investigation. We expect the framework towards both contribute to the expansion of the existing body of research in the field and provide business practitioners with guidelines on the CBMs’ transition for SMEs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Supply Chain and Circular Economy towards Sustainability)

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17 pages, 1831 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synergistic Interconstruction of the Green Development Concept in Chinese Rural Ecological Agriculture

by Hongyun Tan and Xiaolie Qi

Sustainability 2023, 15(5), 3961; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15053961 - 22 Feb 2023

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1214

Abstract

The development of industrialization has overwhelmed an ecological environment damaged by the modern agricultural method. The development of a circular economy, which focuses on green development while balancing the development of agricultural production capacity, has led to the emergence of ecoagriculture. This study examines the impact of the green development concept on farmers’ income, using the practice of the green development concept of ecoagriculture in Guangdong province, China, as an example. The study uses the entropy method to verify whether the green development concept advocated by top-down policies genuinely benefits farmers’ living standards. The study results are as follows. First, the green development concept’s application in Guangdong province’s agricultural production and the two-way granger causality relationship between farmer income and food production interact. Second, chemical fertilizers and pesticides have played an important role in promoting the development of agricultural production. Third, in the long run, the greater the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides will reduce farmers’ incomes. In summary, from the perspective of sustainable development, green development will promote increased income for China’s farmers and improve rural development. It is essential to implement the concept of green development in the process of rural modernization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Supply Chain and Circular Economy towards Sustainability)

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21 pages, 1286 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Conceptual Framework of Customer Value Proposition of CCU-Formic Acid Product

by Yazan K. A. Migdadi, Ahmed A. Khalifa, Abdullah Al-Swidi, Abdulkarem I. Amhamed and Muftah H. El-Naas

Sustainability 2022, 14(24), 16351; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142416351 - 07 Dec 2022

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1539

Abstract

This paper aims to develop a comprehensive conceptual framework of the customer value proposition of formic acid as an actual outcome of carbon capture and utilization (CCU) to support clean production and environmental sustainability worldwide. This study included different phases. The first phase was an extensive reading of the literature, followed by a content analysis of the selected literature. The aim of the content analysis was to identify key concepts and the general categories of these concepts. The final phase was a content analysis of the selected literature with the purpose of identifying the relationship between concepts. The outcome of this paper is to provide a comprehensive framework of the customer value proposition of the CCU–formic acid product and consequently support global research efforts in sustainability. This framework contains two general dimensions: market knowledge and customer value. The first dimension includes five variables: the customers’ acceptance of CCU technology, the customers’ intention to purchase formic acid produced by CCU technology, the degree of customers’ knowledge about CCU technology, the customers’ readiness for environmental issues, and the market segments of formic acid product. The second dimension includes seven variables: ecological benefits, the ecological risk of CCU, varieties of formic acid use, the pricing policy of formic acid, the variety of formic acid packages, the order size, and the order frequency of formic acid. The relationship between variables was identified according to the literature and hypotheses were developed. This study has attempted to build a more comprehensive framework containing all proposed value dimensions and market knowledge as well as identifying the relationships between variables. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Supply Chain and Circular Economy towards Sustainability)

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23 pages, 2061 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pricing and Service Effort Decisions of Book Dual-Channel Supply Chains with Showrooming Effect Based on Cost-Sharing Contracts

by Yanwei Chen, Xiaojun Liu, Kaiqing Huang and Huajun Tang

Sustainability 2022, 14(18), 11278; https://doi.org/10.3390/su141811278 - 08 Sep 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1191

Abstract

It is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore circular and sustainable economies. A traditional chain transits to a dual-channel supply chain, extending its online channel for more customers, and keeping its offline channel so as to reduce resource utilization for sustainable business. However, there exists some conflict between offline and online channels, such as the showrooming effect (i.e., customers visit an offline store to experience products but then buy them online with a lower price). This work studies a three-echelon book dual-channel supply chain involving an author, an online publisher and an offline retailer. Based on Stackelberg game theory, it investigates the optimal pricing solutions and the optimal retailer’s service effort level with two copyright models and considers the showrooming effect based on either decentralized or centralized decision-making. Afterwards, it develops a cost-sharing contract to make them achieve Pareto optimality. Furthermore, this research studies the influence of the showrooming effect on the optimal decisions and the profits of each member through theoretical and numerical analyses. The findings show that a well-designed contract can lead dual-channel members to cut down the negative impact of the showrooming effect and realize the win–win situation. Finally, it proposes some managerial insights and possible directions for the future. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Supply Chain and Circular Economy towards Sustainability)

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21 pages, 2035 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Framework to Assess Social Indicators in a Circular Economy Perspective

by Augusto Bianchini, Patricia Guarnieri and Jessica Rossi

Sustainability 2022, 14(13), 7970; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14137970 - 30 Jun 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 4433

Abstract

The thriving circular economy is expected to contribute to all three dimensions of sustainable development: environmental, economic, and social. This paper aims to propose a framework to assess social indicators to support circular business models. To validate the framework, we conducted a case study in a medium-size Italian footwear luxury industry, using the Value Focused Thinking–VFT. This approach was used to define proper social indicators to measure the perception of the company’s managers related to the level of incorporation of social dilemmas in the company. We collect data through interviews, documental analysis and direct observation from October/2019 until August/2020 and apply a questionnaire in 2020/2021. The novelty of this paper lies in the proposition of a framework to assess the social indicators in broad categories, capable of covering all supply chains: Corporation, Community; Consumers; Suppliers; Human Rights and Human Resources. Another novelty is related to the analysis of indicators in terms of strategic, tactical, and operational levels, similarly to the idea of a Balanced Scorecard, which was allowed by applying the VFT approach. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Supply Chain and Circular Economy towards Sustainability)

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14 pages, 268 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Evaluation of Green Logistics Efficiency in Northwest China

by Wen Qin and Xiaolie Qi

Sustainability 2022, 14(11), 6848; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14116848 - 03 Jun 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2546

Abstract

This paper develops an index system for assessing green logistics efficiency in Northwest China with the goal of “double carbon” (peak carbon dioxide emissions and carbon neutrality). The study employs a three-stage data envelopment analysis model of super efficiency to assess the spatial and temporal efficiency of the green logistics industry in Northwest China from 2010 to 2019. Our findings reveal that the overall logistics efficiency in Northwest China fluctuates. Each province has a high pure technical efficiency, but significant regional differences in comprehensive technical efficiency and scale efficiency are apparent. In Northwest China, government support and science and technology levels have a greater impact on green logistics efficiency. Based on the implementation of the “double carbon” strategy, this study offers pertinent insights and suggestions for the high-quality development of the green logistics industry in Northwest China. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Supply Chain and Circular Economy towards Sustainability)

20 pages, 2718 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Which Is the Best Supply Chain Policy: Carbon Tax, or a Low-Carbon Subsidy?

by Hanbo Wu, Yaxin Sun, Yutong Su, Ming Chen, Hongxia Zhao and Qi Li

Sustainability 2022, 14(10), 6312; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14106312 - 22 May 2022

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2263

Abstract

The low-carbon supply chain is key to promoting sustainable development and solving environmental pollution. Government policies related to lowering carbon emissions deeply affect supply chains. This paper builds a supply chain decision-making model under three different regulatory policies: a pure carbon tax, a pure low-carbon subsidy, and a mixed policy with both a carbon tax and a low-carbon subsidy, then compares and analyzes the impacts of these three different regulatory policies on carbon emissions, manufacturer and retailer income, and marginal profit in order to determine the best course of action with respect to supply chain decision-making. Our results indicate that the supply chain decision-making model under the mixed carbon tax and low-carbon subsidy policy results in a unique Nash equilibrium solution between the retailer subsidy rate and the manufacturing carbon reduction rate in a non-cooperative game. Although a carbon tax is beneficial to the ecological environment, retailer income increases slightly as the carbon tax coefficient increases before declining rapidly. Manufacturer income has a negative linear relationship with carbon tax, and an excessive amount of carbon tax increases the burden on companies. Therefore, the government must establish reasonable standards for carbon tax collection while offering moderate low-carbon subsidies at the same time as a means of optimizing social welfare. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Supply Chain and Circular Economy towards Sustainability)

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13 pages, 266 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Word-of-Mouth Communication and Consumers’ Purchase Decisions for Remanufactured Products: An Exploratory Study

by Xiaolie Qi and Swee Kuik

Sustainability 2022, 14(10), 5963; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14105963 - 14 May 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3906

Abstract

In this study, we explored the interactive relationship between social media online word-of-mouth and offline word-of-mouth and its impact on consumers’ decision process for purchasing remanufactured products in China. This study adopted an exploratory approach, and we conducted semi-structured in-depth interviews with 30 Chinese consumers in Guangdong, China. As per our findings, it was determined that social media online word-of-mouth, offline word-of-mouth, and information source credibility are the main factors that affect Chinese consumers in the decision process for purchasing remanufactured products. In addition, offline word-of-mouth was noted to play a moderating role in the influence of social media online word-of-mouth in terms of purchase decisions. Information source credibility influences consumers’ purchase decisions and also plays a mediating role in the influence of offline word-of-mouth on the purchase decision. The result of our study provides managerial insights for Chinese remanufactured product enterprises to improve consumer awareness, influence purchase decisions, and cultivate habits toward remanufactured products. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Supply Chain and Circular Economy towards Sustainability)

21 pages, 2348 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Pricing and Contract Coordination of BOPS Supply Chain Considering Product Return Risk

by Shujun Yang, Ivan Kai Wai Lai and Huajun Tang

Sustainability 2022, 14(9), 5055; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14095055 - 22 Apr 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1610

Abstract

This study proposes a BOPS (buy online and pick up in store) model for a two-echelon supply chain, considering the product return risk to reach an equilibrium result of two omni-channel integration modes, managed by the manufacturer or the retailer, respectively. Furthermore, this study analyzes the impacts of the service cost coefficient and the consumer loyalty of the offline channel on the optimal price, service decision, and profit of different integration modes. This study also compares the profits of enterprises under centralized and decentralized decisions. The results show that centralized decision making can improve the service level of the SA (Store Assistance) effort and the sustainable performance of the supply chain. Whether the BOPS channel is managed by the manufacturer or retailer, the service cost, the product return rate, and the offline channel consumer loyalty have an impact on the decision of product sale price, wholesale price, and SA effort service level. Offline customer loyalty is less sensitive in the BOPS channel managed by the retailer than that managed by the manufacturer. It is suitable for the manufacturer to manage the BOPS channel when offline customer loyalty is low. Otherwise, it is appropriate for the retailer to manage the BOPS channel. The profit of the supply chain under the decentralized decision is less than that under the centralized decision. When executing a wholesale price contract, different omni-channel integration modes can alleviate the double marginalization effect. It can fully coordinate the supply chain members, motivate retailers to improve the service level of the SA effort, and realize Pareto improvement to support supply chain sustainability. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Supply Chain and Circular Economy towards Sustainability)

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16 pages, 2007 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Promoting Effect of Green Technology Innovations on Sustainable Supply Chain Development: Evidence from China’s Transport Sector

by Li Li and Weimin Li

Sustainability 2022, 14(8), 4673; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14084673 - 13 Apr 2022

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2039

Abstract

This paper analyses direct and indirect mechanisms of the promoting effect of green technology innovation of transport companies on the SSC development. Based on China’s transport sector data, we conduct an empirical study using the LL-FE model. Theoretical and empirical studies have two key findings: (1) On the direct mechanism, green technology innovations of transport companies have a positive role of promoting SSC development. When the level of green technological innovation of transportation enterprises increases by 1% totally, the level of transportation carbon emissions decreases by about 0.23%. (2) As for indirect mechanisms, green technology innovations of transport companies will promote SSC development through technology spill over, market competition and social network. This paper enriches the understanding of green technological innovation and SSC both in theoretical and empirical aspects. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in the Supply Chain and Circular Economy towards Sustainability)

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